5LittleMonkeys Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 I have with a couple of my dc (one about 10 months and the other closer to 12 months) and don't regret it nor have I seen any ill effects of it. In fact one of my dc that I did let cry is unarguably the most affectionate and compassionate\empathetic of all my dc. I wouldn't just ignore them though. It took about 3 or 4 days of going in every 5 minutes, then pushing it to 10 minutes, then to 15 minutes to comfort with a light patting on their tummy or back (no talking, no light, no food) each night until they would fall back asleep. They both slept through the night after that except for the occasional waking...I would hear them fuss for a minute or so and then fall back asleep. I had other children to take care of during the day and my dh traveled during this time period so there was no one to help out. I was exhausted to the point of feeling like I was loosing my mind and I was putting my dc in danger because of my exhaustion. (Leaving the stove on, forgetting to shut the front door.) A couple nights of crying is not going to irreparably damage your 10mo. Please don't let anyone make you feel guilty for considering different solutions to this. :grouphug: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissKNG Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 I let my big girl CIO in order for her to sleep the night but I honestly can't remember her age when I did. Somewhere around 1 - 15 months, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 Yes, I would have her cry it out. She needs to learn to soothe herself back to sleep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TranquilMind Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 Dd started her life by sleeping 6 hours a night, midnight until 6 am. No matter what the situation she would never fall asleep in our bed. If we brought her into our bed she would do anything but sleep. I did let her cry at one point. She was healthy. Dh checked on her, patted her and all the good stuff and then I put a pillow over my head. She cried for 45 minutes that night and 5 minutes the next. And she started sleeping through the night again. Now all that good sleeping would shift a while if she were sick or something. This was our experience too. Nothing more than a night or two, with a couple of back pats and comforting words solved it. We didn't ignore her; she just didn't get up to play or do anything fun. It didn't last long. 45 minutes I am pretty sure, as well. She was the best sleeper ever, before and after even now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 A 10mo? My 10mo babies were sleeping in their own beds in a different room (albeit close by), and at 10mo, I'd wait a few minutes before going to get them when they woke during the night, to see if they'd go back to sleep or not. So, yes, in this circumstance, especially if the 10mo were eating solids and had a good dinner, I'd try it for a few nights to see what happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgialee Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 If you're to the point that you feel it is your last option, then try it and see if it works. ds1 had gotten intot he habit of waking up about every hour from reflux (he had late-onset gerd) and kept the habit even after he was medicated. I felt like I HAD to do cio or I was going to go crazy. It only took 2 nights - I went in there every 5 min the first night and 10 min the second night. He slept through the night after that. I will say that it does not work for some kids. We tried with ds2 when we moved him from our bed to his own room (after trying other methods) but he is as stubborn as a child can get and just cried and cried and cried. I wasn't comfortable continuing so we figured something else out. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeeBeaks Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 I wouldn't let baby CIO. Sometimes they are just in pain. My youngest is 17 mos. When she started waking up again it turned out she had an ear infection. She had no other symptoms. Sometimes they are in pain from teething, hunger, thirst or whatever and can't tell us other than to cry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embassy Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 (edited) :grouphug::grouphug: No, I wouldn't unless I were putting my child in danger from lack of sleep or anger at the child. None of my kids were great sleepers at that age. It was common for them to wake up 5-6 times a night. I don't agree with leaving a baby crying, but when I night weaned I did hold my baby as she cried and tried to soothe her another way. To me that is very different than letting an infant learn to deal with a difficult situation on his own. I co-sleep at that age as well or I at least had the baby's bed up against mine. Edited December 11, 2011 by Wehomeschool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigger Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 No, we don't co-sleep. I've tried it with all three kids and I think I must be doing something wrong, because it makes things worse not better. Right now, if I bring her to bed and hold her without feeding her, she'll start to play. Even if I'm unresponsive (I usually start falling asleep) she'll start grabbing my nose, chin, trying to roll over, slapping my cheeks, etc. She gets wired up. If I just bring her to bed and let her nurse, she falls back asleep for 1-3 hours. I'd say she's likely waking because she's hungry - if she's nursing overnight, no I wouldn't let her CIO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 Nope. At that age they're still normally in my bed, and I didn't let any of them cry it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 No, I'd assume she was waking up because she was in pain from teething, or just having trouble getting back to sleep. If my husband was in pain I'd comfort him, so i comfort my