Sleep associations (or sleep props) are the conditions a baby links with falling asleep, such as rocking or feeding — some are helpful, and some can make settling independently harder.
Sleep associations — sometimes called sleep props — are the things a baby comes to link with falling asleep, such as being rocked, fed or held, hearing a particular sound, or having a comforter. They become part of the set of conditions the child expects in order to drift off.
Are they a problem?
Not necessarily. Some associations, such as a consistent bedtime routine, a dark room or white noise, can support sleep and are easy to recreate. Difficulty tends to arise with associations that depend on a caregiver actively doing something — like rocking or feeding to sleep — because the child may need the same help to resettle when they wake between sleep cycles.
How are they worked on?
In gentle sleep coaching, unhelpful associations are usually changed gradually rather than removed abruptly. The aim is to help a child fall asleep in conditions that will still be present if they wake later in the night, so they can resettle more independently. Some associations may deliberately be kept or introduced, depending on the individual child.
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