Does the sleep training Ferber Method work? We outline how to do the Ferber Method of sleep training and why it is controversial to some critics.
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Parents are often desperate when the child (and therefore they too) cannot really relax. Sleep training, such as Ferbern, promises help. We clarify how the method works and why it is being discussed critically.
‘Every child can learn to sleep’ is the title of the much discussed book by Annette Kast-Zahn and Dr. med. Hartmut Morgenroth. It explains how to use the Ferber Method to get babies used to sleeping alone.
For parents, the promise that the child can sleep alone and through the night in a very short time sounds like a dream. Because what most baby parents have in common is a huge sleep deficit. They are therefore particularly receptive to advice and ideas.
But how exactly does the Ferber method work and why is it controversial? We want to bring some light into the darkness.
How to get a baby to sleep through the night
What is the Ferber Method of sleep training?
The Ferber Method is a type of ‘interval training’ for babies. Because the time in which they lie alone in their little bed without mom and dad by their side increases little by little.
At the beginning parents put their baby to bed with the usual bedtime rituals (reading, petting or singing), then say goodbye to the child and leave the room. If the child starts to complain, parents should not go straight to the children’s room according to the Ferber method, but rather wait two to three minutes. Then the parents enter the room and calm down their child briefly without taking them out of their crib. Then they leave the room.
At the beginning bring your baby to bed with the usual bedtime rituals (reading, petting or singing), then say goodbye to the child and leave the room. If the child starts to complain, parents should not go straight to the children’s room according to the Ferber method, but wait two to three minutes. Then the parents enter the room and calm down their child briefly without taking them out of their crib. Then they leave the room.
If the child starts to cry again as soon as it is alone, parents now wait a little longer, about five minutes, before entering the room again. You repeat the calming down and leave the room again. If the child starts screaming again, wait 10 minutes and keep this time gap for the first evening.
On the second evening, increase the intervals before entering the child’s room. First five minutes until the first check, then ten and finally every 12 minutes. On the third evening, too, increase the time intervals again to 10, 12 and 15 minutes and so on.
This increases the time it takes to calm the crying child. The aim of this ‘interval training’ is that the child learns over days or weeks to calm down on their own and finally to fall asleep and sleep through on their own.
Important: You should never let the child scream out of control. It is important for the child to see that mom and dad are still there. In addition, children can get so upset that they vomit. This can be dangerous if babies are not yet able to turn.
At what age can you use the Ferber method of sleep training?
Regardless of the sleep-learning method, the prerequisite for the use of this is that the child is physically developed to the point that it is able to sleep through the night without breastfeeding or bottles. This applies to most children from around six months of age. But sleep training such as Ferber can also be used for larger babies or toddlers.
Progress towards the ‘Cry it out’ method
Ferber is, to put it quite simply, a ‘controlled screaming’. At the time of the publication of Professor Ferber’s book, it was common practice for many parents to just let the child cry. Babies were put to bed, said goodbye, and the door was closed.
If children started crying, they were allowed to cry (‘cry it out method’) until they fell asleep at some point. Without consolation, without reassurance. So to a certain extent the Ferber Method was an advance and was considered a gentle sleep-learning method.
Ferber today: Emergency program for sleep disorders
Opinions differ on the subject of the sleep training Ferber method. There are parents who swear by the method and parents who completely reject it. Whether you want to change or not is your own decision.
Opponents of the method often criticize the fact that parents act against their intuition with this program. Because a crying baby makes us want to comfort it. According to Ferber, however, this request cannot always be fulfilled immediately. This can cause more stress in parents than, for example, simply lying down with the child.
It is also criticized that the method can disrupt the relationship between baby and parents. Because the basic trust that children have in their parents could be damaged, precisely because the parents seem to ignore their screams.
Important: What is to be known is that, according to its namesake, the Ferber was developed as an emergency program for children with sleep disorders or for parents who suffer greatly from their child’s sleep behavior. So it was never intended as a general solution for all children. (Unlike the German book ‘Every child can learn to sleep’ suggests.)
Do you harm your baby with Ferbern?
There is no study that can show that Ferbern harms babies. An Australian study was published in 2016 that showed that children who were accustomed to staying asleep using the Ferber method, another or no sleep method at all, showed no differences in their behavior or relationship with their parents.
Only the mothers of the children who had used the Ferber method showed an increased stress level during the study.
To Ferber or not to Ferber, that is the question
From a scientific point of view, there is no solid evidence that the Ferber method will harm the baby. That is why everyone has to decide for themselves individually whether to use them or not.
It can be an alternative for parents who reach their limits every evening because their baby is constantly crying, who cannot find peace themselves when their baby lies next to them at night or who can no longer muster the strength to accompany their baby to sleep and be relief.
Originally it was intended as an aid for parents who could not find peace with their child’s sleep behavior. Prof. Ferber did not intend that it has developed into a sleep method for everyone.
Important note: The content of this article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for a doctor’s diagnosis. If you are unsure, have urgent questions or have complaints, you should contact your doctor.
