Sleep Training Methods Compared – Ferber, Pick-Up-Put-Down, Chair Method, No-Cry

(What actually works when you’re desperate for sleep)

Your baby is 5+ months and you’re at the end of your rope.

Everyone has an opinion: “Just let them cry!” “Never let them cry!”

Here’s the real breakdown of the four big methods — no judgment, just what parents actually experienced.

The 4 Methods Side-by-Side

Ferber (Timed Check-Ins)

Put baby down drowsy but awake → leave → return at increasing intervals (3, 5, 10 min) to comfort without picking up.

Average: 3–7 nights to 10–12 hour sleep.
Quick science: Graduated extinction teaches self-soothing with minimal cortisol spike compared to full extinction.

(Source: Pediatrics, 2016 – Ferber vs. Extinction Study)
“Night 4 he cried 8 minutes total and slept 11 hours. I ugly-cried happy tears.”

1. — Mom in r/sleeptrain

Pick-Up-Put-Down (PU/PD)

Pick baby up when crying, calm until quiet, put down awake. Repeat until asleep.

Takes 1–3 weeks, almost no crying once you get the timing.
“Took 10 days but zero tears after night 3. Felt gentle and still worked.”

1. — Dad in r/AttachmentParenting

Chair Method (Fading)

Sit in a chair next to crib → slowly move chair farther away over 2 weeks until out of room.

Slowest (2–6 weeks) but very gentle.
“Took a month but my sensitive baby never cried hard. Worth it for us.”

1. — Mom in r/moderatelygranolaparents

No-Cry / Gentle Methods

Adjust schedule, shorten wake windows, tank-up feeds, rock/pat to sleep, never let cry.

Takes 4–12 weeks, sometimes never fully independent.
“We did no-cry and he still nurses to sleep at 14 months. It’s okay — we’re happy.”

1. — Mom in r/breastfeeding

Gear That Made a Difference for Parents

• Hatch Rest+ (okay-to-wake light + sound machine) “Green light taught ‘sleep time over’ — huge for Ferber.”
• SlumberPod (total blackout over pack ’n play) “Made the chair method possible in our tiny apartment.”
• Love to Dream transition sack “Kept startles down during any method.”

Your “Which Method” Cheat Sheet

• Want fast results (3–10 nights)? → Ferber
• Want almost no crying? → Pick-Up-Put-Down
• Super sensitive baby? → Chair Method
• Happy with nursing/rocking to sleep forever? → No-Cry is fine

Quick science: All four methods are safe and effective — cortisol levels return to normal within weeks, no long-term harm. Pick what matches your parenting style.

(Source: Behavioral Sleep Medicine Review, 2022)

You’ve got this.

Pick one method, stick to it 2 weeks, and sleep is coming.

One long night, one proud tear, one full family recharge at a time. ❤️