babies too. Dr. Sears has a sleep book with a lot of suggestions to get them to sleep without crying it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 I wouldn't, but I know others will disagree. My dd did the same thing around that age, and it was usually either teething, or growth spurts, or ear infections, and I wouldn't want to leave a baby that's potentially in pain to cry it out. ETA: Do you co-sleep? That might be a good temporary solution. :iagree: I am not capable of letting them cry it out. So we have co-slept with all of them from the beginning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 No. I would look at night weaning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizaG Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 Yes, I think we would, though we've never been in that situation. I do agree with the suggestion to try night weaning first, though. As far as books go, I've found Marc Weissbluth's Healthy Sleep Habits to have some helpful ideas for setting up bedtime routines, recognizing baby's sleepiness cues, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 To be honest, that period of my life is a blur and I don't remember. But I wanted to give you :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:, because being sleep deprived is one of the worst things ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Never let them cry it out. Just couldn't. Didn't seem right to me--for us. YMMV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I would have. My last 4 babies responded fine to that technique... no long crying bouts, once they realized I wasn't coming and that it was time to go back to sleep, they did. I thought it would be night after night of torture, but it wasn't. It worked quickly and I was so relieved to have my nights of sleep back. I do remember my second child had some longer crying bouts and I would get up and do a project so that I wasn't just listening to him cry. HOWEVER, I now have a (newly) 2yo who wakes at night, and I don't let him CIO. I can't. I guess he's a different kid and I know I've changed as a mom. He doesn't "get it" if allowed to cry. He would cry harder and louder and doesn't give up. So he comes to bed with me. We snuggle and he sleeps fine, but he wakes up EARLY wanting to eat breakfast (like 5:30 or 6:00). It's getting old, but I figure it won't be forever. Do what your heart tells you to do and don't stress about the opinions every other mom. Nap when you can. Lower your expectations for productivity. This too shall pass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth in MN Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I'm an AP parent so I don't support crying it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myeightkiddies Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Personally, I wouldn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smilesonly Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 No. I know how exhausting it is and how horrible sleep deprivation is, but I would not ever resort to crying it out as an answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momma aimee Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Baby girl was a wonderful sleeper from 0-6 months. At six months, she started waking multiple times a night. Now she's going 3-5 times and I'm really tired. After I had Digby, I went crazy from the sleep deprivation. And I literally mean crazy. I've managed to hold back the crazy for the time being by reminding myself that she's my last and that someday I'll look back and miss her snuggles, but I honestly don't think I can hold it at bay much longer. She's 10 months old; would you make your 10 month old cry it out or would you wait until she's weaned? no i would not -- i do not leave my 6 yo to cry alone -- CIO caused stress hormons to rush through the baby -- short of a child having to be held in a hospital or soemthing like that there is never a case for CIO -- I spent 4 years vaking every 45 minutes -- and being up over 45 mintes each wake -- it does get better .... you can do it -- you are the grown up she is the baby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ester Maria Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 No. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In2why Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I have with a couple of my dc (one about 10 months and the other closer to 12 months) and don't regret it nor have I seen any ill effects of it. In fact one of my dc that I did let cry is unarguably the most affectionate and compassionate\empathetic of all my dc. I wouldn't just ignore them though. It took about 3 or 4 days of going in every 5 minutes, then pushing it to 10 minutes, then to 15 minutes to comfort with a light patting on their tummy or back (no talking, no light, no food) each night until they would fall back asleep. They both slept through the night after that except for the occasional waking...I would hear them fuss for a minute or so and then fall back asleep. I had other children to take care of during the day and my dh traveled during this time period so there was no one to help out. I was exhausted to the point of feeling like I was loosing my mind and I was putting my dc in danger because of my exhaustion. (Leaving the stove on, forgetting to shut the front door.) A couple nights of crying is not going to irreparably damage your 10mo. Please don't let anyone make you feel guilty for considering different solutions to this. :grouphug: I agree. I wouldn't let a baby cry for hours without calming, but 10 minutes or so at a time to learn to self soothe, yeppers. I also have 3 adult children and they are all wonderful loving people so I haven't seen any harm. Parenting styles change on a generational basis (most of us want to do it better than our Mothers) and millions of babies have learned to sleep on their own. We co-slept with our 8 year old and I loved it when he was small but I regret it now. He hates sleeping in his own bed, still. