All About the Ferber Method for Sleep Training

When it comes to exploring different sleep training strategies for your little one, you might come across the Ferber method. Also known as “Graduated Crying-It-Out,” this method is just one of the many options available to you when you’re sleep training your little one. Stay with us as we dive into the details of the Ferber sleep method, helping you understand what it is, how to implement it, and determine if it's the right fit for you and your baby.

What Is the Ferber Method?

If you’re unfamiliar with the Ferber method of sleep training, it’s helpful to know that this is a strategy that’s closely associated with pediatric sleep expert Richard Ferber, M.D., who, along with other experts, suggests that babies can learn to soothe themselves to sleep when parents follow certain guidelines. Some parents refer to the technique as “Ferberizing” your baby.

Another well-known name for the strategy is Graduated Crying-It-Out. As the name indicates, you gradually let your baby “cry it out” to fall asleep. But unlike the full crying-it-out method, you’ll still respond to your baby’s cries during night wakings when using the Ferber method. However, you’ll slowly increase the intervals between response times and allow your baby to cry, which is believed to help them learn to fall asleep independently in time.

How Does the Ferber Method Work?

If you’re wondering how “to do” the Ferber method to sleep train your baby, the technique is fairly straightforward. You’ll simply allow them to “cry it out” for gradually increasing periods of time.

You’ll start small, just letting your baby cry for a couple of minutes before checking on them. Then, as the night goes on, you’ll gradually increase the time you wait before you respond to your baby’s crying, but wait no longer than 10 minutes.

This structure can change based on what you and your baby need, but could look something like this, as an example:

1. Follow your standard bedtime routine. To start, you’ll put your baby down in their crib after their normal bedtime routine, say goodnight, and leave the room.

2. Complete the first interval. If your baby starts crying, let your baby cry for just a few minutes before going to briefly check on them. Soothe your crying baby by reassuring them that you’re just in the next room, that you love them, and that it’s time to sleep. Then, leave the room again.

3. Increase the interval. If your baby starts crying again, wait a little longer, such as five minutes, and then go check on them. Keep the room dim and your voice quiet, speaking no more than you have to when reassuring your baby. You can give your little one a comforting pat but try not to pick them up.

4. Continue lengthening the intervals. Depending on your baby's specific needs and temperament, you have some flexibility in the length of intervals. However, keep the longest interval (before starting over again) to no longer than 10 minutes.

Although the Ferber method is a sleep training technique that’s most often used for nighttime wakings, you could also use it for naps to keep your baby’s sleep consistent.

Ferber Method Chart, Schedule, and Guide

Again, you’re in charge of how long to make each interval. But to give you a step-by-step idea of what the Ferber method sleep training schedule could look like, check out the example of a Ferber method sleep chart below:

Get a Smart Sleep Coach sneak peek in the video below!

When to Start the Ferber Method

When to start the Ferber method or any other type of sleep training may depend on a couple of factors:

• When your baby starts sleeping in their own room. Many sleep training techniques are tricky to implement if you and your baby are room sharing; however, experts recommend sleeping in the same room as your baby until they’re 6 months to 1 year old. This reduces the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) by 50

• When your baby starts sleeping through the night . Some sleep training techniques aren’t as effective until a baby is sleeping through the night without waking. It may be best to wait until your baby has started consistently sleeping for long stretches of time at night without waking before you launch into Ferber method sleep training.

By 3 months, 90 percent of babies have started consolidating their sleep, sleeping six to eight hours a night without waking. So, experts advise that parents can start sleep training as young as 4 months. But, of course, remember that your little one may still be sleeping in your room at that age, so it’s more common for parents to start sleep training after 6 months.

related baby tool

Baby Growth Chart Calculator

Keep an eye on your baby’s height, weight, and head circumference to average growth with our simple tool.

Fill out your baby's details*:

What is your child*

Boy Girl

This is a mandatory field.

Age (months)

This is a mandatory field.

Weight (lbs.)

This is a mandatory field.

Height (in.)

This is a mandatory field.

Head circumference (in.)

This is a mandatory field.

