A Night 1 checklist for the Ferber method

You have read about the method, talked it over, and picked a night. Now it is late afternoon on Night 1 and your head is full of small questions. Did you check the crib? What are you going to say when you go in? Who is doing the 2 a.m. waking?

Here is the short answer. Before Night 1 of the Ferber method, check five things: your baby is old enough and well, the crib is set up for safe sleep, your bedtime routine ends with your baby in the crib awake, you know the Night 1 waits (3, 5, then 10 minutes), and every adult in the house is following the same plan. The checklist below breaks that down by when you do each part, so you can work through it and then stop thinking about it.

This page is the list. For a minute-by-minute picture of how the night itself tends to go, read the first night, minute by minute.

This week: is your baby ready?

• Your baby is at least 6 months old, or you have talked to your pediatrician if your baby is between 4 and 6 months. Sleep training is not recommended before about 4 months.
• If your baby was born early, you have asked your pediatrician which age to go by.
• You have asked your pediatrician whether your baby still needs a night feed, and if so, how many and roughly when.
• Your baby is healthy: no fever, cold, ear pain, vomiting or new teeth that are clearly bothering them.
• No big change is coming in the next week or so, such as travel, a move, a new caregiver or starting daycare.
• You have picked a start night when the following days are calm. Nights 2 and 3 are often harder than Night 1, so plan for them too.

This week: is the crib safe?

Night 1 means more time with your baby alone in the crib, so check it against the AAP’s safe sleep guidance before you start.

• Your baby sleeps on their back, for naps and at night.
• The crib, bassinet or play yard meets current safety standards, with a firm, flat mattress and a fitted sheet.
• Nothing soft is in the crib: no pillows, blankets, quilts, bumpers or soft toys.
• If your baby needs warmth, they wear a sleep sack or an extra layer. No weighted sleep sacks, blankets or swaddles.
• You have stopped swaddling if your baby can roll or is showing signs of rolling.
• No inclined sleepers. If your baby falls asleep in a car seat or swing, move them to the crib.
• If you room share, your baby still has their own crib or bassinet. Room sharing, yes. Bed sharing, no.

The full list is in the AAP’s parent’s guide to safe sleep. If you share a room, the glossary entry on room sharing has the basics.

Today: the plan for the night

• Every adult who might respond tonight has agreed on the plan: the waits, the check-ins and what to do about any kept feed. The guide to co-parenting and consistency helps if you are not quite there.
• You have decided who does the bedtime and who covers night wakings.
• You have chosen your check-in words, short and the same every time, for example “It’s okay. Time to sleep. I love you.”
• You know tonight’s waits. On Night 1 they are 3, 5 and then 10 minutes:

Night	1st wait	2nd wait	3rd wait, then every wait
Night 1	3 min	5 min	10 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.

• You know a waking resets the clock. After a night waking, you start again at Night 1’s first wait, 3 minutes.
• You have a way to time the waits that you can read in a dark hallway.
• You have written down your pediatrician’s after-hours number.
• You have something to do during the waits: a podcast, a show, a walk to the kitchen. Ten minutes of crying feels much longer standing by the door.

At bedtime

• Start the routine at your usual time. The Cleveland Clinic recommends a consistent bedtime routine so your baby understands bedtime is coming.
• Keep it the same as your normal routine, with one change: any feed comes early in the routine, not as the last step before sleep.
• Keep the last part calm and dim. The Sleep Foundation suggests a dark, quiet room.
• Put your baby in the crib, on their back, drowsy but awake. The AAP recommends putting babies down drowsy from around 4 months, without waiting until they are asleep.
• Say goodnight with your chosen words, and leave.
• Start the first wait only if your baby is crying. Fussing, babbling and rolling around do not count.

During the night

• Wait the full interval before going in. If the crying stops, do not go in.
• Check in briefly. The Sleep Foundation suggests keeping check-ins under one to two minutes, with a pat or soft words, without picking your baby up or feeding them. The Cleveland Clinic suggests leaving the lights off.
• Leave even if your baby is still crying, and start the next wait.
• For any kept feed, feed calmly in low light, then put your baby back on their back in the crib.
• For a dirty diaper, change it with as little fuss as you can, then put your baby back down.
• Keep a rough note in the morning of when your baby fell asleep and when they woke. It helps you see change across the week.

Our guide to check-ins covers what to do in the moments that do not fit the script.

The morning after Night 1

• Start the day at a normal time, even if the night was long.
• Note how long it took your baby to fall asleep and how many times they woke.
• Look at tomorrow’s waits. Night 2 is 5, 10 and then 12 minutes. The full Ferber method chart has every night.
• Remind yourself that Night 2 or 3 is often harder before it gets easier. The article on why Night 3 can be worse explains why.

If you want the bigger picture before you begin, the method, explained covers how the whole week works. If your baby has not had a consistent routine before, set one up a few nights before Night 1, and see the glossary entry on the bedtime routine.

Night 1 is free in the Ferber app. It shows tonight’s waits, alerts you at each check-in, times the check-in (2 minutes by default), and restarts from 3 minutes after a night waking.

Common questions

What do I need before starting the Ferber method?

A healthy baby of the right age (6 months is a common start, never before about 4 months, and a pediatrician conversation first if your baby is under 6 months), a safe crib set up to AAP guidance, a short bedtime routine that ends with your baby in the crib awake, the Night 1 waits of 3, 5 and 10 minutes, and every adult in the house agreed on the plan.

What are the Night 1 intervals for the Ferber method?

On Night 1, wait 3 minutes before the first check-in, 5 minutes before the second, and 10 minutes before the third and every check-in after that, until your baby falls asleep. After a night waking, start again at 3 minutes.

Should I start the Ferber method on a weekend?

It can help to start on a night when the next few days are calm, because Nights 2 and 3 are often harder than Night 1. Any night works if your baby is well and nothing big, like travel or a new caregiver, is coming up in the next week.

What if my baby gets sick on Night 1?

Stop and comfort your baby. If your baby has a fever, is vomiting repeatedly, has trouble breathing or seems very unwell, call your pediatrician. You can start the method again from Night 1 once your baby is well.

Sources

1. American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org): A Parent's Guide to Safe Sleep
2. American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org): Getting Your Baby to Sleep
3. American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org): When to Call the Pediatrician: Fever
4. Sleep Foundation: The Ferber Method
5. Cleveland Clinic: What Is the Ferber Method?