Gradual retreat is a way of teaching your baby to fall asleep on their own while you stay in the room. You sit near the cot as they drift off, then every few nights you move your chair a little further away, until you are outside the door. It is also called camping out or the chair method. The Victorian Government's sleep factsheet says each step might take 2 to 3 days to work, and it might take 1 to 3 weeks before your baby goes to sleep without you in the room.
Because you stay present, your baby is not left to cry alone at any point. The trade-off is time. For how this compares with other methods, see our sleep training overview.
What are camping out, the chair method and parental presence?
These names describe closely related approaches.
- Camping out or the chair method. You stay in the room until your baby is asleep, gradually moving further away. The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne (RCH) names camping out as one of two evidence-based settling techniques. It suggests that if leaving for timed checks is too distressing, you can sit in a chair in the bedroom and gradually move it out of the room.
- Parental presence. You lie or sit within sight of the cot and pretend to be asleep. The Victorian factsheet describes making a small noise if your baby wakes so they know you're there, using a gentle shush or pat rather than picking them up, and pretending to sleep again after about 2 minutes.
- Adult presence. The RACGP's controlled crying FAQ describes staying in the room for seven nights in a row until your baby falls asleep, trying not to touch them.
- "Shuffle" and gradual withdrawal methods. These follow the same pattern of moving across the room in stages. NSW Health's sleep and responsive settling page describes gradual withdrawal from 12 months, including when children move from a cot to a bed.
What age can you start gradual retreat?
The Victorian factsheet that describes camping out is written for babies aged 6 to 12 months, and NSW Health suggests parental presence from 6 months. The RCH says there is no evidence that behavioural sleep interventions help babies under 6 months.
For younger babies, responsive settling is the better fit. For toddlers, NSW Health describes gradual withdrawal from 12 months, and staying in the room avoids the problem of a toddler in a bed simply following you out.
Check with your GP or health visitor first if your baby has any feeding, weight or health concerns, or was born early.
How do you do gradual retreat, step by step?
The Victorian factsheet sets out these steps.
- Gently pat your baby until they fall asleep.
- Sit in a chair next to the cot until your baby sleeps, without touching them.
- Move your chair a bit further away from the cot every few days.
- Move your chair outside the door.
Start each night with your usual bedtime routine, then put your baby on their back in the cot, calm and awake.
Example plan — adjust to your baby
This example is built from the factsheet's guide of 2 to 3 days per step. Your baby may need more or fewer nights at each spot.
| Nights | Where you are | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | Beside the cot | Gentle pats until asleep |
| 4 to 6 | Chair next to the cot | Stay until asleep, no touching |
| 7 to 9 | Chair halfway to the door | Quiet shush if needed |
| 10 to 12 | Chair by the doorway | Stay in sight, few words |
| 13 onwards | Just outside the door | Answer with your voice |
Move on when your baby is falling asleep fairly calmly with you at the current spot. Going back a step for a few nights after illness or a disrupted week is part of the method, not a failure.
What do you do while you're sitting there?
Be calm and a little boring. Keep the lights low, avoid chatting or eye contact games, and use the same short phrase or shush each time. If your baby stands up, lie them back down on their back and return to your chair without fuss.
If your baby wakes overnight, go back to the position you reached at bedtime and settle them the same way. Australia's Tresillian's parental presence steps suggest using the least amount of help needed to calm your baby, and expecting to repeat this several times before they can stay calm and drift off.
How long does camping out take to work?
| Source | How long it may take |
|---|---|
| Victorian Government (camping out) | Each step 2 to 3 days; 1 to 3 weeks in total |
| NSW Health (parental presence) | 1 to 4 weeks to get used to it |
| Australia's Tresillian (parental presence) | At least 1 week, or until 3 nights in a row of fairly unbroken sleep |
NSW Health and Australia's Tresillian both suggest you can start leaving the room once you've had three nights in a row with little disturbance. The Victorian factsheet says you can stop parental presence once your baby sleeps well for 3 days in a row.
Can you use gradual retreat for naps?
Yes. The Victorian factsheet says parental presence can be used for day naps too, and Australia's Tresillian suggests staying in the room until your baby is asleep during the day. Many families find it easiest to start at bedtime, then bring the same approach into naps once bedtime is going more smoothly. See short naps if naps are the main struggle.
What are the pros and cons of the chair method?
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| You stay with your baby throughout | Usually slower than timed checks |
| Less crying alone | Needs time and patience every night |
| Can suit anxious babies | Some babies get angry seeing you and not being picked up |
| Works for toddlers in a bed | Hard to judge when to move on |
The RACGP says camping out may suit babies who are a bit more anxious, or parents who feel they can't manage controlled crying. It also notes adult presence works less well for babies who get angry when they can see a parent who isn't picking them up. For those babies, check and console may suit better.
Camping out was one of the options offered in an Australian trial whose five-year follow-up found no lasting differences in children's emotional or behavioural problems, stress or the parent–child relationship.
When should you pause, stop or get help?
Pause if your baby is unwell; the RCH says it's fine to stop during illness and start again later. Change approach if your baby is getting more upset over several nights rather than less, or if it no longer feels right for your family.
Safe sleep stays the same throughout. The AAP's safe sleep guidance says to put your baby on their back for every sleep until 1 year, on a firm, flat surface in their own cot, with no pillows, bumpers, soft toys or weighted products, and in a smoke-free home. Don't fall asleep with your baby on a sofa or armchair while you wait.
If your baby is struggling to breathe, turns blue or grey, or is floppy or hard to wake, call 999 now. Book a GP or health visitor visit soon if your baby snores or seems to pause when breathing in sleep. The AAP sleep apnoea guide says to tell your doctor right away about frequent snoring, and to call an ambulance if breathing stops for more than 20 seconds or your baby turns pale, blue or grey, so call 999. See your GP or health visitor too if you're worried about feeding, growth or how you're coping. For parenting support, contact your health visitor, or NHS 111.
What is worth noting as you go?
Note where your chair was each night, how long settling took and any night wakings. Seeing settling time shrink at each position helps you decide when to move on, and the notes are handy if you talk to your health visitor.