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarlaB Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Baby girl was a wonderful sleeper from 0-6 months. At six months, she started waking multiple times a night. Now she's going 3-5 times and I'm really tired. After I had Digby, I went crazy from the sleep deprivation. And I literally mean crazy. I've managed to hold back the crazy for the time being by reminding myself that she's my last and that someday I'll look back and miss her snuggles, but I honestly don't think I can hold it at bay much longer. She's 10 months old; would you make your 10 month old cry it out or would you wait until she's weaned? Given what you've said (10 month old waking 3-5x a night- which in my opinion, is a sign of a sleep problem), yes I would try CIO based approach to teach her to fall back to sleep on her own. I have & I would again. My kiddos are perfectly fine/loved/cuddled/secure/attached etc. For us it took 3-4 nights of a modified CIO approach. You can use a 'reassurance' technique from No Cry Sleep Solution (sit in a chair next to the crib & pat....then a few nights later, move the chair further across the room, then eventually out of the room etc). Essentially, baby learns pretty quickly to fall asleep without nursing, rocking etc.... there will be minimal crying, as you are right there w/ baby, but not holding, feeding or verbally soothing/singing etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 No. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarlaB Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I have with a couple of my dc (one about 10 months and the other closer to 12 months) and don't regret it nor have I seen any ill effects of it. In fact one of my dc that I did let cry is unarguably the most affectionate and compassionate\empathetic of all my dc. I wouldn't just ignore them though. It took about 3 or 4 days of going in every 5 minutes, then pushing it to 10 minutes, then to 15 minutes to comfort with a light patting on their tummy or back (no talking, no light, no food) each night until they would fall back asleep. They both slept through the night after that except for the occasional waking...I would hear them fuss for a minute or so and then fall back asleep. I had other children to take care of during the day and my dh traveled during this time period so there was no one to help out. I was exhausted to the point of feeling like I was loosing my mind and I was putting my dc in danger because of my exhaustion. (Leaving the stove on, forgetting to shut the front door.) A couple nights of crying is not going to irreparably damage your 10mo. Please don't let anyone make you feel guilty for considering different solutions to this. :grouphug: :iagree: That's what we did as well (5, 10 etc minutes to reassure- no light, no talk, no food). A far cry from simply walking away & 'ignoring' baby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mama2cntrykids Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 No. My kids co-sleep until they're about 2-3 (that's when I wean) and then I move them to their own bed where I lay down with them until they're asleep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 The idea that co-sleeping will fix the problem always grates on me. The reason we became desperate enough to even try CIO was that the babies cried in the family bed all night off and on, sometimes for hours at a time. We saw doctors, I fed and fed and fed, but that didn't solve the problem. It wasn't any better in cribs, as we learned, so I don't really advocate it, but it always gets me when people say "just co-sleep." In the end, they were fine, they learned how to sleep around 3 yo, they stayed in the family bed until they were six, and we all lived through it. But co-sleeping was no magic bullet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 She's a little younger than I would normally suggest this, but if you have introduced dairy to her, I know one friend of mine had success with encouraging her toddler to sleep longer at night by giving her a big serving of full-fat yogurt before bed (and nursing). The toddler really was hungry and was waking frequently to nurse; they continued to cosleep for a while after that, happily. Elizabeth Pantley's is a great book! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amy g. Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 No. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Re co-sleeping - my dd (who grieved some nights for her foster mom at 9mos) could not sleep with me. She would just fight sleep and cry all the more. We figured out what worked for her, but co-sleeping wasn't it, no way no how. I mention this because I also heard a lot of "co-sleeping" advice in the context of adoption. It's just not for everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennsmile Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Not reading other posts. But at 10 months baby is probably having a growth spurt and will nurse more. Anyway to nap during the day with little ones watching a movie or something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I wouldn't, but I know others will disagree. My dd did the same thing around that age, and it was usually either teething, or growth spurts, or ear infections, and I wouldn't want to leave a baby that's potentially in pain to cry it out. ETA: Do you co-sleep? That might be a good temporary solution. :iagree:this is my advice as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 How is she eating before bed? I know I've said The Love wakes up several times a night, but he wakes up about half as much as normal if he eats a lot of solids before bed. Breastmilk does not fill him up anymore. I would not CIO. I might "fuss it out," in that if she will settle down almost immediately like at naptime, sure, give her two minutes to settle down. If it's actual CIO