We started sleep training last night. For us, we decided to use the cry-it-out (CIO) method, aka rip-my-heart-out. Though highly controversial in the parenting world, CIO is effective, and after reading my many books and speaking with other moms who say CIO changed their lives, we chose to have Caedmon cry it out, as well. It is what it sounds like--we let Caedmon cry it out when we put him down for naps and bed, in order to teach him how to fall asleep on his own, even if it means letting him cry for hours (though each family sets their own limit--ours is two hours for night sleep). CIO gets a bad rap because it's hard, but hard doesn't mean wrong, and I'm eager to be teaching Caedmon this very important skill.
We knew Caedmon was ready for CIO when he started falling asleep more independently. Though we were still rocking him a lot (so much so that my knees were starting to hurt), we would put him down increasingly more awake, and often he would let out one cry of protest, then turn his head to the left, suck his fingers, and fall asleep. We knew he could do it.
So we started last night, and actually, Caedmon is doing really well. Last night, he cried for 24 minutes before falling asleep, and tonight, only 13. For his naps, he took less than 10 minutes each time, and for one nap, he didn't cry at all! I knew falling asleep wouldn't be Caedmon's struggle, though. It would be falling BACK asleep after waking prematurely, and that has definitely proven to be true thus far. This morning, he cried for nearly an hour, but just as I was about to get him, all was quiet and he was off in dreamland! He's learning, our little chipmunk!
Ask any mom who has done CIO, though, and she will tell you how heart-wrenching this is. It takes all my will not to rush in there and "rescue" my baby, but I know that in doing so, I would be acting on my own emotions and robbing him of the chance to learn how to sleep. I actually got choked up a little even BEFORE I put Caedmon down for bed last night, as I was giving him a small pep talk that was as much for me as it was for him. But what strengthens my resolve is seeing Caedmon's fast progress and knowing that after this, my baby will own an important skill, and we'll all get better rest. Caedmon still greets me with a big smile when I get him from his crib, so I also know he's doing just fine.
Just like mastering any new skill, though, there will naturally be some regression along with the progress, as we spiral towards the end goal. These moments will be rough, so wish us the best this week as we continue to cry it out. Hopefully, I'll have positive results to share soon!
[cue jingle]
Earlier this week, Caedmon fell asleep while playing on his playmat. That's when we knew he was definitely ready to learn how to fall asleep independently.
VERY helpful encouragement, even if we're quite a few months behind you.
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