Families who live in apartments may have more problems teaching their babies to sleep than those living in single homes because of worries about disturbing the neighbors. It may be virtually impossible to let your baby cry at 2:00 in the morning with neighbors nearby. This is especially true in the summertime when windows are open. Some parents even state their concern that their neighbors might think that their baby is being abused or neglected because they are letting him cry for such an extended period of time.
If you have these or similar concerns because you live with others or close to others, there are solutions. Remember, the important part of getting your baby to sleep through the night is teaching him to fall asleep on his own. This does not have to happen at one specific time. Rather than teaching your baby to self-soothe at bedtime, do it at naptimes. And do it during the week when most people are gone for the day. You can also choose your days. Begin sleep training on a Friday night so it will only disturb weekend sleep. And by all means warn your neighbors. Explain your predicament and what you are trying to do. (Beware, though, that you may be the recipient of lots of unwanted and contradictory advice about how to manage your baby’s sleep problems.)
Excerpted from Sleeping Through the Night: How Infants, Toddlers, and Their Parents Can Get a Good Night’s Sleep, by Jodi A. Mindell, Ph.D.