Track your baby’s growth

*Input details of your baby’s last measurements **Source: World Health Organization

How Long Does the Ferber Method Take to Work?

Most sleep training techniques, including the Ferber method, require at least a few days to start taking effect, but the timing can vary from child to child. It's possible that your baby could fall asleep within just one or two intervals after a few days of the Ferber method. Of course, all babies are different, and yours might take a little longer to learn how to fall asleep and stay asleep on their own.

Is the Ferber Method Harmful?

Children's health and development experts agree that when infants receive love and attention during their waking hours, using the Ferber method isn’t harmful. It doesn’t damage babies or disrupt the relationship between babies and their parents.

Learning how to fall asleep on their own is an important developmental milestone that babies will need to reach, and short periods of crying have been known to help children settle down, unwind, and fall asleep. Of course, all babies are different, and the Ferber method might not work for everyone. But as long as you’re giving your baby lots of love and responding to their needs when they're awake during the day, your baby will be fine whether you choose the Graduated Crying-It-Out method or another sleep strategy.

Families who have adopted the Ferber method sleep training technique have observed the following benefits:

• Babies falling asleep faster. Many families who used the Ferber method found that their babies learned how to fall asleep on their own faster.

• Babies staying asleep longer. Ferber method families also found that their babies stayed asleep longer and had less night wakings.

• Less stress for parents. Parents who used the Ferber method were generally less stressed when sleep training.

Is There a Modified Ferber Method?

If you opt for the Ferber method sleep training technique, feel free to modify it as needed. For example, if your baby is screaming and very upset during the Ferber method, you can adjust the intervals and check on your little one more often. Remember, no two babies or families are alike, so the Ferber method may not work for you—but that doesn’t mean you have to give up on it completely. Modifying the Ferber method might make the technique take longer to be effective, but some children naturally need more time and more attention during sleep training than others.

Beyond the Ferber Method: Other Sleep Training Techniques

The Ferber method is just one sleep training technique for you to consider and there are many other sleep strategies for a baby and even for sleep training a toddler, which include the following:

• Crying-it-out. With this technique, you simply wait for your baby to stop crying and fall asleep without checking on them (unless in an emergency). It’s often confused with the Ferber method.

• Bedtime fading. This technique helps you identify the best bedtime for your little one. Gradually, you’ll shift your baby’s bedtime later each night (by about 10 to 15 minutes) until you find the sweet spot when your baby is tired enough to fall asleep on their own.

• Disappearing chair. Stay near your baby as they fall asleep on their own by sitting in a chair in their room but gradually moving farther from their crib each night. Eventually, you and the chair will be out of the room completely.

• Countdown. Pick a block of time you’ll stay in your child's room and gradually shorten it. The first-time block could be 20 minutes, the next 18, and so on until you reach 0 minutes.

• “Hold on.” This strategy starts during waking hours to get your child used to waiting when you leave the room. Simply tell them to “hold on” during the day when you leave a room for a brief period and increase the waiting time gradually. Since your child will trust that you’ll return, you can do the same at night and, eventually, they’ll fall asleep when “holding on” for you to come back.

The Bottom Line

The Ferber method is just one option when it comes to sleep training, and it’s up to you to decide what technique is best for you and your baby (though you can always ask your child’s healthcare provider for advice).

If you haven’t heard of the Ferber method before, perhaps its other name is more familiar: Graduated Crying-It-Out. Just as it sounds, you’ll let your baby “cry it out” to learn how to fall asleep on their own. But, instead of not responding at all to your baby’s cries, you’ll let your little one cry in gradually increasing intervals, up to 10 minutes at a time.

Experts agree that any type of sleep training that involves your baby “crying it out” isn’t harmful if done correctly. That means taking into account your baby’s individual personality, temperament, and needs. Some babies may be ready to start the Ferber method at 4 months of age, but some may need to wait until 6 months or later. And because you’ll give your child lots of love and attention during their waking hours, graduated or complete “crying it out” won’t cause any emotional damage to your little one or negatively impact your relationship with them.

But the Ferber method isn’t for everyone and is a personal decision. Although it has its benefits and typically takes only a few days to take effect, you must decide if it’s the right approach for your family.

_{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.}