And if you are a new parent, perhaps you’ve considered this method too. So, here, our explainer on what you need to know. “The main purpose of the Ferber method is to teach your child skills to put themselves to sleep. This means your child should be able to put themselves to sleep from a wide-awake state without any help,” says pediatric sleep expert Kimberly Walker, LMSW, founder of Parenting Unlimited (who notes she teaches other sleep-training methods in her private practice and is well versed in many of the other forms). However, on the other end of the sleep-training spectrum, the Ferber method differs from other programs as it doesn’t allow for holding. “There are many methods, but the main difference between most methods is whether or not you pick the child up when they are crying. In the Ferber method, you do not pick them up,” she says.
