by Caroline St Clare

Created on: July 20, 2008   Last Updated: July 30, 2010

It's not hard to spot a new parent. The initial glow of elation after their offspring's arrival into the world has been replaced by a somewhat dazed expression. Sleepless nights are taking their toll. All new parents expect to lose a fair amount of sleep during the first weeks of their newborn’s life. But if your baby is still waking frequently throughout the night after a few months, it's time to start sleep training. One successful and popular solution is the 5-10-15 method.

What is the 5-10-15 Method

The 5-10-15 sleep method was invented by paediatrician Richard Ferber to help parents teach young babies healthy sleep associations. Newborn babies know nothing about the concept of night and day, so it's up to their parents to teach them that night time is for sleeping. Babies often cry in the night for no reason other than they need you to help them go back to sleep. The longer bad sleep habits are allowed to continue, the harder it becomes to change later on.

The 5-10-15 method involves following a routine called “progressive waiting”. Each time your baby cries, you wait for the progressive amount of time, five, ten and fifteen minutes after which you can go to briefly comfort and reassure your baby that all is well, then leave the room. Over time your baby will come to realize that their cries won't result in them being picked up and instead, will naturally drop off to sleep.

When to Start

Ferber recommends starting the 5-10-15 method when your baby is between the ages of four and six months. Before this they are not physically or emotionally ready and are likely to wake more frequently throughout the night due to hunger, especially if they are breast feeding. But once they're around four months, babies are capable of sleeping for longer stretches at a time as they begin taking bigger night time feeds.

You also need to choose a week or two where you have little else going on so you can devote this time entirely to sleep training your baby. The daily routine is crucial to this method working successfully, so don’t pick a week where you’re going out for the night and need a baby sitter or if you’re going on holiday for instance. And of course, if your baby is ill or teething, you should delay starting the method until they are well again.

The Steps to Take

Step 1: Prepare everyone in the household for what is going to happen. Work out a bed time routine that will easily fit into your daily life and stick to this every night.

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