Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems by Richard Ferber M.D.

In a nutshell, Ferber says you can teach your baby to soothe himself to sleep when he's physically and emotionally ready, usually sometime between 4 and 6 months of age. He recommends following a warm, loving bedtime routine and then putting your baby in bed awake and leaving him (even if he cries) for gradually longer periods of time. Putting a child to bed awake, says Ferber, is crucial to successfully teaching him to go to sleep on his own.

Parents are instructed to pat and comfort their baby after each predetermined period of time, but not to pick up or feed their baby. This routine is called "progressive waiting." The suggested waiting time, which Ferber charts in his book, is based on how comfortable you are with the technique, how many days you've been using it, and how many times you've already checked on your child that night.

After a few days to a week of gradually increasing the waiting time, the theory goes, most babies learn to fall asleep on their own, having discovered that crying earns nothing more than a brief check from you.

How to use the Ferber Method

First, wait until your baby is physically and emotionally ready to sleep through the night, usually between 4 and 6 months of age. Ferber doesn't designate a precise age at which to begin his technique, since it can vary so much depending on the child.

If you're not sure whether your baby's ready, you can always give it a try. If you encounter too much resistance, wait a few weeks Step 2 Say goodnight to your child and leave the room. If he cries when you leave, let him cry for a predetermined amount of time. (See "How long should I leave my child alone?" below.)

Step 3 Go back into the room for no more than a minute or two to pat and reassure your baby. Leave the light off and keep your voice quiet and soothing. Don't pick him up. Leave again while he's still awake, even if he's crying.

Step 4 Stay out of the room for a little bit longer than the first time and follow the same routine, staying out of the room for gradually longer intervals, each time returning for only a minute or two to pat and reassure him, and leaving while he's still awake.

Step 5 Follow this routine until your child falls asleep when you're out of the room.

Step 6 If your child wakes up again later, follow the same routine, beginning with the minimum waiting time for that night and gradually increasing the intervals between visits until you reach the maximum for that night.

Step 7 Increase the amount of time between visits to the nursery each night. In most cases, according to Ferber, your baby will be going to sleep on his own by the third or fourth night - a week at the most. If your child is very resistant after several nights of trying, wait a few weeks and then try again.

How long should I leave my child alone? In his book, Ferber suggests these intervals:[list] [*] First night: Leave for three minutes the first time, five minutes the second time, and ten minutes for the third and all subsequent waiting periods. [*] Second night: Leave for five minutes, then ten minutes, then 12 minutes. [*] Make the intervals longer on each subsequent night.

Keep in mind that there's nothing magical about these waiting periods. You can choose any length of time you feel comfortable with.

Rumors about the Ferber Method:

Rumor Ferber says you should let your child cry it out alone in his crib until he falls asleep.

What he actually says Ferber never says you should simply leave your baby in his crib and shut the door behind you. His progressive waiting approach allows you to gradually limit the time you spend in your child's room while providing regular comfort and reassurance - as well as reassuring yourself that he's okay.

Rumor Ferber encourages parents to let their child cry until he throws up

What he actually says This charge is often leveled against Ferber as evidence of the callousness of his method, as if vomiting were one of the goals of his approach. In reality, it's true that a baby who cries long and hard enough may vomit, but such incidents are rare.

Ferber's point is that in the unusual case that vomiting happens, it shouldn't deter you from sleep training. His advice? To matter-of-factly clean your child up and then leave the room. Ferber believes that a tantrum or an extended period of crying alone won't hurt a child in the long run.

Rumor Ferber says his method will work quickly, easily, and for everyone

What he actually says Ferber believes his approach is effective but he never claims that it's easy. Ideally, the method works in a few days to a week, but Ferber acknowledges that's not always the case.

His book is full of ideas for what to do if the program isn't working ("If Things Aren't Getting Better" is the title of one long chapter) and encouragement for parents who find the process only slightly less discouraging than nights of interrupted sleep.

Rumor Ferber says you must never, ever deviate from a set sleep schedule

What he actually says Sticking to a routine is fundamental to Ferber's method - and to most sleep methods, for that matter. Still, Ferber acknowledges that there are times - for example, if your child is sick, or you're traveling, or you have a babysitter - when you'll have to be flexible. If your baby's sleep schedule has been disrupted and he's waking up again at night, you may have to start the process all over again.

Information about the Ferber method from Babycenter. The Ferber Method Demystified and Baby sleep training: Cry it out methods

Personal Stories about the CIO sleep training method from Mom's of Multiples

--Becky5 19:50, 3 August 2007 (CDT)