New JMU research challenges sleep training norms

New research by Jennie Rosier, associate professor in the School of Communication Studies at James Madison University, is challenging one of the most widely accepted parenting practices in the U.S.: cry-it-out sleep training.

In “Dispelling Cry-It-Out Sleep Training Myths and What to Do Instead,” Rosier and a team of interdisciplinary scholars argue that infant night waking is not a behavioral problem to fix, but a normal and developmentally expected part of infancy. Drawing from psychology, neuroscience, anthropology, and attachment research, the book questions whether popular sleep-training methods widely promoted by pediatricians, media and parenting influencers are as effective or benign as commonly believed.  

The book takes a critical look at both extinction (“cry-it-out”) and controlled crying methods, highlighting:

• Evidence that infant night waking is biologically typical
• Concerns about how reduced caregiver responsiveness may affect stress regulation and attachment
• Methodological flaws in studies claiming sleep training success
• Practical, evidence-based alternatives that support sleep without leaving infants to cry alone

At a time when exhausted parents are often told independent sleep is essential, Rosier’s work reframes the conversation: What if the issue isn’t babies’ sleep but our expectations?  

Why this matters now:

• Sleep training remains one of the most searched parenting topics online
• A growing cultural shift toward responsive parenting and attachment-based approaches
• Rising mental health concerns among new parents navigating conflicting advice

Rosier can discuss:

• Why sleep training became “authoritative” advice in Western culture
• What research says about infant sleep development
• Whether babies are capable of “self-soothing”
• Realistic sleep expectations for the first year
• Evidence-based alternatives to cry-it-out methods

“Parents have been told for decades that infants need to be trained to sleep independently, and that their nighttime waking is a problem to fix. But the evidence tells a different story. Waking at night is a normal, biologically expected part of infancy, not a behavioral flaw,” said Rosier.   

"This new research challenges parents and practitioners to reconsider long-held assumptions about ‘cry-it-out’ methods and to recognize that responsiveness, not withdrawal, supports healthy development,” added Rosier.