Do you let your infant cry themselves to sleep sometimes??

Is it bad to do this??

Re: Do you let your infant cry themselves to sleep sometimes??

How old is DC?

If they are under about 5 months, then you should pick them up, they need to be comforted at that age.

Re: Do you let your infant cry themselves to sleep sometimes??

I can kind of tell the difference between his cries now (he's 2 mos). Sometimes he'll just fuss for a few minutes when he's overtired before he conks out so I'll give it a few minutes before going in. Other times just a pacifier calms him down. When he's really crying I pick him up right away.

Re: Do you let your infant cry themselves to sleep sometimes??

we didnt let her CIO as an infant, we started when she was atleats 6 mths old. When they are very young, they need the comforting...

Re: Do you let your infant cry themselves to sleep sometimes??

No never! As an infant they generally have a need to be me even if it is being held. I think if you read up on this you will see it is not recommended to let a newborn/infant CIO.

Re: Do you let your infant cry themselves to sleep sometimes??

That's what I thought...but older people say it's ok to do.

Different school of thought I guess.

Re: Do you let your infant cry themselves to sleep sometimes??

Posted by KateDevine

How old is DC?

If they are under about 5 months, then you should pick them up, they need to be comforted at that age.

Re: Do you let your infant cry themselves to sleep sometimes??

We just started letting her cry.... and she is 7 months

Re: Do you let your infant cry themselves to sleep sometimes??

My DS is 12 weeks and we let him cry a bit. No, not hysterical fits. But sometimes he wimpers a bit if his paci falls out or if he's just settling in to fall alseep. I usually pause and determine if the 'cry' needs me or if he will go right back down. 90% of the time his eyes pop open for a second and he goes right back to sleep. I watch him like a hawk on his video monitor.

Re: Do you let your infant cry themselves to sleep sometimes??

I do it only if I just need a break from the crying and I feel that DS does not urgently need anything. I have to preserve my sanity, right? I do not believe that by letting him CIO I am teaching him anything. He is too young for that so I do not do it for that reason yet.

Re: Do you let your infant cry themselves to sleep sometimes??

DS is 8 1/2 months old and I still dont let him cry for longer than a few minutes, especially when he was a newborn. They need you and don't understand why mommy isnt coming...now at 8 1/2 months I can tell the difference between his cries. Sometimes he just cries b/c he is so overtired...but still dont let him cry himself to sleep.

Re: Do you let your infant cry themselves to sleep sometimes??

We read Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems by. . . . oh god, I forgot - well, it was written by some nice doctor.

Anyway - we started CIO between 3 and 4 months. It's not a therapy where the parents dont tend to a baby at all - it's not like we were in the next room watching tv while DD was screaming. We were standing outside her door trying not to run in and scoop her up in our arms. It's a method that is supposed to help your child self soothe. There are times when DD would wake up and cry - but didnt need anything and would go back to sleep within a minute.

In the beginning we'd let DD cry for as long as I could stand it - then we'd go in and rub her back, whisper to her and generally try and calm her down. You're not supposed to take her out of the crib.

In the beginning I could last maybe 20 seconds, then I'd have to go check on her - and then after I stroked her back for maybe 10 seconds I'd pick her up - I just wanted to. So in the beginning I wouldnt say it was much of a success. But as the weeks went on we started to get more confident about when DD really was in distress, wet or hungry and when she was crying because she was over tired. I'd say by 4 or 4.5 months we started seeing significant results.

At 5 months she started sleeping 12 hours straight - from 7pm until 7am. She'll wake up occasionally in the night and I can hear her on the monitor. Sometimes she'll cry for a minute - sometimes she'll babble - but then she'll put herself back to sleep. She's almost 8 months now and is such a great sleeper. She goes down with rarely any fussing and generally wakes up really happy. . . except for when she's teething - then she's pretty much miserable no matter what time of the day it is.

CIO is not for everybody and I would strongly recommend looking at a book on the subject before deciding to do it. It worked really well for us.

Re: Do you let your infant cry themselves to sleep sometimes??

I let mine cry a little at 4 mos. You can tell if its a fighting sleep cry or if something is really wrong. If she was just 'wah-wahing' fighting sleep, then I would let her cry for a few minutes before she either stopped because she fell asleep or I went in and picked her up. Now she goes right to sleep most nights no problem and sleeps through the night.

Re: Do you let your infant cry themselves to sleep sometimes??

DD cries almost every single time she is put down for a nap or to sleep at night. It's just how she is. No amount of rocking or soothing changes this. So, yes, we let her cry b/c we know that after a few minutes she falls asleep.

Re: Do you let your infant cry themselves to sleep sometimes??

At 6.5 months we're JUST letting her CIO a little, but only if it's her "tired cry". As an infant... no way, but that's just me

Message edited 12/17/2007 8:44:46 AM.

Re: Do you let your infant cry themselves to sleep sometimes??

Re: Do you let your infant cry themselves to sleep sometimes??

Re: Do you let your infant cry themselves to sleep sometimes??

I never let him cry, but the ped told me at 2 months old to put him down while awake and let him whine for a bit. I wasn't able to, but boy, sometimes I wish I did

Re: Do you let your infant cry themselves to sleep sometimes??

Well DS never really cries when he is put down to go to sleep at night. However, he has fussed and whined a bit and I let him do that starting at like 4 months. Now I leave him in his crib and he kicks himself to sleep. He has to find ways to soothe himself to sleep.

Re: Do you let your infant cry themselves to sleep sometimes??

I try to let dd cry for a few minutes. Sometimes, if she is very tired, she will cry for 5 minutes and then pass out, but if she is hysterical, I will go in there and rock her

Re: Do you let your infant cry themselves to sleep sometimes??

Sometimes I do, and i have to say the nights that she cries herself to sleep (she only cries for about 5 minutes) she sleeps much better...go figure.

Re: Do you let your infant cry themselves to sleep sometimes??

After 6 months, Jordana did almost every night. She would cry for about 2 minutes and then go to sleep. In fact, sometimes she still does it.

Re: Do you let your infant cry themselves to sleep sometimes??

Sort of. DD is 8 weeks old and we have been letting her cry for weeks now. I don't let her get hysterical, but when she'd fussing or we call it "fake" crying, I let her. After about 10 minutes of making "noise" she stops and usually falls asleep. As my Dad says, "its good for lung development"

Re: Do you let your infant cry themselves to sleep sometimes??

We didnt do CIO till 7 months

Re: Do you let your infant cry themselves to sleep sometimes??

I couldn't do it....it broke my heart. I would hold DD, rock her, nurse her...whatever it took. There did come a point where I had to transition her from me getting her to sleep but we waited until she was 5 months for that (and I did it slowly....not cold-turkey or CIO....I am a mush).