New Study Reveals ‘Cry It Out’ Method Is Not Harmful to Babies — In Fact, It Helps Them Sleep Better

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A recent study has found that the “cry it out” sleep training method, also known as “graduated extinction” or “The Ferber Method,” does not inflict any lasting psychological damage on infants. This research indicates that allowing babies to cry themselves to sleep can lead to better sleep patterns.

Involving 43 infants aged between six and sixteen months, the study showed that those trained using the cry it out technique displayed no emotional, behavioral, or attachment issues compared to their peers who weren’t sleep-trained. Not only that, but these little ones also woke up less frequently during the night. The study also explored another sleep training method called “bedtime fading,” which involves gradually shifting a child’s bedtime later to encourage easier sleep onset. Both methods proved effective, but let’s be honest—who wouldn’t prefer uninterrupted episodes of their favorite show?

The findings, published in the Journal of Pediatrics, aimed to challenge earlier claims that sleep training via extinction raised stress hormone levels in infants. Contrary to previous research, this study found no significant increase in stress hormones during or even a year after the training.

“Both approaches appear to be successful without leading to negative outcomes,” stated Dr. Emily Thorn, the lead author and an associate professor at Willow Creek University, as she discussed the findings with local media.

As someone who champions sleep training (mainly because I didn’t do it), I can attest to the exhaustion of not having had a full night’s rest or a solo uninterrupted evening in five years. Seriously, if sleep training benefits everyone involved, what’s holding us back?

Perhaps it’s the heart-wrenching sound of our little ones crying. And that’s perfectly okay. There’s no single study that can dictate how we parent. Whether you can handle your child’s crying or not is a personal choice. Trust me, I wish I could be in the camp that could tolerate it, but alas, I found myself whispering sweet nothings into my child’s ear during my first attempt at letting him cry it out. Not my finest moment, I must admit.

Expect a conflicting study to emerge shortly, because that’s just how parenting research rolls. So, the takeaway here is simple: do what feels right for you. If sleep training causes you anxiety, skip it. Sure, you might lose out on some sleep, but life goes on. Conversely, if sleep training works for you, go for it! Your baby may sleep soundly, and you might finally get to catch that episode of Jeopardy without interruptions.

Debates over the impact of bedtime routines on a child’s future personality are ongoing and often exhausting. I’m right there with you—exhausted, but still missing out on sleep because I didn’t sleep train my kids, who seem to have built-in alarms for ungodly hours.

In summary, this study supports the idea that the “cry it out” method can be a beneficial approach to sleep training without negative emotional repercussions. Whether or not to implement it is ultimately up to you as a parent.

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