As you learn about sleep training, you encounter new terms and concepts, including something called The Ferber
Method. So, what is the Ferber Method for sleep training, how does it work, and is the Ferber Method best for your
baby? Here I'll provide answers about the Ferber sleep coaching method, often referred to as timed checks or the
timer method.
If you’re looking to get support with sleep training, considering using Ferber but really don’t know
where to start, take our
free sleep assessment and download the Smart
Sleep Coach by Pampers app. Get a personalized sleep plan along with step-by-step guidance (from yours truly) on how
to improve your baby’s sleep using Ferber, and guide them to become strong independent sleepers.
IN THIS ARTICLE:
What is the Ferber Method?
Named after Dr. Richard Ferber, a pediatric sleep expert in Boston, the Ferber sleep training method uses increasing
interval based checks to gratually fade out the parental support your baby needs to fall asleep independently.
In a nutshell, the Ferber Method has you put your baby down for bed drowsy but awake, and leaving the room for
progressively longer intervals before entering to provide a brief reassurance and leaving again – repeating
this process until your baby falls asleep.
There are differing variations of this method and how the intervals work – in some cases you stick with a given
interval of 2-mins for the first few nights and then extending to 5-mins for the next few nights. In other cases you
increase the intervals by 1 or 2 mins each time you enter the room until you hit an evening ‘max’
interval – starting at the max from night 1 for the next night waking or on night 2.
Regarless of the variation you use, essentially by lengthening the amount of time between reassurances, you give your
baby the opportunity will soothe themselves to sleep – the primary goal of successful
sleep
training
.
Note: Brief reassurances should be less than 1-min and as calm and quiet as possible – you don’t want to
stimulate your baby further. When possible I recommend not picking up your baby, rather providing an ‘arms
length’ reassurance with a gental pat and using your voice.
What Kind of Comfort Can I Offer When “Ferberizing”?
While you can comfort your baby when using the Ferber Method, you want to keep your reassurances brief (less than one
minute) and gentle. Comforting can include:
- Shushing
- Patting your baby’s back
- Stroking your baby’s head
Avoid picking up your baby as this may further stimulate them.
Remember: The Ferber Method is all about gently soothing your baby and letting them fall asleep independently.
Talking too loudly or picking them up may stimulate them even more, leading to a more wakeful state.
How Do I Do the Ferber Method of Sleep Training?
Here is an example sleep training plan using the Ferber Method:
What You’ll Need: A timer or stopwatch. Most smart phones have one.
Nights 1-3: The first three nights of the Ferber Method are exactly the same in terms of time interval:
- Perform your bedtime
routine
as usual and put your baby down sleepy but awake. That means they’re very tired but not
yet asleep.
- Leave the room.
- If your baby cries, start your timer, and wait until it goes off before entering your baby’s room to
reassure them.
- Reassure your baby for 1 minute max. You want to keep your visit as short as possible without lingering.
- Leave the room and repeat this process until your baby falls asleep. If they wake up again later in the night,
repeat the same process as necessary using the same interval.
Nights 4 and Beyond:
- On the fourth night of sleep training with the Ferber Method, add two minutes to the “fussy timer”
and wait that length of time before entering the room to reassure your baby (still for less than 1-minute).
- For example, if you waited 3 minutes on the first 3 nights, you’ll wait 5 minutes on night 4.
- Then, on night 5, you add another 2 minutes; on night 6, you add another 2 minutes, and so on… By
lengthening the time between protest and reassurance, you give your baby an opportunity to soothe themselves to
sleep.
How Long Does the Ferber Method Take?
Every baby is different, but in my experience, with consistent delivery parents start to see some sleep improvement
using Ferber by around nights 5-7, but it can take 2-weeks or more for your baby to learn how to fall asleep
independently. It is considered a moderate parental involvement method and is among the fastest sleep training
methods you can use.
That said, it’s important to note that successful sleep training is also very much dependent on your
baby’s personality and finding the best sleep training. Sometimes entering the room for a brief reassurance
only serves to escalate crying – babies with this response are often better suited to a non-parental
involvement method such as .
Regardless of which sleep coaching method is best for your baby, you’ll achieve fast and easy results with the
Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers™.
We worked with the world’s best pediatric sleep experts to create an app that can help any parent sleep train
any baby – easily, safely, and quickly. In fact, the Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers™ is so effective that
most users see results in as little as a week.
