Need quick help with yet another cio question

So I tried it with her nap, which she completely missed because she screamed the WHOLE time, for an hour.
I had to get her out to eat. So I am going to bathe her and get her ready to bed like usual and try again.
So my question is- how long is too long? If she doesn't fall asleep, and just keeps crying, what do I do?
This is a really awful experience, I must say. My heart is breaking

Message edited 5/4/2006 7:56:16 PM.

Re: Need quick help with yet another cio question

Aly is hysterical right now...she's been awake since 3:30pm

Re: Need quick help with yet another cio question

I dont know the limit- the time that I tried once was almost 2 hours and I coulnt take it anymore. He's been in our bed ever since.

Re: Need quick help with yet another cio question

I never did it, but I would think time limits are different w/ each baby. If this is something you truly want to emply, I think you're going to be the one who knows best when it's just been too long.

Re: Need quick help with yet another cio question

Each baby is different. I know with Alex, if she kept crying at a high intensity for more than 20 minutes, I'd stop, rock her a little and put her back down.

I don't know if this will help at all, but I noticed with Alex it's virtually impossible to use CIO for naps. It just doesn't work. She'll cry through the naptime. The best time for us to start using CIO was bedtime and the twilight times, but I never just fed her and put her in the crib wide awake. I'd make sure she was sleepy and *almost* asleep, then put her in her crib. She would usually cry, at most, 30 minutes, but eventually drift off. The twilight wakings are much easier because they're so groggy anyway that they usually fall asleep much quicker. Once that started working it spilled over to naptime so she falls asleep much easier, and now, I can just put her in her crib awake (but sleepy) and she'll fall right to sleep.

Does that make sense? So, my advice - don't try CIO for naps. Use it for when you are putting her to bed. If she is really wide awake, wait until she starts getting sleepy, her eyes droop and she starts falling asleep on you. Then move her to the crib...

Re: Need quick help with yet another cio question

She needs her naps if she is going to sleep well at night. From what I understand, there is no time limit on CIO for naps. But I've had Jake cry/fuss through an entire nap also and after about 1 hr, I give up on the nap, take him out of the crib and keep him up until his next nap. He's usually fine with that and then knocks out easily for his next nap.

Next time, try putting her down for the nap 20 mins before you normally would.