Sleep Props 101: What They Are and How They Can Affect Your Baby’s Sleep
If your baby is waking frequently at night or needing a lot of help to fall asleep, you might be wondering:
“Am I doing something wrong?”
“Why won’t they stay asleep?”
“Do I need to change something?”
Let me introduce a concept that could be the missing piece of the puzzle:
sleep props.
What is a Sleep Prop?
A sleep prop is anything your baby consistently relies on to fall asleep — something that helps them get to sleep, but also something they may struggle to sleep without.
Common sleep props include:
🍼 Nursing or bottle-feeding to sleep
🚗 Motion — rocking, bouncing, stroller rides, or car naps
💤 Being held or laying on a parent
🧸 Pacifiers (for some babies)
👩👦 You staying in the room or laying next to them
Now before we go any further — let me be super clear:
Sleep props are not “bad.”
In fact, many are incredibly comforting and developmentally appropriate, especially in the newborn stage.
But here’s what can happen over time…
How Sleep Props Affect Sleep
Every baby (and adult!) naturally wakes throughout the night as they move through sleep cycles. The difference is:
👋🏼 An independent sleeper knows how to fall back asleep on their own.
👋🏼 A baby who depends on a prop often needs that same prop to fall back asleep.
That’s where the cycle begins.
Your baby wakes at 12:30 AM…
But they fell asleep for bedtime while feeding.
Now they don’t know how to fall back asleep without feeding again.
So you’re up. Again. 😵💫 Then repeat that at 2:30, 4:30, etc. You get the point.
This can happen every 2–3 hours all night long — not because your baby is “broken” or even truly hungry, but because they haven’t yet learned the skill of putting themselves back to sleep without the prop.
Signs a Sleep Prop Might Be Getting in the Way
✔️ Your baby wakes every 1–2 hours at night
✔️ You have to recreate the exact conditions they fell asleep with (feeding, rocking, etc.)
✔️ They nap fine in motion, but resist the crib
✔️ They seem overtired and hard to settle
Sound familiar? You're not alone. This is one of the most common things I help families with.
So What Can You Do?
The good news? Independent sleep is a skill.
And it can be taught — gently, gradually, and in a way that honors your baby and your parenting style.
You don’t have to cold-turkey drop all comfort.
You don’t have to sleep train in a way that doesn’t feel right.
You can create new rhythms and routines that support your baby learning to fall asleep on their own — while still feeling safe, secure, and connected.
I walk families through this all the time, and the transformation is incredible — not just for you, but for your baby too!
Ready to Drop the Props (Gently)?
If you’re stuck in the cycle of holding, bouncing, or feeding on repeat — let’s change that. You don’t have to figure it out alone.
Want personal support? Click here to learn about my 1:1 coaching! Email today, sleep better soon!