Ok- different questions **Can you share your CIO experiences with me?

Ok so frget my original post. I am going to rethink the CIO now.

what does everyone else do now then???

Do you rock your baby till they fall asleep then put them down?

According to the healthy sleep habits I can start the CIO now. Thats the only reason I was going to. I dont really know any other way.

Suggestions please ladies!


eta - she actually usually sleeps through the night! So I am lucky. Its the napping during the day I have a hard time with. She cries when I put her down and it takes a while to get her to sleep

right now I rock her till she STARTS to fall alseep (not all the way out) then I put her down. If she starts to wake I rub her belly and talk to her. It usually works but sometimes takes a while.

thanks everyone!

Message edited 10/17/2008 9:12:31 PM.

Re: Can you share your CIO experiences with me?

IMO. Three months is too young to start and I am a HUGE believer in CIO.

We started at 5 months and it did not work in this house until he was 12 months old. I really think they need to be 6-7-8 months+ to understand and be able to self soothe! Which my DS does VERY well!

Re: Can you share your CIO experiences with me?

I agree with Kate - 3 months is def. too young...they are just learning that if they cry we will come at that point.

We did CIO the day he turned 6 months. You will get 100 different versions of it - and you have to pick which is best for you and your DC.

For us - when I went in to comfort DS - that just got him even more worked up - so it completely worked against us. It took a few nights (maybe 3) and then that was it.

Don't get me wrong - he will still cry when we put him to bed sometimes - but it's more because he is mad - and not upset. That only lasts a VERY short while and then he passes out!

Good Luck - it is def. not an easy thing to do - but once you do it - your life will be THAT much easier!!

Re: Can you share your CIO experiences with me?

Re: Can you share your CIO experiences with me?

Don't take this the wrong way but I think you have unfair expectations of DC.

Some kids are just naturally good sleepers. Others, not so much.

And at such a young age so many things can affect sleeping habits making the CIO technique not work effectively.

I want to start CIO so badly but Ryan is only 4 months. I am going to wait at least another 2 before trying.

Re: Can you share your CIO experiences with me?

Posted by Diana1215

I agree with Kate - 3 months is def. too young...they are just learning that if they cry we will come at that point.

We did CIO the day he turned 6 months. You will get 100 different versions of it - and you have to pick which is best for you and your DC.

For us - when I went in to comfort DS - that just got him even more worked up - so it completely worked against us. It took a few nights (maybe 3) and then that was it.

Don't get me wrong - he will still cry when we put him to bed sometimes - but it's more because he is mad - and not upset. That only lasts a VERY short while and then he passes out!

Good Luck - it is def. not an easy thing to do - but once you do it - your life will be THAT much easier!!

Re: Can you share your CIO experiences with me?

I didnt even think of trying to establish sleep patterns and schedules until about 7 months....

I dont think a 3 month old can be scheduled yet.

Any effort you put in will likely fail again when their body changes.

Most experts say 6 months is the best time.

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: Can you share your CIO experiences with me?

I am very similar to Diana. We did not start until just after 6 months. I tried to stay in the room and she got more worked up. So finally I left the room and let her cry (as I stared at the monitor crying too) but that was the worst night. Here we are about 2 weeks later and she sleeps through the night 98% of the time. She naps in her crib too!!!

Re: Can you share your CIO experiences with me?

Message edited 10/17/2008 9:12:42 PM.

Re: Can you share your CIO experiences with me?

My son didnt start having any sleep issues, he slept through the night fine till about 10 months old and then he started not wanting to go down and waking all night long.

We tried every book, every method, every advice given on here...Finally we figured out his night time routine was not as scheduled and strict as he needed it to be.

We rarely break the routine unless we are out at a party or something like that.

We follow the same routine as far as bath , and bottle.

He knows when we are pouring his milk its time for bed and goes to his room.

CIO didnt work for us. he cried off and on for 7 hours once before we got him to bed.

So we rock him while he drinks his bottle, read ot sing to him and he fallas asleep in our arms and is transferred.

If he wakes in the middle of the night, and fusses, we CIO, and it has never taken more then a few min's for him to go back to bed.

If he is screaming, we get him, but thats very rare.

We worked with all diiffernt bedtimes too till we found the one that worked for us. We tried everywhere from 6:30 pm-10:00 pm....

Now he rubs his eyes practically every day at 7 pm...

Its not easy but the one thing I truly believe is every baby is different and I didnt want to believe that, but I finally accepted our revised way was best and sure enough when I relaxed a little ...we had a child who slept 12 hours straight.

You will get there, but give it TIME.

I dont know what the book says, but like some ladies on here have said already, my personal opinion is I would never think of trying to get a routine for a baby that young.

Eta- I read your revised post and I think thats normal...At 3 months old, I let him fall asleep whenever he wanted. A set nap time wouldnt work. Their sleep patterns change too much. Is that not doable?

Message edited 10/17/2008 9:14:17 PM.

Re: Ok- different questions **Can you share your CIO experiences with me?

Re: Ok- different questions **Can you share your CIO experiences with me?

I think what you're currently doing is the best thing. Comforting and then putting her down when she is sleepy but not sleeping. She's already beginning to learn self-soothing and putting herself down to sleep. This way when you're ready for CIO it will be all the more smooth.

I don't know the magic age for CIO. At 3 months I would always have him fall asleep in my bed and then transfer to the crib. At 3 months that worked for me. At 6 months it started to really get to me that some nights I was locked n my room for hours. Around 8 months I had enough and we did CIO. He took to it very well.