Controlled crying advice

[T84]

No debates please! I've made my own informed decision!

When does it start having an affect?! We have just had night 3 and eventually gave in at 6am after an hour and a half! I'm sick of constantly walking around in an exhausted haze! Any tips on what worked and what didn't?

 

[tinselcat]

How old is baby? My health visitors advocated it from about 10 months old (maybe 9). Before that it may not work as intended?

I did my own version of cc and would stay with baby whenever he lay down (or kept lying down) in the cot, and would offer him as much physical contact as I could (holding hand, stroking back etc) and singing too. If he got up then I would revert to leaving and returning every minute or so. It took maybe 3 or so nights to get to a good place and while he worked out his own way of self soothing (putting his head on Ewan the dream sheep on white noise mode).

Had to revert to it again last night (his second birthday is next week) after three weeks of disturbance due to coughing, teething etc when I just cuddled him all night ... (But he's better now and needs to not be screaming all night when he stays with my abusive ex next weekend for the first time) and for the first time in a while he slept the whole night through.

 

[ShowingPromise]

We tried the pick up and put down method for naps, worked very well after only a few tries. My little one just wanted to play in the day, even if he was clearly exhausted.
Not tried cc but I've heard it can take weeks and won't 'work' with every child, as with any method.
Huge hugs, sleep deprivation is terrible!!

 

[tinselcat]

My HV said cc could take as little as one night (for his third child) , sometimes a few and studies showed it was the quickest option available.. Doctor agreed too.

Not that I am advocating or dismissing other options

 

[Rose83]

I was never that keen on the whole thing but my partner was so we tried it a few times with my daughter from about 10 months onwards and I found it did nothing - she was getting herself so hysterical that she was hyperventilating and pooing herself and as I was pregnant again at that point I couldn't cope with how distressed it was making me but I knew from other friends that it was really effective. So when she was about 14 months and I was due to give birth the next month my partner took over bedtime and he created his own variation. He would give her her bottle and read a story, then he would turn Ewan the sheep on and tuck her in with her dummy once the bottle was gone and he would sit with her for a minute then leave, if she stood up and cried he would go back in and lie her down and stay in there for the length of time she stayed lying down. If she got up he would leave for a couple of minutes. Obviously eventually she would fall asleep while lying down. I think it took him 6 days before he was able to just tuck her in and leave the room and she has been fine ever since apart from a couple of times when she has been teething badly. And this was a girl who would have to be cuddled to sleep prior to this, sometimes for up to an hour and a half.

I know we'll end up doing a similar thing with my son when he is ready. I think you just know as a parent when they are ready to try these things and if it's going to work. My partner doesn't like to take too much credit for it because he thinks she was just ready x

 

[JD.Deedee]

My son did the same in regards to getting distressed and getting himself so upset only he'd vomit because of everything instead of pooing so he'd throw up all over his bed instead and I'm talking having tried it at various ages... turned out the bed sides were making him claustrophobic (never entertained the travel cot at all, not even as a playpen and especially not as sleeping place) ever since the sides are taken off he sleeps soundly and by 1,5-2 he didn't even want to sleep In our bed anymore whereas before he slept in my arms until 8-9 months lol! It's only now he's in his own room with toys he gets out of bed and that's only recent at 3,5 before he never got out of bed once in it!

 

[El1en]

I tried it at 7months and it worked great. Within about 4 nights we were sorted. Lo got her first cold 2 or 3 months later and things went backwards. We tried again at maybe a year and again it only took a few nights. We're having a horrible time now where she'll go down no bother but wakes maybe 4 Times a night, as soon as I lie her back down shes asleep again but it's awful for me especially when she wakes up at 5am for the day ��

Keep going and good luck!

 

[Rooster30]

It took about a week with my son. Keeping a solid, persistent routine is what is key. Keep going back in every 5 minutes or so. I know it is so so hard. Good luck and hope your LO settles for you soon.