Night wakings
Baby stands up in the crib during Ferber: what to do
Your baby pulls to stand and cries during the Ferber method. How to handle it at check-ins, practice in the day, and keep the crib safe.
You lay your baby down, say goodnight and leave. By the time the door clicks shut they are on their feet, gripping the rail and crying at the door. You go in for the check-in, lay them down, and they are standing again before you straighten up.
This is one of the most common snags in the Ferber method, especially once babies start pulling to stand. The short answer: keep the check-in short, lay your baby down once at most (or not at all), then leave. Don’t stay to keep them lying down. Make sure the crib is safe for a baby who stands, and practice getting down from standing during the day. With a little practice, many babies soon work out how to get down on their own.
Why babies stand up in the crib
Pulling to stand is a new skill, and new skills get practiced everywhere, including at 2 a.m. For many babies, standing is also a way of protesting. They stand, they call, and they look at the door.
The trouble is that a baby who has only just learned to pull up often has not yet learned to get back down. They stand, get tired, and cannot work out how to sit. The crying that follows can sound more urgent than ordinary bedtime protest, because part of it is frustration.
This tends to show up in the 7 to 9 month and 10 to 12 month windows, when crawling, pulling up and cruising arrive. It can also appear midway through a Ferber week that was going well.
Make the crib safe for a baby who stands
Before anything else, check the crib. A baby who can pull to stand has a new way to fall.
The AAP’s full checklist is on HealthyChildren.org (Make Baby’s Room Safe). Its safe sleep guide covers the rest of the sleep space: baby on their back, on a firm, flat surface, with no pillows, blankets or soft toys.
Once the crib is set up this way, a standing baby is safe to leave standing. That is what makes the rest of the plan possible.
Ferber method with a baby standing in the crib: what to do at check-ins
A check-in during the Ferber method is a short, calm visit to let your baby know you are close. It is not meant to stop the crying, and it is not meant to get your baby lying down. That second part is where many parents get stuck.
If your baby is standing when you go in:
- Keep the check-in brief. A minute or two is plenty. Use the same few calm words you always use.
- Lay them down once, gently, if you want to. Some parents guide their baby down with one hand, say goodnight and step back. Others leave their baby standing and simply offer their words and a touch on the hand or back.
- Then leave, even if they stand straight back up. They very likely will.
What tends to backfire is the lay-down loop: you lay them down, they pop up, you lay them down again, and ten minutes later you are still at the crib. Your baby learns that standing brings you back and keeps you there, and the visit becomes the new way to fall asleep. Our article on what to do during a check-in covers this in more detail.
The same goes for waiting at the crib until they lie down. Do not stand guard. Your baby does not need you there to lie down; they need time and some practice.
Then go back to the interval chart exactly as before. Standing does not change the waits. If your baby is standing and crying, it counts as crying. If they are standing quietly and babbling, you do not need to go in.
Practice getting down during the day
The most useful work happens away from bedtime. During the day, in good spirits, help your baby practice going from standing to sitting.
- Use the crib or a sturdy low surface. Let your baby pull to stand, then gently bend their knees and guide their bottom down to the mattress or floor.
- Show them the move with their hands. Slide their hands down the rail as their knees bend.
- Make it a game. A few goes at a time, several times a day, with lots of cheer when they get down.
With regular practice, many babies pick this up quickly. Once they can sit down on purpose, the frustrated crying at night often eases, because they are no longer stuck.
When they fall asleep sitting or standing
Some babies stand and cry, sit, lean against the rail and fall asleep there. Others doze sitting up and slowly slump over. It can look uncomfortable, but you do not need to go in and move them. Many babies shift into a more comfortable position on their own once asleep.
At bedtime, always place your baby on their back. The AAP says that if your baby can roll both ways, back to tummy and tummy to back, you do not need to keep turning them back if they roll over on their own (AAP, A Parent’s Guide to Safe Sleep). So if your baby ends up on their tummy by themselves after standing, and they can already roll both ways, they can stay that way.
If your baby is standing because they seem sick, hurt or in pain, or the crying sounds different from ordinary protest, go in, comfort them and pause the plan. Talk to your pediatrician about fever, vomiting, ear pain or anything that worries you. The teething and illness guide covers when to pause and how to restart.
What to expect over the next few nights
Many families find the standing phase is short. The first night or two after your baby learns to pull up can be loud, and a week of Ferber that was going well can feel like it has slipped backward. That is a common pattern after a new motor skill, not a sign the method has stopped working. The Sleep Foundation notes that the timeline can vary with a child’s temperament and how consistently the approach is used (Sleep Foundation). Keep the intervals and check-ins the same, keep practicing in the day, and give it a few nights. The AAP’s advice not to rush in to soothe a crying baby, because babies need time to learn to put themselves back to sleep, holds here too (AAP, Getting Your Baby to Sleep).
If your baby is sharing your room, the same approach works; our guide to doing the Ferber method when you share a room covers where to wait.
One thing to do today
Check the mattress height and lower it if needed, then spend five minutes this afternoon practicing sit-downs in the crib. Tonight, go into each check-in with a plan: one lay-down or none, your usual words, and out.
The Ferber app keeps the time for you through the night: it runs each wait, alerts you when it is time to check in and times the check-in, which helps keep the visit short when your baby is standing and calling for you.
Common questions
Should I lay my baby down every time they stand up during Ferber?
No. Many families lay their baby down once at a check-in, or not at all, and then leave. Laying them down over and over tends to turn it into a game, and your baby usually stands straight back up.
Is it safe to leave my baby standing in the crib?
Yes, as long as the crib is set up safely: the mattress at its lowest position once your baby can pull to stand, and nothing in the crib they could climb on. Babies can lie down on their own, especially after some daytime practice.
What if my baby falls asleep sitting up or standing?
Some babies doze off sitting or leaning, then slump down into sleep on their own. You do not need to go in and reposition them. Always start them on their back at bedtime.
My baby rolls onto their tummy after I lay them down. Should I flip them back?
The AAP says to always place babies on their back to sleep, but if your baby can roll both ways on their own, you do not need to keep turning them back.