What is the Ferber method and how do you do it?
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Written by the Watch My Baby team. Each method's duration and steps come from its own author's book or website, and so do the age limits, except the 4-month floor for cry it out, which is ours because its author favors starting earlier. This page has not been reviewed by a physician; it is for information only and its sources are listed at the end.
The Ferber method (graduated extinction, or controlled crying) is a sleep training method where you put your baby down drowsy but awake, leave the room, and if they cry, check in briefly at gradually longer intervals. On the first night you wait 3, 5 and 10 minutes, and the waits get a little longer each night. According to pediatric sleep specialist Richard Ferber, who described it, improvement comes within a few nights to a week; if there is none after a week, the approach should be reconsidered.
- Age
- 4 months and up
- Duration
- 3–7 days
- Crying
- Moderate
- Parent
- Brief check-ins
Step by step
- Set a routine. Do a calm routine such as bath, pajamas, a book and a song in the same order every night.
- Put down awake. Put your baby in the crib drowsy but awake, say a short good night and leave the room.
- Wait the time on the chart. If your baby cries, stay out until that night's wait is up. On the first night the first wait is 3 minutes, the second 5 and the rest 10.
- Check in briefly. Go in and reassure your baby with your voice or a pat on the back without picking them up, and leave within 1 to 2 minutes. The goal is not to get them to sleep but to show you are there.
- Start over at night wakings. If your baby wakes in the night, use the same pattern starting from that night's first wait. The method applies to naps too; if your baby isn't asleep after 30 minutes, end that nap.
- Lengthen the waits each night. The next night, move to the next row of the chart; after night 7, keep lengthening the waits. Keep morning wake-up time the same every day.
Wait times night by night (minutes)
| Night | First wait | Second wait | Later waits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
| 2 | 5 | 10 | 12 |
| 3 | 10 | 12 | 15 |
| 4 | 12 | 15 | 17 |
| 5 | 15 | 17 | 20 |
| 6 | 17 | 20 | 25 |
| 7 | 20 | 25 | 30 |
Times are from Ferber's chart (Ferber 2006). They are a starting point; you can shorten them to suit you, as long as they get a little longer each night.
Pros
- Your baby sees you at intervals; less hard than cry it out.
- One of the most studied methods; it clearly reduced night wakings (Gradisar 2016).
- In mothers who started with high depression scores, symptoms dropped markedly (Hiscock 2002).
Cons
- There is crying on the first nights, and it is hard to listen to.
- Check-ins wake some babies up more instead of calming them.
- Doing it one night and stopping the next can prolong crying; it takes consistency.
What does the research say?
A review for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine lists graduated extinction among the supported methods (Mindell 2006).
In a randomized study of 43 babies aged 6 to 16 months, graduated extinction clearly reduced night wakings. Babies' cortisol did not rise, and a year later there was no difference in attachment (Gradisar 2016).
In another study of babies aged 6 to 12 months, more sleep problems resolved within two months, and symptoms dropped markedly in mothers with high depression scores (Hiscock 2002).
Frequently asked questions
How long does the Ferber method take to work?
According to Ferber, most babies improve within a few nights to a week; the first two nights are usually the hardest. If there is no improvement after a week, stop, reconsider the approach and talk to your pediatrician.
Can I pick my baby up during a check-in?
The Ferber method doesn't recommend picking up; reassure with your voice or a pat and leave. If your baby vomits, seems ill or was frightened by something, comfort them first and continue afterwards.
Does the Ferber method harm babies?
Research has not found long-term harm. Babies who had graduated extinction showed no rise in stress hormone and no difference in attachment a year later (Gradisar 2016). Children who had behavioral sleep training did not differ from others at age 6 (Price 2012).
What about night feeds?
Your baby may still need to feed at night; the method is for wakings other than feeds. Talk to your pediatrician about which feeds to keep, and don't stop feeds all at once.
What should I do during illness or teething?
Pause and give your baby the support they need. Once they are well, start again with the routine and the first night of the chart.
Other methods
- Chair method (14–21 days)
- Cry it out (3–4 nights)
- No tears (no-cry) (21+ days)
- Pick up, put down (At least 3 days)
Follow the program night by night.
The sleep coach suggests a method and a backup for your baby in seven questions. Every night of the program you choose, with its wait times and a timer, is in the app.
Sources
- Ferber R. (2006). Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems. Revised edition. (Method's author)
- Mindell J. A., Kuhn B., Lewin D. S., Meltzer L. J., Sadeh A. (2006). Behavioral treatment of bedtime problems and night wakings in infants and young children. Sleep, 29(10), 1263–1276. (Research)
- Gradisar M. et al. (2016). Behavioral interventions for infant sleep problems: a randomized controlled trial. Pediatrics, 137(6). (Research)
- Hiscock H., Wake M. (2002). Randomised controlled trial of behavioural infant sleep intervention to improve infant sleep and maternal mood. BMJ, 324, 1062–1065. (Research)
- Price A. M. H., Wake M., Ukoumunne O. C., Hiscock H. (2012). Five-year follow-up of harms and benefits of behavioral infant sleep intervention: randomized trial. Pediatrics, 130(4), 643–651. (Research)