Ready To Sleep Train Your Baby? You May Want To Try The Ferber Method – mindbodygreen.com

Sleep training babies often brings up a lot of confusion and questions. Parents, often desperate for a good night’s sleep themselves, are sometimes left pondering if their course of action is the right one as there are many methods to choose from. Arguably the most famous is the Ferber method.

And if you are a new parent, perhaps you’ve considered this method too. So, here, our explainer on what you need to know. 

The Ferber method—sometimes called “Ferberization”—is a sleep training program created by pediatric sleep expert Richard Ferber, Ph.D. The idea is that a baby who has been sleep-trained under this method will be able to independently lull themselves to sleep and self-soothe when they wake up in the midst of the night. 

“The main purpose of the Ferber method is to teach your child skills to put themselves to sleep. This means your child should be able to put themselves to sleep from a wide-awake state without any help,” says pediatric sleep expert Kimberly Walker, LMSW, founder of Parenting Unlimited (who notes she teaches other sleep-training methods in her private practice but is well versed in many of the other forms.)

The Ferber method differs from other “cry it out” methods as it does involve checking in on the baby during crying spells—however, these check-ins are short, spaced out, and eventually weaned out entirely. “The Ferber method teaches caregivers to allow babies to cry for increasing intervals before comforting them. For example, after you first lay them down, you leave the room and allow them to cry 5 minutes before you check on them, and then 10 minutes, and then 15 minutes,” says Walker. Most experts and parents consider the Ferber method to be the gentler version of the “cry it out” styles. 

However, on the other end of the sleep training spectrum, the Ferber method differs from other programs as it doesn’t allow for holding. “There are many different methods, but the main difference between most methods is whether or not you pick the child up when they are crying. In the Ferber method, you do not pick them up,” she says. 

The method is famous for its timed chart, as outlined in Ferber’s book . Here is a general chart, but experts recommend purchasing or borrowing the book for more information if you decide to try this method. 

Since the Ferber method relies on self-soothing, parents should wait until babies are developmentally ready to do this: “Most people recommend between 4 to 6 months old, but older is OK too,” says Walker. You can always speak to your pediatrician or a sleep specialist if you have any questions about when to start sleep training, for Ferber or otherwise. 

There are a few common habits that get in the way of a successful sleep training period—try your best to avoid the below.

There are several ways to sleep train your child. You’ll simply want to find one that works best for you and your family. One of the most famous is the Ferber method and works by helping your kid develop the skills to sleep on their own.