Are There Night Wakings with the Ferber Method?
No matter which sleep
training method you use
, there will likely be night wakings. What is important is that you handle those
night wakings in exactly the same way as you handled bedtime – using your sleep training method. In the case
of Ferber, that means not entering the room after the night waking until your designated interval is up. And then
repeating the interval assurances until your baby falls back to sleep.
How to Handle Night Wakings with the Ferber Sleep Coaching Method:
If your baby wakes up at
night
, follow the same rules or steps as you do when putting them down for the night: set your timer, wait
the appropriate time, and softly reassure 1 minute before leaving and starting your timer again.
What If My Baby Wakes Near Morning?
If your baby experiences a night wake and it’s near their wake-up time, leave them alone until it’s time
to get up for the day. This is for two primary reasons:
- Melatonin production decreases after 5am, which means your baby is not likely to fall back to sleep, even with
brief reassurances
- Going in may solidify early wakeups: by going in, you cue your baby it’s time to get up. By leaving them
in their crib, you’re reinforcing the fact that proper wake up is later in the morning. This can help
inspire your baby to sleep a little more in the morning or teach them to be quiet as they wait for you to get
up.
Check out this article for more advice on how to handle early wakeups.
Additional Tips for the Ferber Method of Sleep Coaching:
If your baby calms down while you’re in the room, leave: you want your baby to fall asleep while you’re
out of the room. The goal with sleep training is to teach your baby to fall asleep independently. If
you’re there by their crib when they fall asleep, they may come to depend on you to fall asleep.
If when you enter the room your baby's cry escalates, that’s ok – as long as it doesn’t continue
every time you enter for more than a few nights. If it becomes the standard reaction, then you might want to
consider transitioning to a non-parental involvement method, such as Cry it Out.
Why Cry It Out is Best at Naps:
Regardless of which method you use for bedtime sleeps, cry it out is always best for naps. This is for a few reasons:
- Naps are short and you have a much slimmer window of opportunity to perform a bedtime routine or sleep coaching
method.
- Melatonin production is lower during naps – that means your baby has more energy to protest sleep training
and can fight you the entire nap. For this reason alone, it’sbest to leave them alone and let their
natural sleepiness take over.
- Your presence before a nap may stimulate them and you miss the sleepy window.
For more advice or step-by-step guidance on starting your sleep coaching journey, download the Smart Sleep Coach by
Pampers™
. It’s truly a game-changer – and a sleep saver!
FAQs:
How long does it take to do the Ferber Method?
Every baby is different, but on average babies and parents who use the Ferber Method of sleep training see initial
results in about 6-7 days. Sleep training is a process, though – there are a few hills and valleys to conquer
before your baby's sleep is 100% on track.
Is sleep training traumatizing for babies?
No. Sleep training is harmless; in fact, sleep trained babies may even be healthier than babies
that aren’t sleep trained
: studies show that well-rested babies are more emotionally even, have
stronger linguistic skills, and are at less risk for obesity.
Why won’t the Ferber Method work on my baby?
Every baby is unique and has their own style of sleeping – and sleep training. While the Ferber Method has
helped millions of babies, millions of other babies do better with a different sleep training method. Not to mention
that with any habit change, consistency is the key to success. The Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers™ can help you
find which sleep training method will work best for your little one (and you) and guide you step by step through the
process.
Which night of sleep training is hardest?
Again, every baby is different, but from my own experience and the experiences of my friends, the 2nd or
3
rd night of sleep training are often the most challenging– meaning that babies cried more on those
nights than any other night. By the third night it’s not unusual to feel like sleep has taken a step backwards
instead of forwards. If you experience this, don’t be deterred, stick with it and stay consistent!
Sources:
“Sleeplessness, night awakening, and night crying in the infant to toddler,” Pediatric Review.
“Back to sleep: Teaching adults to arrange safe infant sleep environments,”
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.
“Study finds link between sleep habits and weight gain in newborns,”
National
Institutes of Health
.
How We Wrote This Article
The information in this article is based on the expert advice found in trusted medical and government sources, such
as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. You can find a
full list of sources used for this article below. The content on this page should not replace professional medical
advice. Always consult medical professionals for full diagnosis and treatment.