The Ferber Method of sleep training babies, also known as Ferberizing or Ferberization, has been popular since the mid-80's when Dr. Richard Ferber wrote his book, and for good reason. It is a very structured approach and provides a clear path for parents to follow. For those of us who need very specific guidelines, this can work very well, so if you choose to Ferberize your baby or toddler, you are in good company! When done correctly, Ferberization can be very effective, and often, many babies
controlled crying
Controlled Crying – 5 Reasons Why This Could Be The Best Coaching Method For Your Child
If you have been with The Baby Sleep Site® for some time, or if you have just found our sleepy little village, you know that what sets us apart is our belief that nothing works better for baby sleep than a truly individualized approach. We don't believe there is one method of coaching that will work for everyone. No "one-size-fits-all" solutions here! Your parenting philosophy, your child's temperament, and your unique situation will best determine what sleep coaching style will fit best. And,
Forget CIO; Why Not Try FIO?
CIO, or cry it out, is a controversial subject and one that has been dividing parents for at least 2 decades. But in the opinion of our expert sleep consultants, the larger problem with CIO is that some parents assume ALL sleep training is CIO; they assume that sleep training is just letting your baby cry until he/she stops waking up at night and stops waking early from naps. Cry It Out Is Not Sleep Training You can imagine how frustrating it is for our team to combat this misconception.
Cry It Out, Ferberizing, Controlled Crying, or No Cry Sleep Training: What’s The Difference?
Crying during sleep training is a touchy subject, but it's one that's worth addressing. Why? Because most parents aren't aware that crying during sleep training is a spectrum. Many families who are new to The Baby Sleep Site® mistakenly assume that sleep training is nothing BUT crying....heartbreaking, seemingly endless crying. However, while a very small percentage of parents are okay with nonstop crying, the vast majority aren't. Most of the parents with whom we work accept
Will Your Baby Be Spoiled If You Don’t Sleep Train?
A client e-mailed me not too long ago concerned about what a co-worker told her about her baby. Her co-worker told her that if she didn't sleep train and let her baby cry it out, her baby would grow up to be spoiled. She alluded to the fact that by the time he was 7 or 8 years old, he'd be "running the show." This particular client has experience with two very different cultures, one being in the West and one in the East. In the West (where she lives now) she feels tremendous pressure to let
How Sleep Training Progress Looks
When parents update me on their sleep training progress, sometimes it is a little frustrating for them if their baby has a good night one night, then a bad night and some back and forth. I thought it would be a good idea to talk about that in today's post and why it happens. If nothing else, I know it helps to have realistic expectations while sleep training. One of the biggest lessons I learned when I was struggling with my own son's sleep problems is that when the books implied all of our
Can You Mix Attachment Parenting With Sleep Training?
Before I had a baby, I did not know anything about "attachment parenting" nor had I ever heard the term. It is a little "weird" considering I am an avid reader (well, before kids and this website when I used to have time), but I guess none of my friends ever mentioned it and I was never exposed, even though Dr. Sears coined the term with his wife over 20 years ago. I did know I wanted to breastfeed. I did know I didn't want to co-sleep (though we did anyway out of necessity for a
Controlled Crying, Cry It Out, No-Cry, or Soothe Baby to Sleep?
Controlled Crying. Cry it out. Don't cry it out. Soothe your baby. Co-sleep. Don't co-sleep. The advice is endless and talk to one expert, say your baby's doctor, and she will say one thing. Talk to another one and he might say do the opposite. Read this book or that book and it's likely to say yet another thing. This week I was quoted as one of three experts in Hudson Valley Parent in an article called Let Them Cry or Rock-a-Bye. One of my quotes reiterates how I believe all families and
6 Ways Sleep Training is Like Potty Training
I've been reflecting recently on my potty training experiences with my boys. Now, my boys are well past the age of potty training (my youngest is almost 7 already!), but I do hear about potty training quite often from my clients in the Helpdesk. And I've been reflecting recently that, while potty training is certainly no picnic for most of us, there really are many ways in which potty training is like sleep training! Specifically, I think I've found 6 ways that potty training is very much like