The pick up put down method sits in an interesting position in the sleep training landscape. It is gentler than cry-it-out approaches but more structured than purely responsive methods. It was popularised by Tracy Hogg, the author known as the Baby Whisperer, and it remains one of the most recommended starting points for parents who want to encourage independent settling without leaving their baby to cry alone.
This guide explains exactly how the method works, which ages it suits best, what to expect in practice, and why it sometimes fails even when done correctly.
What Is the Pick Up Put Down Method?
The pick up put down method (sometimes abbreviated to PUPD) is a sleep training technique in which you settle your baby in the cot, and if they cry, you pick them up to offer comfort until they calm, then put them back down before they are fully asleep. You repeat this process as many times as necessary until the baby settles.
The core principle is that the baby learns to fall asleep in the cot, in their own sleep space, without being fed or rocked to sleep. You are present and responsive throughout, but you are gradually shifting the settling from your arms to their own cot.
What Age Does Pick Up Put Down Work Best?
This matters more than most guides acknowledge.
Under 3 Months: Not Recommended
Newborns have not yet developed the neurological capacity to self-regulate their emotions. Being put down repeatedly when upset can increase distress rather than reduce it. Newborns also wake frequently for genuine feeding needs. PUPD is not appropriate for this age group.
3 to 6 Months: Can Work With Patience
This is the early window where some babies respond well. At this age, the method tends to require many more repetitions before the baby settles, and it can feel more exhausting for parents than simply rocking. Babies who are easily overstimulated by being picked up repeatedly may respond better to a gentler shushing and patting approach without lifting.
6 to 8 Months: The Sweet Spot
Most sleep training experts who recommend PUPD suggest it works most consistently between six and eight months. By this age, babies have enough object permanence to understand that you have not disappeared, but they are not yet so physically capable (pulling to stand, cruising along the cot rails) that pick up and put down becomes physically complicated.
8 Months and Older: Often Counterproductive
Past eight or nine months, the act of picking up can become more stimulating than calming for many babies. Being lifted, looked at, and put back down can feel like an interesting game rather than a settling cue. At this age, in-cot reassurance or a more graduated approach often works better.
How to Do the Pick Up Put Down Method Step by Step
Step 1: Establish a Consistent Bedtime Routine
Before PUPD can work, the baby needs a routine that signals sleep is coming. A short, consistent sequence (bath, feed, brief book or song, into the sleep bag, into the cot) gives the baby predictable cues that settling is expected.
Step 2: Put the Baby Down Awake
Place the baby in the cot drowsy but awake. This is the critical starting point. If the baby is already fully asleep when placed, there is nothing for the method to build on.
Step 3: Wait Briefly Before Intervening
Give the baby a short window (30 to 60 seconds) to attempt to settle independently before responding to any grizzling. Not all sounds require intervention. Some babies make noise as they wind down, and picking up too quickly can interrupt a self-settling attempt.
Step 4: If the Baby Cries, Pick Them Up
When the cry escalates to genuine distress, pick the baby up calmly. Hold them in a settling position: upright on your shoulder or lying against your chest. Do not feed, rock vigorously, or walk around extensively. The goal is to calm, not to put to sleep.
Step 5: Put the Baby Down Before They Are Fully Asleep
As soon as the baby calms and the crying stops or significantly reduces, place them back in the cot. The baby does not need to be wide awake, but they should not be fully asleep. Drowsy but settling is the target.
Step 6: Repeat as Needed
Stay calm and consistent. In the early nights, this may need to be repeated many times. This is normal and expected.
Step 7: Offer Verbal and Physical Reassurance
While the baby is in the cot between pick ups, you can keep a hand on their chest, shush gently, or use a consistent reassurance phrase. You do not have to stand silently. Your presence and calm voice are part of the settling process.
What to Expect Night by Night
Night One and Two
Expect the process to take longer than you hoped. Some parents report 30 to 60 minutes of settling on the first night, with many pick up and put down cycles. This is not a sign the method is failing. It is the baby adjusting to new expectations.
Night Three to Four
Most babies begin to settle more quickly. The number of times you need to pick up typically reduces.
End of the First Week
Many babies show significant improvement by night five to seven. Some settle within a few minutes. Others take two weeks of consistent application before the pattern becomes reliable.
Why the Pick Up Put Down Method Sometimes Fails
The Baby Becomes More Stimulated by Being Picked Up
For some babies, particularly those who are easily overstimulated, being picked up, held, and put back down repeatedly creates more arousal rather than less. If your baby seems to escalate with each pick up rather than calm, they may need a different approach such as firm shushing and patting in the cot without lifting.
Inconsistent Application
The method requires consistency across every sleep period, every night, from everyone who puts the baby to sleep. One person rocking the baby to sleep on night three while another parent does PUPD on night four sends contradictory signals and significantly delays progress.
Using It at the Wrong Age
As covered above, using PUPD after eight or nine months often produces a baby who finds the whole sequence interesting rather than settling.
The Baby Has an Unaddressed Sleep Association
If a baby has been fed or rocked to sleep every night for six months, the expectation of those conditions is deeply ingrained. PUPD works on the settling behaviour but does not directly address a feeding-to-sleep association. Some families find they need to move the feed earlier in the routine before PUPD can gain traction.
Pick Up Put Down vs Other Sleep Training Methods
Pick Up Put Down vs Cry It Out
Cry it out (extinction) involves placing the baby in the cot and not returning until a set interval or the morning. PUPD keeps a parent present and responsive throughout. For parents who cannot manage leaving a baby to cry without intervention, PUPD provides an alternative that still teaches independent settling.
Pick Up Put Down vs Ferber Method (Graduated Extinction)
The Ferber method involves timed check-ins with brief verbal reassurance but no picking up. PUPD allows picking up for comfort. Which works better is individual to the baby. Some babies calm quickly when picked up and settle faster with PUPD. Others find the pick up cycle more agitating and do better with brief check-ins only.
Pick Up Put Down vs Chair Method (Sleep Lady Shuffle)
The chair method involves sitting next to the cot and gradually moving the chair further away over one to two weeks. It is slower but lower intervention. PUPD tends to show faster results but requires more physical effort, particularly in the first few nights.
Is the Pick Up Put Down Method Safe?
Yes, when used appropriately for the age and development of the baby. The method does not involve leaving the baby to cry alone. A parent is present and responsive throughout.
A few practical safety notes worth mentioning:
Always place the baby on their back in a safe sleep environment (firm, flat mattress, no loose bedding, appropriate room temperature). The settling position during pick up should be stable and secure. Avoid picking up a tired or distressed baby by one arm or lifting awkwardly.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pick Up Put Down
How many times do you pick up the baby before giving up for the night?
There is no fixed limit. The method does not have a built-in stopping point. Some parents set a personal time limit (if the baby has not settled after 45 minutes they will feed and try again at the next wake). This is a practical decision each family makes based on their baby and their own capacity.
Can you use pick up put down for naps as well as nights?
Yes, and it is usually recommended to apply it consistently across both nap and night sleep. Applying it only at bedtime while continuing to rock or feed for naps sends mixed signals.
Should both parents do it the same way?
Ideally yes. Consistency between caregivers is one of the most significant factors in how quickly the method produces results.
What if my baby vomits from crying during pick up put down?
A small number of babies cry to the point of vomiting during any sleep training process. If this happens, calmly clean up without making it a significant event, resettle the baby, and continue. This is distressing for parents but not harmful to the baby.