Ways to Get the Baby to Sleep Through the Night

Ferberizing

• The term "ferberizing" was coined by followers of the Richard Ferber, M.D. method of teaching your baby to self-soothe to get him or her to sleep through the night. Sometimes babies wake up in the night and lack the skills to soothe themselves back to sleep because they are used to their parents soothing them. In the Ferber method, parents are encouraged to try small periods of time where they allow their baby to "cry it out," or cry until settled. The parent waits five minutes while the baby cries, then the parent goes into his room, pats him on the back and talks to him without picking him up. The parent then leaves the room. If the baby continues to cry, wait 10 minutes before repeating the process. Continue until the baby falls asleep. After a few nights of this exercise, your baby will learn to soothe himself back to sleep as he no longer expects you to appear and do it for him. According to baby Web site Babycenter.com, Dr. Ferber's methods are controversial, so parents should heed with caution; this method is not for younger babies who are waking to eat in the night.

Baby Wise

• The Baby Wise method of getting babies to sleep through the night focuses on parent-directed feeding patterns that help your baby to feel full all night long and to stop night waking. This is done in two ways. The first is to have a set schedule of feeding baby, including cluster feedings during the evening, where a parent "tanks up" her child in preparation for the night. The second is by following an eat-play-sleep schedule, rather than the play-eat-sleep one that most parents tend to follow. This teaches babies to sleep when their food is digested. Although the Baby Wise method is considered controversial by parenting advocates who believe in allowing baby to direct on-demand feedings, according to the book sales, On Becoming Baby Wise has as many as 2 million followers.

No Cry Sleep Solution

• The No Cry Sleep Solution is a method for getting baby to sleep through the night developed by noted child expert Elizabeth Pantley. It teaches parents that they don't have to place their baby on a strict schedule or make them cry it out to teach their children to sleep through the night. Pantley instead urges parents to create a personalized plan for their own baby, based on their individual needs. A sleep log is created for your baby, where you log your child's sleep hours, waking times, and other factors that contribute to her sleeping patterns. A plan is then formed based on your child's needs, such as creating a nighttime schedule, or introducing a comfort item. The No Cry Sleep Solution is best for parents who rely on it for a more gentle solution to sleeping through the night.