By age

Ferber at 9 months: separation anxiety and standing

Yes, you can start the Ferber method at 9 months. How to handle separation anxiety, a baby who stands in the crib, and the crib safety this age needs.

The Ferber team September 28, 2026 6 min read

Getting ready: a settling timer while you lay your baby down drowsy but awake.

Your 9-month-old used to go down fairly easily. Now the moment you step toward the door, they pull themselves up on the crib rail and cry for you, and the wakings at night sound more upset than they used to. You are wondering whether this is a good time to start the Ferber method, or the worst.

You can start the Ferber method at 9 months. It is a common and workable age, and much of the research on this kind of sleep training involved babies in this range. Two things make 9 months feel different: separation anxiety, which can make crying louder and more anxious, and standing, which turns every check-in into a question of whether to lay your baby back down. Neither is a reason to avoid the method. Both are easier with a plan made in advance and a crib set up for a baby who pulls up.

Can you do the Ferber method at 9 months?

Yes. The method works the same way it does at 6 months: you put your baby down awake, wait a set interval if they cry, check in briefly, and wait a little longer each time. The waits grow a little each night over the week.

The waits before each check-in, in minutes

Night	1st wait	2nd wait	3rd wait, then every wait
Night 1	3 min	5 min	10 min
Night 2	5 min	10 min	12 min
Night 3	10 min	12 min	15 min
Night 4	12 min	15 min	17 min
Night 5	15 min	17 min	20 min
Night 6	17 min	20 min	25 min
Night 7	20 min	25 min	30 min

Waits are in minutes. After the third wait, keep repeating the third value until your baby is asleep. If your baby wakes later in the night, start again from that night's first wait.

The usual checks still apply before Night 1. Your baby should be healthy, the week ahead should be fairly settled, and every adult doing bedtime should agree on the plan. Whether your baby still needs a night feed is a question for your pediatrician. If they want a feed kept, the method can run around it.

If you are early in the planning, the age guide for 7 to 9 months covers this window more broadly, and what age you can start the Ferber method puts it in context with other ages.

Separation anxiety and the Ferber method at 9 months

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says that beginning in the second half of a child’s first year, separation anxiety can cause many nights with disrupted sleep. During this stage, which can last several months, a child may wake several times and cry anxiously for one or both parents. The AAP describes it as a normal stage of emotional development that needs a loving and consistent approach, and notes that it usually fades somewhere around the second birthday.

For a sleep plan, that has two practical meanings.

The crying may be louder and sound more upset. That is hard to hear, and it is expected. A baby who has just worked out that you exist when you leave the room will protest you leaving it. The check-ins in the Ferber method are there for exactly this: brief, calm, predictable visits that show your baby you are close.

Consistency helps more than extra soothing. The AAP’s advice for separation anxiety centers on a loving and consistent approach. In practice, that means the same short routine, the same few words at every check-in, and the same plan all week. A visit that keeps getting longer can make leaving harder each time. Our page on what to do during a check-in has suggestions for words to use.

Some families with a very clingy baby find it helps to spend a few days on a calmer, longer bedtime routine before starting, or to shorten the waits a little. The Sleep Foundation notes that the intervals can be modified to fit caregivers’ needs, and some parents offer more frequent reassurance. Decide your waits before bedtime and keep them the same all night.

When your baby stands up in the crib

Many babies this age pull up to stand during a crying spell and then cannot work out how to get back down. They are not doing it on purpose. Standing is a new skill, and sitting back down is the harder half of it.

A few approaches many parents find workable:

Lay your baby down once per check-in, then leave. If they pop straight back up, that is fine. You have done your part, and you start the next wait.
Do not wait for them to lie down before leaving. Staying until your baby is lying still tends to stretch check-ins out and turn them into the thing your baby waits for.
Practice during the day. Play sessions where your baby pulls up on furniture and you help them bend their knees and sit can make getting down at night easier.
Let them sleep where they land, as long as the crib is safe. Some babies eventually fall asleep sitting up or slumped in a corner. Once they are deeply asleep you can gently lay them on their back if you can do it without waking them.

Crib safety for a baby who pulls up

A baby who can stand needs a crib set up for it.

The AAP’s safe sleep guide adds that once your baby can roll both ways, you do not need to keep turning them onto their back during the night, but you should still put them down on their back. Keep the crib away from cords and anything they could pull into it. The AAP parent’s guide to safe sleep has the full list.

If your baby is unwell, feverish, vomiting, or crying in a way that sounds like pain, stop the plan, comfort them, and call your pediatrician if you are worried. The teething and illness guide covers when to pick back up.

Other things going on at 9 months

This age is busy. Crawling, pulling up, teething, a new daycare, a move from three naps to two: any of these can make a week harder. You do not need a perfect week, but if a big change is coming in the next few days, many families wait until it has passed. The daycare and routine changes guide covers how to plan around one.

If sleep was going well and suddenly fell apart around this age, you may be looking at a regression. The sleep regressions guide helps you decide whether to start now or wait a week or two.

What the research says about this age

Several well-known studies of sleep training involved babies close to 9 months. In an Australian trial, families whose babies had sleep problems at 7 months were offered behavioral sleep techniques at 8 to 10 months. Five years later, the children’s outcomes at age 6 were no different whether or not families had sleep trained, including emotional and behavioral scores, sleep, stress, and closeness with their parents. The authors concluded the techniques had no marked long-lasting effects, positive or negative.

An earlier trial with 156 mothers of babies aged 6 to 12 months found that, two months after being taught controlled crying, more families had resolved their baby’s sleep problem than in the comparison group, and mothers’ depression scores improved more. By four months, the two groups were similar overall. Our research page and the article is the Ferber method safe? cover these studies in more detail.

A next step for tonight

Tonight, check the crib mattress height and take out anything that should not be there. Then choose the few words you will say at every check-in and share them with anyone else who does bedtime.

When your 9-month-old wakes in the night, the Ferber app restarts from that night’s first interval, runs each countdown, and keeps a sleep history, so you can see whether the wakings are getting shorter across the week.

Common questions

Is 9 months too late to start the Ferber method?

No. Nine months is a common and workable age for the Ferber method. Babies this age may protest louder because of separation anxiety and may stand in the crib, but the method itself stays the same: timed waits, brief check-ins and waits that grow over the week.

Does separation anxiety mean I should not sleep train at 9 months?

Not necessarily. The American Academy of Pediatrics describes separation anxiety as a normal stage that often starts in the second half of the first year and is best met with a loving and consistent approach. The brief, predictable check-ins in the Ferber method let your baby know you are close. If your baby seems unwell or the change feels like too much, waiting is also fine.

What do I do if my 9-month-old stands up in the crib during Ferber?

Keep check-ins short. Many parents lay their baby down once during the check-in and then leave, even if the baby stands straight back up. Practicing sitting down from standing during the day can help. Make sure the crib mattress is at its lowest setting.

Should my 9-month-old still have a night feed during Ferber?

Ask your pediatrician. Whether a baby still needs a night feed depends on their growth and health. If your pediatrician wants a feed kept, keep it on a clear rule and use the Ferber intervals for the other wakings.

Sources

Written by The Ferber team. Educational information, not medical advice. If you are worried about your child’s health, feeding or growth, talk to your pediatrician.

All articles