Is your baby giving you a hard time at bedtime? The chair technique, intended to promote independent falling asleep, could well be useful to you!
Despite a well-established bedtime ritual, is your baby struggling to fall asleep? For Marion, mother of a little boy aged 19 months, it’s the same ritual every evening: “we say good night to all our stuffed animals, then we read a story, and when it’s time to lie down in bed , he has gotten used to me staying with him until he falls asleep.” And beware of this mother if she were to leave the room: baby gets up immediately to call her back to her side. If you too are struggling to get your baby to sleep independently, there are many techniques to help your baby fall asleep, such as using a chair.
The chair technique consists of placing a chair next to your child’s bed, so as to be as close as possible to him, then gradually moving it back over the days. We will first stand in the middle of the room, then at the door, and finally leave the room. “The chair is a means of materializing parental presence. This visual cue is very reassuring and reassuring for the child who understands that his parent stays in his room until he falls asleep.“, explains Sandra Menoni, sleep consultant and founder of la nuit des petits.
Since it takes three weeks to establish a new habit, the chair technique is ideal for avoiding a too rapid transition and giving the child time to gain self-confidence. At the same time, it is important to verbalize things to your child, for example by saying: “I am with you, I trust you, you will succeed in getting sleep and I will stay here as long as you need me“. According to our expert, the chair technique works very well for young children who need their parents to hold their hands, or even to lie next to them. However, she does not recommend it for toddlers, who need more proximal support and comfort on demand. “It should not be like 5-10-15 in disguise“, warns the specialist.
In practice, the chair technique is interesting from the age of 18 months, when baby is in a bed on the floor. “The idea is that the child knows that he is supported and that he will be comforted if he feels the need. Let’s keep in mind that falling asleep always marks a separation from the parent. Ask your baby in the bed and leaving the room is too abrupt, the chair technique therefore promotes a gentle and serene transition for the child, without crying or protesting“, she continues.