Being a parent means that you will never be as well-rested as you were at other times of your life. Even if you are okay with that for a while, there will be a point when you decide to sleep train your baby in order to get some solid sleep. There are many different strategies and techniques, and one of them is the Ferber sleep method .
The Ferber method sleep training, also known as Ferberization, is a popular sleep-training technique for infants developed in the 1980s by doctor Richard Ferber. It has already helped thousands of parents and shown positive results. Therefore, it might be something that you want to try as well.
What is the Ferber Method?
Many parents, who are sleep training their babies, decide not to go to the baby's room, even if the child has been crying for a long time. The Ferber Method is less harsh and includes the check-ins on the baby when baby is crying.
The check-ins are timed intervals when parents should check on the baby and that are gradually getting longer until the baby falls asleep. During these short check-in intervals, that should last no longer than 2 minutes, parents can soothe babies verbally or give a rub, but they are not allowed to pick them up or feed.
This Ferber sleep training method is based on the idea of leaving crying infants alone for strictly-intervals by ignoring cries and protests parents might hear. Ferber calls his technique "graduation extinction" or "progressive waiting approach". With the help of this sleep training method for infants it will gradually help babies understand and accept the fact that no one is going to come to them, so their behavior becomes less destructive and they'll begin to learn to self soothe.
When should you start using the Ferber Sleep Method?
The Ferber Sleep Training Method should not be recommended for very young babies and not to too early. But at around 5 or 6 months of age is perfect because it is the age when babies already have a capacity to self-soothe themselves to sleep. Moreover, a 5-6 months old baby is already able to sleep through the night without being fed.
However, if you are still not sure how to use this Ferber sleep method and whether this strategy is suitable for your baby, then do not hesitate to see your pediatrician and ask him questions about the Ferber Method sleep training.
You also do not necessarily have to start sleep training once your baby turns 5 or 6 months old. In our case we slept train our child at 4 months. If you feel that it is better to wait a little bit, it is fine to start using the Ferber Method when the baby/child is older. You just need to remember one thing: the older your baby gets, the harder it might be for her to learn how to fall asleep on her own without being fed, comforted, or soothed by parents.
What are the Ferber Method steps for sleep training?
In general, sleeping training might be difficult and stressful both for parents and infants. However, the steps suggested by Richard Ferber in his method are pretty simple and easy to follow. Here is what needs to be done:
Once you have finished with the bedtime routine, put your baby or child into the crib or the bed. The baby or child should be still awake but a little bit drowsy.
Rest your hand on their chest and say goodnight, mummy and daddy loves you. Once said, should immediately leave the room
If you hear the baby crying, do not rush into the room in order to soothe them immediately. Instead, wait for a couple of minutes and then go back to the baby's room in order to comfort him/her or pat. You should not pick the baby up or feed her.
Leave the room again, and keep going back at specific time intervals as many times as needed until the baby falls asleep.
The Ferber Method Chart - Step by Step guide
Ferber Method Chart | 1st Check in | 2nd Check in | 3rd Check in | Subsequent check ins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Day 1 | 3 mins | 5 mins | 10 mins | 10 mins |
Day 2 | 5 mins | 10 mins | 12 mins | 12 mins |
Day 3 | 10 mins | 12 mins | 15 mins | 15 mins |
Day 4 | 12 mins | 15 mins | 17 mins | 17 mins |
Day 5 |
15 mins |
17 mins |
20 mins |
20 mins |
Day 6 |
17 mins |
20 mins |
25 mins |
25 mins |
Day 7 |
20 mins |
25 mins |
30 mins |
30 mins |
From the above Ferber Method Chart, you can see by going in stagger effect it allows the baby time learn self soothe yet also having parents come in and provide them comfort.
Usually by the 3rd to 4th day you'll begin to see improvements with their sleep and the time checking in will become shorter. By the end of the week or earlier you they would of been successfully slept trained by using the Ferber Method Sleep Training. I do want to stress that every baby is different and by doing so you'll have to find it in you alongside of your partner that it is hard hearing baby crying it out.
But trust me it does work as we've had success with it. They key with being consistent and sticking to your rules for example no picking up baby when checking in. Just pat and say good night mummy and daddy loves you.
Baby sleeping with the help of Ferber Method Sleep Training
Is the Ferber Method Sleep Training Harmful?
In general, the Ferber sleep training method is not harmful and considered to be absolutely safe. The experts agree that crying for short periods of time with periodic check-in visits from parents will not cause any trauma or lead to long-lasting negative effects. Most doctors agree that the technique developed by Richard Ferber is not emotionally detrimental to infants because babies cannot become emotionally scarred from short periodic crying.
However, it is important to use this method wisely and know when it is better to stop in order to try something else. Thus. if after a week or two, your baby is still crying a lot, and she has not made much progress, then it is better to take a break.
You can still try the method again later or switch to another sleeping technique that might be more effective. It is also highly recommended to see your pediatrician, who can rule out the underlying issues, making it harder for your baby to fall asleep, including teething, ear infection, or infant acid reflux.
It is also important to trust your gut and intuition. If you have never tried this strategy before and this method is completely new to you, you should ask yourself: does it feel right? If your intuition says no, then it might be not a good method for you and your baby.
How long does the Ferber Method take to work?
It is hard to answer this question because every baby is different. However, in most cases, you should notice the crying to diminish steadily over several nights. Most babies will stop crying completely after 7 nights.
It is also important to understand that even if the training was successful, it does not mean that your baby will never cry at bedtime or wake up in the middle of the night again. She might still do it occasionally when she is teething, sick, or going through a significant developmental milestone.
Conclusion
The Ferber Method Sleep Training is a great technique for teaching your baby how to fall asleep on her own without any aid. Even though it has proved to be an effective approach with a lot of positive results, you should be ready for some challenges and tears, and remain patient. However, if you are consistent enough, after a few days you will notice that the crying has decreased and the quality of sleep both for you and your baby has significantly improved. As mentioned earlier, we used this method to really help our 4 month old baby to sleep.
