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Information on the Ferber Method

The Ferber Method was devised by pediatrician Richard Ferber, who is the head of the Center for Pediatric Sleep Disorders at Children's Hospital in Boston. The method, published in 1985, claims that babies can learn to soothe themselves to sleep.

  1. The Method

    • According to the Ferber Method, parents can teach a baby to soothe himself to sleep when he is between four and six months old. The method encourages a loving bedtime routine followed by putting the baby to bed awake and then leaving him, even if he cries, for gradually longer lengths of time.

    Criticism

    • Sleep experts, parents and pediatricians have criticized the Ferber Method, claiming that it causes lifelong emotional damage to the baby, while others praise its effectiveness. Proponents of the method claim that it is often misunderstood.

    Accordance

    • Ferber and critics alike agree on several points when it comes to applying the Ferber Method to child sleep training. For instance, most experts, including Ferber, agree that the method is not for babies under six months of age, is not for babies who have a conditioned vomiting response or fear of being left alone, and that the method itself does not teach a baby to fall asleep.

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