New babies rarely sleep through the night. A baby may cry out at any point during the night if he is wet, hungry or simply wakes up alone. According to the National Institutes of Health, however, your baby should sleep through the night by the time he is months old. Dr. Richard Ferber, director of the Center for Pediatric Sleep Disorders in Boston, is the author of the 1985 book “Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems.” In his book, Dr. Ferber proposes a method by which parents can teach their child to go to sleep on his own, increasing the chances that he will fall back asleep on his own should he wake during the night.
Step 1
Set a sleep schedule for your baby, and stick to it. This includes limiting your child’s naps. Babies 6 months old and older typically need no more than 11 to 12 hours of sleep each day. By setting a schedule for your baby, you can ensure that he is sleepy when bedtime arrives.
Step 2
Feed your baby before bed. The Emory University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences stresses that babies older than 6 months do not need feedings throughout the night. Feeding your baby before putting her to bed prevents her from being hungry during the night.
Step 3
Place your baby in his crib or bassinet. According to Ferber, where your baby sleeps is not as important as the fact that he wakes up in the same location where fell asleep.
Step 4
Walk away. Your baby may cry if she is accustomed to being rocked or taking a bottle in bed. In the Harvard University publication “Dream Online,“ Ferber says you must discontinue these habits as your baby associates these practices with sleep. Forcing your baby to go to sleep without assistance teaches her to fall back asleep on her own if she wakes up during the night.
Step 5
Return after 3 minutes if your baby continues to cry after you lay him down at bedtime or upon waking in the middle of the night. Spend a few seconds soothing your child, but remain in the room only briefly before leaving again.
Step 6
Return after 5 minutes if your baby continues to cry. Soothe her gently, then walk away. Continue to return to your crying child every few minutes, extending the amount of time you leave your baby alone each time until your baby falls asleep.
Step 7
Repeat the routine of returning at longer and longer intervals each night until your child falls asleep on his own without crying and stays asleep throughout the night.
Tips and Warnings
- If you aren’t comfortable leaving your child to cry, talk to your pediatrician about age-appropriate sleep-training methods for your baby.
- The Ferber method should not be used for babies younger than 6 months. Young infants still require feedings throughout the night.
