# Why Won't My Baby Sleep? Sleep Pressure, Associations and Choosing a Method > A practical troubleshooting view of baby sleep: timing, sleep associations and picking a method you can stick with, safely. Stage: baby - Topic: Sleep - Page: https://www.askcladle.com/guides/baby/dubief-precious-little-sleep Grounded in: Alexis Dubief's *Precious Little Sleep: The Complete Baby Sleep Guide for Modern Parents* and her Precious Little Sleep website, alongside the AAP's safe sleep recommendations. Summarized in Cradle's own words, not quoted; the author does not endorse Cradle. General information, not medical advice. Reviewed: 2026-11 ## TLDR - Most baby sleep problems come down to timing, how the baby falls asleep, and the setting. Safe sleep never changes. - Sleep associations are normal; they're only a problem when your family can't keep up. Practicing falling asleep in the crib at bedtime usually carries into the night. - Pick a method you can apply consistently (most aim at 4-6 months and up), rule out hunger or illness first, and change one thing at a time. ## The approach Dubief writes as a practical troubleshooter rather than a guru with one method. Her view: most baby sleep problems come from a few mechanics - timing, how the baby falls asleep, and the setting - and once you understand those you can choose whatever approach fits your family. The tone is humorous and reassuring. ## Safe sleep comes first Whatever method you choose, Cradle follows the AAP's safe sleep recommendations: every sleep on the back, alone, on a flat, firm surface with only a fitted sheet - no pillows, bumpers, loose blankets or soft toys, and no inclined or weighted products. The AAP recommends sharing a room (not a bed) for at least the first 6 months. No sleep-training step changes this. See the safe sleep guide. ## Sleep pressure and timing - Sleepiness builds the longer a baby is awake. Too little awake time and they fight sleep; too much and they become overtired, which can make falling and staying asleep harder. - Awake time stretches as babies grow, from very short stretches in the early weeks to a few hours by the end of the first year. Watch your baby, not just a chart (see the sleep by age table). - A consistent wake-up time anchors the day; many babies do well with a fairly early bedtime. - Short naps and early-morning wakings often trace back to timing that's a bit off. ## Sleep associations - Babies tend to want the same conditions to get back to sleep at night that they had when they fell asleep at bedtime: being fed, rocked, bounced or held. - Associations are normal and not a problem in themselves. They become a problem when the family can no longer keep up, such as a baby who needs rocking back to sleep every hour. - The usual fix is helping the baby practice falling asleep in the crib or bassinet at bedtime, then the skill tends to carry into the night. - Helpful associations a baby can keep all night include a dark room, steady white noise (kept quiet and away from the crib) and a wearable blanket or sleep sack that is not weighted. ## Choose your method She lays out a range: gradual, low-crying approaches (slowly fading your help, or sitting near the crib and moving away over several nights), timed check-ins, and full extinction. Her advice is to pick one that you can apply consistently, because inconsistency tends to mean more crying overall. Most formal sleep training is aimed at about 4-6 months and up; check with your pediatrician first. For a side-by-side view of approaches, see the sleep approaches compared guide. ## Common troubleshooting points - The 4-month change in sleep is real and normal (see the four-month sleep regression guide). - Rule out hunger, illness, teething pain or a too-warm room before changing your approach. - Change one thing at a time and give it about a week before judging. - Night feeds: whether a baby still needs them depends on age and growth; ask at the checkup. ## Where it fits and where it's debated - **Strengths:** clear explanations of the why, practical fixes, a lot of humor, and no shaming of any method. Useful for parents who want to understand the problem before choosing a plan. - **Critiques:** the book is open to sleep training, which some families don't want; parents who prefer fully responsive settling, or come from cultures where babies sleep close to adults, may find it less aligned with their values (room-sharing keeps a baby close while staying within safe sleep advice). The timing guidance is based on experience and common practice more than research, and a troubleshooting mindset can make normal baby waking feel like a problem to fix. - **Who it suits:** tired parents and caregivers of babies roughly 3-18 months, shift workers and families with two homes who need a plan everyone can follow. ## When to check in - Mention it at the next checkup if your baby snores loudly most nights, seems to pause or gasp during sleep, or isn't gaining weight well. - Bring it up if sleep loss is affecting your own mood; see the postpartum depression guide.