cry it out ...sort of

edited January 2012 in Sleep
Ok, so Im against cry it out. I think is mean. But its time to move baby to his own bed because hes not sleeping. Im dreading it cuz i know hes going to scream a lot....for other ladies against cio, do you feel its still mean if you stay by baby while he cries and soothe him, even if he cries a long time?

Comments

  • There is nothing wrong with letting them cry for periods of time. I've never let mine cry for extended periods, usually 5-10 minutes, 10 minutes being the longest. If you're going to let them cry, its probably best to walk away and check on them after 5 minutes or so. If you're going to stand there and try to soothe him, you might as well pick him up and snuggle him.

    You might think its mean, but he doesn't know it so he won't judge you for it. But I think in the long run, its better to be "mean" in the beginning to help them soothe themselves so that they can fall asleep on their own. I've tried both ways, and I ended up with a spoiled baby who is now 5 and a half and sleeps with me every night because I, too, thought it was mean to let him cry himself to sleep, so now he won't sleep without me or someone else to comfort him to sleep. I did the exact opposite with my daughter, and she's now 8 months old and actually likes sleeping on her own, and she does better than my 5 year old ever did.

    Of course, you're going to choose what you feel is in your best interest, I'm just trying to give my experience on both ends of the fence, and the letting them cry a little and lightly consoling them here and there worked a million times better than the constant soothing did.
  • There's lots of ladies that will say its mean, but I did it for a bit. I'd let her cry for q bit, then go see her, put my hand on her for a bit, not hold her, while she's in her crib.
  • I'm not necessarily against cry it out, but I would not just let my baby sit in there all night and scream and cry. For some reason both of my boys did very well switching to a crib and switching to toddler bed and big boy bed (for the oldest). We did it young, so maybe that is why it was easier for them, but I let them fuss in there a little, they never did scream and cry though so I never had to deal with it. The first couple nights Jaksyn (4months) would wake up and whine and we would give him his pacifier and he would go back to sleep, this happened maybe 5 times a night and when he learned we werent getting him out and that he was to continue sleeping (about a week) he was okay with it. Now he sleeps soundly all the way through the night, I think once they understand they are safe in there they do good, but if you keep taking them out, they think you are taking them out because it is not safe. I remember reading before if a toddler has a bad dream and you constantly put them in your bed with you after a nightmare you are showing them that it is not safe to sleep in their room and that they are to come in yours. IMO it only creates more problems the longer you wait, and the more you keep taking them out. As soon as you make them feel comfortable and safe they will sleep better.
  • I know its what he needs now, to sleep in his own bed....im just dreading this:(
  • how old is your LO? For me, im completely against letting my babies cry even for 5 minutes. But that is just the attachment parenting style in me. What other tricks have you tried? Is babys bed in your room?
  • He cosleeps and being so close to me is keeping him awake...he nurses allllll night and on top of that only naps once a day. He's 7 months old
  • oh ok so he is a bit older. have you tried putting the crib next to your bed? with the side taken off? that might help a little?
  • That's a good idea, maybe ill try that first. Thanks!
  • No problem! I hope that helps some so you can transition baby a little better :)
    I know others will have some other great suggestions.
  • I agree puting baby by ur bed does help
  • @Bahamama4828, @Mrs_Jackson2anpreggo I nursed him tonight and put him in his pack n play at the foot of the bed. He made one little whimper and I rubbed his back for about two minutes and he was fast asleep! I'm sooo happy, thank you all for the advice. I didn't think it would be so easy! :-D
  • The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • @HomeBirthAdvocate I think I got the pack n play idea from something you wrote on someone else's thread so thank you!
  • glad something worked for you! :)
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