The Pick Up Put Down Sleep Method
The short answer
The Pick Up Put Down (PUPD) method, popularized by Tracy Hogg in "The Baby Whisperer," is a gentle sleep training approach where you place your baby in the crib awake, pick them up when they cry (to provide reassurance), calm them, and put them back down as soon as they stop crying. This cycle is repeated until the baby falls asleep. PUPD works best for babies aged 4-8 months. It can be time-consuming (sessions may last 30-60+ minutes initially) but allows parents to maintain physical contact throughout the process.
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By Age
What to expect by age
0-4 months
PUPD is not recommended before 4 months. During this period, babies are not developmentally ready for structured sleep training. Instead, focus on building healthy sleep foundations: a consistent bedtime routine, appropriate sleep environment, and learning your baby's drowsy cues. You can begin placing your baby in the crib drowsy but awake occasionally to let them practice settling, but do not expect consistency. At this age, responding promptly to cries and providing comfort through holding, rocking, and feeding to sleep are all appropriate. The PUPD method becomes most effective after 4 months when babies develop more predictable sleep cycles.
4-8 months
This is the ideal age range for PUPD. The method works as follows: complete your bedtime routine, place your baby in the crib awake but drowsy, and leave the room or stand nearby. When your baby cries (not just fusses), pick them up and hold them calmly until they stop crying. As soon as they are calm (not asleep), put them back down. If they cry again, pick up again. Repeat. This can take 30-60+ repetitions the first few nights but typically decreases over 5-14 days. The key is consistency and not picking up for fussing or whining — only for actual crying. Some babies become more stimulated by the repeated picking up; if this happens, a gentler "in-crib" approach (patting, shushing) may work better.
8-12 months
PUPD can become less effective with older, heavier babies who may find the repeated picking up and putting down stimulating rather than calming. If PUPD is not working for your older baby, modifications include: picking up less frequently (waiting a moment before each pickup to see if the baby can self-settle), using in-crib comforting (patting, shushing, gentle hand pressure) instead of picking up, or transitioning to the gradual retreat (chair) method where you sit by the crib offering verbal reassurance. Whatever method you choose, consistency is the most important factor. Most methods show significant improvement within 7-14 days if applied consistently.
What Should You Do?
When to take action
- The first few nights involve many repetitions (30-60+) and sessions lasting 45-90 minutes — this is expected and improves over time.
- Your baby protests and cries during the process but calms when picked up and gradually starts self-settling with fewer pickups over several nights.
- Progress is not perfectly linear — your baby may have good nights followed by harder nights, but the overall trend should be improvement.
- You have been consistently using PUPD for 2+ weeks with no improvement.
- Your baby seems more agitated and escalated by the repeated picking up and putting down.
- Sleep training is affecting your mental health and you feel you cannot continue.
- Your baby's crying during sleep training is accompanied by fever, pain, vomiting, or other signs of illness — stop the method and address the illness first.
- You are so exhausted that you are at risk of accidentally falling asleep while holding your baby in an unsafe location (couch, recliner) — these situations are associated with infant sleep deaths. Seek help immediately.
- You are experiencing overwhelming frustration, anger, or thoughts of harming yourself or your baby — put your baby safely in the crib and step away. Call the Postpartum Support International helpline (1-800-944-4773) or 988.
Sources
Related Resources
Trust your instincts. If something feels wrong, reach out to your pediatrician.
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Related Sleep Concerns
No-Cry Sleep Solutions for My Baby
No-cry or gentle sleep solutions focus on gradually helping your baby learn to fall asleep independently without extended crying. Methods include the fading (chair) method, pick-up-put-down, the Pantley pull-off, and gradual retreat. These approaches typically take longer than cry-it-out methods (2-4 weeks vs. 3-7 days) but are preferred by parents uncomfortable with hearing their baby cry. Research shows that both gentle and more structured approaches are safe and effective when age-appropriate.
My Baby Only Falls Asleep with Motion (Swing, Car, Bouncing)
Many babies find motion soothing and fall asleep more easily when rocked, bounced, or in a swing or car. While this is a normal preference, it can become a challenging sleep association if the baby cannot fall asleep any other way. For safety, babies should be moved to a firm, flat sleep surface once they fall asleep — sleeping in swings, car seats, bouncers, or strollers increases the risk of positional asphyxia. Gradually reducing motion dependence can help your baby learn to fall asleep independently.
My Baby Refuses to Nap
Nap refusal is one of the most common sleep challenges parents face. Babies and toddlers may resist naps because they are overtired, undertired (wake windows are too short), going through a developmental leap, experiencing a schedule transition, or simply learning that they can protest. Most nap refusal phases are temporary. Maintaining consistent pre-nap routines, watching for sleepy cues, and ensuring age-appropriate wake windows can help resolve nap struggles.
How Long Should Baby Be Awake Between Naps?
The ideal awake time between naps (called a "wake window") increases as your baby grows. Newborns may only handle 45-90 minutes awake, while toddlers can manage 4-6 hours. Getting wake windows right is one of the most effective ways to improve nap quality, because both too-short and too-long wake times lead to poor sleep.
Is a Bath Before Bed Really Necessary?
A nightly bath is not medically necessary and some babies with sensitive skin do better with less frequent bathing. However, a warm bath can be a powerful sleep cue because the subsequent body temperature drop triggers melatonin production. If you include a bath, keep it calm and warm rather than stimulating.
How Long Should the Bedtime Routine Be?
An ideal bedtime routine for babies and toddlers is 20-30 minutes. Shorter routines may not give enough time to wind down, while routines longer than 45 minutes can become a stalling tactic. Consistency in the routine order matters more than exact length.