Controlled crying - did it work for you?

[princess31]

Hi all,

I am getting extremely frustrated with my lo wanting to be held to get to him to sleep. He used to be really good when I put him to bed, he got himself to sleep without any crying, even when he woke for a feed I could just feed him and put him back to bed awake without any problems. Since he was about 12 weeks he has gotten into the habit of having to be held till he's completely asleep. So I need help!

I've tried leaving him to cry it out but he just gets himself more and more awake, me going in to soothe him doesn't work unless I pick him up and then we're back to square one. It's getting to the stage where I'm not getting any sleep myself because it takes so long to get him down.

Does anyone have any success stories of getting them to go to sleep on their own? What age did yours start to sleep through?

Thanks, xxx

 

[ryder]

If your going to let him cry it out you cant pick him up... go in and rub his tummy, give him his dummy or put music on and leave... even if he is still crying. And keep going in so he knows your still there...

 

[Tezzy]

controled crying has worked really well for us.

we put Ffion to bed with her dummy and blanket, turn on the music and walk out shutting the door.

i go downstairs and set the kitchen timer for 5 minutes, if she is crying i go in her room, put her dummy in and her blanket back over her, music on again and walk out shutting the door.

again i go downstairs and set the kitchen timer for 5 minutes.. i do this 3 times and if she is still crying then i pick her up and we go downstairs together and i take her back upstairs, awake about 10min later.

she hardly ever crys though now when we put her to bed.

during the night when she cries for a feed/ her dummy, we dont pick her up, either we put her dummy in and music on then walk out or i put the bottle in her mouth and support it with her blanket, then i sit on my sons bed (they share a room) until she is finished, i take the bottle from her, dummy in, music on and i walk out.

 

[oOKayOo]

Yes controlled crying working for both my girls , what the girls said above i will only repeat as thats the same i did

 

[marley2580]

Doesn't really work for me (though it's not proper controlled crying), but Kaya can get out of bed. She hits herself to keep herself awake. Kaya's a lot older though, which is why we sort of do it, wouldn't have done it personally when she was younger.

 

[lady3]

Yes it worked for us. I've only done it though to initially get her to sleep, not if she wakes in the middle of the night. Similar to Tezzy, but instead of picking her up and taking her out of her room, if she was still crying after 20 minutes, me of OH would go in and pat her back/give her a cuddle while she stayed in bed, until she dropped off more. Worked fantastic for us and she doesn't let out more than a whimper sometimes when we put her in bed now.

 

[Tegans Mama]

When my LO came out of hospital after 8 weeks (she was used to the noise of the hospital, used to being fed every 4 hours on the dot, used to hearing other babies crying/nurses talking/lights on low all night) we had to try and ease her into a routine gradually.
I would put her mobile on, rock/hold her until she was asleep at first and then put her down. If she cried, I picked her back up after 2 minutes and let her fall asleep in my arms again and then put her back down. After 30 minutes or so she would be so tired she fell to sleep.
After a while I stopped rocking her to sleep and just gave her a cuddle, put her in bed with mobile on. Again, if she cried, I picked her up, gave her a cuddle and put her back down. Stand at the side of the cot until she is sleeping.
A week after this I would put mobile on, quick hug and straight in bed. I would sit on the bed until she was asleep (if she cried, after 2 mins of crying I rub her tummy).
The week after I would put her in bed, mobile on, and stand at the door until she was asleep. Again, if she cried after two minutes I would go and rub her tummy and shush her. After about 10 minutes she went to sleep.
The final stage was putting her in bed, putting mobile on and leaving the room We have baby monitor on, if she cries (and cries for two minutes straight) I go back in and shush her, no touching or talking and she will go to sleep after one cry now most nights. We also do this routine for naps in the day, no fussing, just a quick soft shush and she calms down.

This works very well for us.. its like a mix between controlled crying (because you stay in the room for the first while etc) and something else.. can't remember what It works well with babies who are very attached like Tegan is.. we weaned her off the cuddling to sleep etc slowly so it wasn't a big shock xx

 

[foxyroxie]

yes worked for us he still crys now and again but just leave him to it and he babbles away and goes sleep on his own

 

[~KACI~]

Yes it worked for my 2 aswell x

 

[supernurse]

Used to work when she first went in her cot at 12 weeks then around 19 weeks she had a couple of weeks being an absolute nightmare getting her to go to sleep, but she was teething really bad.

Now we shush her to sleep and only takes 10 mins.

 

[Linzi]

Its worked pretty well for us too.

xxx

 

[Miss_Oblivion]

We had to use controled crying after ds had his first christmas. He went from being an excellent sleeper to not sleeping at all!This went on from 8 months until 12months and in the end dp said that he would do controled crying. I was heart broken to hear him so upset but dp stuck with it and after 4 days he was going to sleep perfectly and we havent had any problems since! I do recomend it and it saved e from going slightly insane as i wasnt sleeping at all!

 

[bisbis]

I've just started this and its fantastic, my Lo has slept through the night for the first time ever. I didnt really followo cio exactly. i tended to stay with him for a couple of mins and then leave him for a maximum of 5 mins.

However you decide to go about this, dont pick your baby up, try and console in every other way.

 

[bev309]

We tried this & it was starting to work, but some nights Jack would go down with no problem & other nights he would cry for 20-30 mins with me going in to see him every 5,10 mins. One night I took him up to bed & rocked him for a few mins then placed him in his cot when he was almost asleep, but still awake enough to see where he was & he just cuddled into his teddy & went off straight away, so I do this every night instead. If he cries when I put him down, I just pick him up, & rock him again for a min then put him back. At the very most it takes 10 mins (when overtired) & he still knows that he has fallen asleep in his cot as he looks around before cuddling in & so he still sleeps all night I think it is similar to the 'pick up, put down' method.