though, nope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdventureMoms Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 No, we don't do CIO. Even with our 13mo twins who just got through a LONG bout of frequent waking (never at the same time, of course). Cosleeping is also useless for the twins (my 3.5yo is still cosleeping, but the twins don't sleep when they are with us). I would absolutely consider at least partial night-weaning. Even if you just "night wean" for the first half of the night, that would get you a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. A 10mo may need to eat at night still, but probably not every hour... One big breakthrough for us was to put in a space heater in their room. They were cold, apparently, in spite of several warm layers. They started only waking 1x each per night after that, which was a big improvement over 3-4x each. A big meal before bed helps a lot too. Tylenol when I know they are teething helps. White noise helps a LOT. In terms of coping, taking turns helps immensely. If your DH sleeps to deeply to make that work, try putting him in baby's room a couple nights a week so you can get a good night's sleep. Yes, I'm that evil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 One big breakthrough for us was to put in a space heater in their room. They were cold, apparently, in spite of several warm layers. They started only waking 1x each per night after that, which was a big improvement over 3-4x each. Oh, that reminds me. Ds is one who runs hotter than most people so he actually wakes up from being too hot, and will cry until he gets out from under the covers, doesn't sleep well in footie pajamas, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdventureMoms Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Oh, that reminds me. Ds is one who runs hotter than most people so he actually wakes up from being too hot, and will cry until he gets out from under the covers, doesn't sleep well in footie pajamas, etc. Yes, my eldest is like that. ALWAYS hot. Her room has no central heat, it's 20 degrees out, and she's sleeping ON TOP of her covers... That might be why I underestimated how much warmth the twins needed. They run much cooler than she does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I guess it depends on what you mean by CIO. With my oldest, I did let her cry herself to sleep by that age. But, it was maybe ten minutes. And it was an annoyed, tired kind of cry rather than a hysterical one. And when I went in, or when we coslept, it just made things worse and prolonged them. With my youngest, we coslept and couldn't really let her CIO. She would cry for hours, and the tenor of the cry was hysterical. It just really wasn't an option. Didn't work. And co sleeping DID work, and everyone slept, so it was fine. So, I'd make sure she wasn't hungry. And if you're seriously going crazy, give it a try. Not my first choice, but sometimes we have to experiment to see what's going to work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrappyhappymama Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 (edited) Nope. Sometimes at that age, if they wake in the night and I know they are not hungry (because they've just eaten within the last hour or two), I might wait a minute or two to see if they settle back to sleep first. It's not uncommon for babies to rouse several times throughout the night and fuss a minute and fall right back to sleep. But if it escalates to crying or lasts more than a minute or so, I tend to them. No crying it out here. ETA: My babies are usually sleeping through the night before 10 months. BUT, they invariably have started waking again around 9-10 months. I've always chalked it up to a combination of growth spurt and the separation anxiety that usually peaks at this age. So even if I were willing to CIO, I'd be even more wary of trying it around this time. Edited December 12, 2011 by scrappyhappymama Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keptwoman Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 The idea that co-sleeping will fix the problem always grates on me. The reason we became desperate enough to even try CIO was that the babies cried in the family bed all night off and on, sometimes for hours at a time. We saw doctors, I fed and fed and fed, but that didn't solve the problem. It wasn't any better in cribs, as we learned, so I don't really advocate it, but it always gets me when people say "just co-sleep." In the end, they were fine, they learned how to sleep around 3 yo, they stayed in the family bed until they were six, and we all lived through it. But co-sleeping was no magic bullet. :iagree: the child that I CIOed absolutely hated sleeping with us, even when sick he preferred his own bed. He also did not respond to intermittent reassurance, it just built him up to go longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joanne Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 No, I don't believe in intentional "sleep training." However, I have discovered that some babies/toddlers seem to fuss to sleep. I wish I had a comfort level for this when my dd was young. For me, the criteria would be "fuss" to sleep, and less than 10 minutes, and preferably for an older baby, not a newborn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Short answer? Never. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nrg Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 No. 10 month old children are coming to the awareness that it is possible for them to crawl away from the parent and for the parent to leave them. They are beginning to realize their separate identity from the parent and acknowledge the parent's absence. This developmental stage is often a trigger for nighttime fears. Reinforcing your ever-presence and providing comfort is important. This too shall pass (and then we will miss it). