What It Means
The chair method is a gradual form of sleep trainingSleep trainingTeaching a baby to fall asleep on their own, both at bedtime and after waking in the night, using a planned, consistent method. See more. You lay your baby in the crib drowsy, sit in a chair nearby and stay until they fall asleep, then leave quietly. Every few nights the chair moves a little farther from the crib, toward the door and then outside it, until you're no longer in the room at bedtime. Cleveland Clinic compares it to the Ferber methodFerber methodA sleep training method, also called graduated extinction, where parents check on a crying baby at timed intervals that lengthen over time. See more because both work in gradual steps, with the difference that you stay in the room.
Try It: Move the Chair From Crib to Door
Step through where the chair sits as the nights go by. Move to the next spot every few nights, as Cleveland Clinic describes.
Right beside the crib. Sit until your baby is asleep, then leave quietly.
Partway across the room. If crying starts after you leave, come back and sit down again.
By the door. Stay seated and calm until your baby is asleep.
Outside the door, then gone. Your baby falls asleep with you out of the room.
How Parents Say It
- "I'm on chair duty tonight."
- "We moved the chair to the doorway on Friday."
- "She sleeps fine as long as she can see me."
The Breakdown
By age
| Age | What the sources say | Source |
|---|---|---|
| NewbornNewbornA baby in the first 28 days of life, the stage doctors also call the neonatal period. See more | Too young for any sleep training | Cleveland Clinic |
| About 4 months | Many babies are ready to start; some earlier, some nearer 6 months | Cleveland Clinic |
| Older babies and toddlersToddlerA child from 1 to 3 years old, the stage CDC's parenting guidance places between infancy and the preschool years. See more with separation anxiety | The chair method can be especially helpful | Cleveland Clinic |
The steps
- Finish your bedtime routineBedtime routineThe same short series of calm steps a child goes through each night before sleep, such as brushing teeth, reading a book and lights out at a set time. See more and lay your baby down drowsy but awakeDrowsy but awakeLaying a baby down in the crib when they're sleepy but still awake, so they practice falling asleep on their own. See more.
- Sit in a chair next to the crib and stay there until your baby is asleep.
- Leave quietly. If crying starts, come back and sit in the chair again.
- Every few nights, move the chair farther away: across the room, to the door, outside the door.
- Once you're out of the room, keep the same routine every night.
When to talk to the doctor. Check with your pediatrician first if you're unsure your baby is ready, and call if your baby seems unwell or you're worried about how they're sleeping.
Good to Know
Separation anxiety can show up at bedtime, and HealthyChildren.org, the AAP's parent site, says a child going through it may wake several times a night crying for a parent. That's the situation where Cleveland Clinic says the chair method can be most useful. Keep to the AAP's safe sleepSafe sleepThe AAP's rules for lowering the risk of SIDS and suffocation: baby on the back, alone, on a firm flat surface in their own sleep space, every sleep. See more basics throughout: on the back, in the baby's own crib, on a firm, flat surface with only a fitted sheet.
FAQ
How does the chair method work?
You sit in a chair by the crib until your baby falls asleep, then leave. Every few nights you move the chair farther away until you're out of the room.
What is the difference between the chair method and Ferber?
Both are gradual, but with the Ferber method you leave the room and return for timed check-ins. With the chair method you stay in the room until your baby is asleep, according to Cleveland Clinic.
Is the chair method good for separation anxiety?
Cleveland Clinic says it can be especially helpful for a slightly older child with separation anxiety, since a parent stays in sight while they learn to fall asleep.
Do It in Buhata
Calendar and Notes
Put each move of the chair on your Buhata Calendar every few nights, and note how bedtime went in Notes (Premium).
Open BuhataRelated Terms and Categories
- Sleep training
Teaching a baby to fall asleep on their own, both at bedtime and after waking in the night, using a planned, consistent method.
- Gentle sleep training
Everyday name for sleep training methods that keep a parent close or step back slowly, such as the chair method or pick up, put down.
- Ferber method
A sleep training method, also called graduated extinction, where parents check on a crying baby at timed intervals that lengthen over time.
- Drowsy but awake
Laying a baby down in the crib when they're sleepy but still awake, so they practice falling asleep on their own.
- Pick up put down
A sleep training method where you lift a crying baby to calm them, then lay them back in the crib before they fall asleep, repeating as needed.
Sources
Cleveland Clinic, "How To Do the Chair Method of Sleep Training for Babies"; Cleveland Clinic, "Sleep Training Your Baby: When and How"; HealthyChildren.org (AAP), "Getting Your Baby to Sleep"; HealthyChildren.org (AAP), "Separation Anxiety & Sleeping Trouble in Young Children"; AAP, "Safe Sleep and Your Baby"
- health.clevelandclinic.org/chair-method-sleep-training
- health.clevelandclinic.org/when-and-how-to-sleep-train-your-baby
- www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/sleep/Pages/getting-your-baby-to-sleep.aspx
- www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/sleep/Pages/separation-anxiety-and-sleeping.aspx
- publications.aap.org/patiented/article/doi/10.1542/peo_document088/79989/Safe-Sleep-and-Your-Baby-How-Parents-Can-Reduce
Last updated .