Sleep is both a science and an art. To top that off, it is a lifeskill. And yet, it remains one of the most illusive parts of life, especially when it comes to babies. One of the primary reasons babies do not sleep well is that they typically develop a dependence on sleep props. Sleep props are anything that they simply cannot go to sleep on their own without—i.e.nursing, bottle feeding, rocking, singing, a car ride, you get the idea. While, trust me, I have been there done that and used many of these as a nanny of 13+ years. I have also learned that the way forward and the path to success involves taking steps to shift their dependence on sleep props to a newfound independence in putting themselves to sleep. The incredible gift of learning independent sleep is a lifelong gift you give your child and benefits their development as well as your quality of life.