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyhomemaker Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I don't have a problem with CIO, but I didn't leave mine to cry for hours or anything. Maybe 10 min and I went in immediately if the crying got hysterical. It worked like a charm for my oldest, but it didn't work for my others. Based on what you have mentioned, I think I would look for reasons why your baby stopped sleeping. Is the baby really hungry when it wakes up or is it just nursing to go back to sleep? Are there any solid foods that could be disagreeing with baby and keeping it up? Teething is a definite option. Mine started getting their molars around 10 months and that's very painful. I recommend Motrin for that. It's always worked better/longer for mine than Tylenol. The only other thing that comes to mind for me is that it could be tummy troubles. My dd2 was a pretty good sleeper until we introduced cereal to her and then she started waking up all the time during the night. She was having constipation trouble. I didn't realize it at first because her diapers were not that irregular and she wasn't screaming at night. She was just, um, twitchy or something. She would sleep for an hour or so at a time and I had to start nursing her to sleep to get her to settle. I was a basket case for a while so I feel your pain :grouphug::grouphug: After I got her some Miralax, she was a different baby at night. I hope you can figure out what's wrong and get some sleep!! Oh, also my pediatrician was very helpful in giving ideas as to why my dd might be waking. Maybe you could call and explain what's going on and your ped would have some ideas to try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Absolutely not. Without getting into a heated debate, I do not think it is healthy for the child. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieH Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 However, I have discovered that some babies/toddlers seem to fuss to sleep. I wish I had a comfort level for this when my dd was young. This is true. My son (kid #4) is 14 months and has always been like this. From day one. Once i figured out that he was just always going to cry for a few minutes after he was laid down, we were all much happier. And ftr, is extremely easy to distinguish his normal "i'm going to sleep now" cry and a "WTF ARE YOU DOING TO ME I DON'T WANNA SLEEP" cry. I used to have a fantastic article on this in my favorites, but now I don't see it. As for CIO in this situation, I guess that depends on what you mean by CIO. Leave the baby do wail for hours on end until she passes out from exhaustion? No, of course not. But if she's been changed, fed, snuggled, etc and there's no reason you can discern for the crying, I don't think it's deterimental to let the baby cry for a short time and see what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 She's a little younger than I would normally suggest this, but if you have introduced dairy to her, I know one friend of mine had success with encouraging her toddler to sleep longer at night by giving her a big serving of full-fat yogurt before bed (and nursing). The toddler really was hungry and was waking frequently to nurse; they continued to cosleep for a while after that, happily. Elizabeth Pantley's is a great book! Lots of people never introduce dairy to their babies, so I wouldn't make that any kind of condition for CIO or anythng else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lllll Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 (edited) No, I couldn't do it. I did discover something that helped our dc sleep through the night however. I stopped letting them sleep so much during the day (only 1 nap, unless they were sick). I carried them around with me and talked to them the entire time as I went about my daily routine. For example, if I had to cook, I would lay the baby on the floor in the kitchen on a blanket and 'explain' how to do whatever I was doing - in a slightly animated way to keep their attention. If I was teaching one dc, I would hold the baby in my lap while I taught, or, sometimes, let them play on the floor beside me, if they were happier there. I took them outside a lot, too. I also woke them up when their naps went beyond about 1 1/2 hours. It seemed like the more I let them sleep during the day, the more they woke up at night. I finally figured out that they just plain weren't worn out enough to need to sleep. When I came at it from that angle, dc were able to sleep through the night with no problem. The key was to keep them engaged during their waking hours. Not entertained, really, but interested in the world around them. It's exhausting for a baby, but it's a good exhausting. ETA: Remembered something else. I trained dc (and babies) to wake up at the same time I woke up, or immediately afterwards (unless they were sick). I wanted them on my and other dc's schedule - not us on the babies' schedule. And all dc were in bed by 7pm so I could have about 2 hours to myself and still get 8 hours of sleep. HTH Edited December 12, 2011 by ksva Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punks in Ontario Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I'd stop feeding her at night and just offer comfort for a couple of weeks. Oh, and I'd make sure that she was well fed before bedtime. My guess is that without food, she'll lose interest in getting up. I would only change mine if they were dirty. No sense having a sore bottome the next day. It might be more work and sleep deprivation for a bit, but it'll be worth it in the long run. Best of luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Figure out what is wrong, co-sleep, do not let them cry it out. I knew a WALKING toddler that died from the parents letting her cry it out. The baby had gotten tangled in her covers and suffocated. The parents thought she was just being dramatic/fighting sleep/whatever and were following the CIO teaching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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