To give up on controlled crying after just one night

[1Veryhungrycaterpillar]

My six month old has reverted to waking between 3 and 5 times a night and I am like the walking dead and need energy as he is one of three DCs. Last night my DH said that I had to try leaving him to cry it out which I couldn't bear but compromised on controlled crying instead. It was horrendous and I hated every minute of it but should I persevere, does it work? Or should I just put him in bed with me to get some sleep? Ididn't have a problem with the other two hence me being clueless Help!

Is he teething? We went through the same thing at the same age with dc1. Calpol had no effect so we assumed it wasn't teething pain but we've since worked out that calpol doesn't have much effect on her, baby ibuprofen suits her much better. Apparently she's not unusual in this. I'm now certain that the increase in waking was teeth-related. ESP as they appeared shortly afterwards and the sleep issues magically resolved. Good luck!

'controlled crying' is cruel imho, fgs he is SIX months old, not capable of rational thought.

I was about to come on and say YABU - at least try ot for a good week, however having read that he is only six months I now am saying YABU. CC is for babies who are a year or more.

A six month old could be:
Having a growth spurt
Having a developmental leap
Teethibg
Lonely
Hungry

YABU.

Personally if I found it horrendous and hated every minute of it then I wouldn't do it. I think you need to trust your instincts

Thanks Mightbe! We thought he was teething as having other symptoms but when cal pol made no difference we ruled it out too so I'll definitely give ibuprofen a try. I'm a light sleeper too unfortunatelyanxious but think I would crack before two weeks and ruin all my hard work!

Perhaps DH could help out with a couple of the nighttime feeds? You could express some milk, and he could help out, and you'd get a bit more sleep.

Controlled crying for a 6 mo is likely to make you feel like a guilty zombie, rather than just a zombie.

If you have done CC with your other 2 and it worked then you must have been damn lucky to crack it in a night. personally I believe in controlled crying but you do have to persevere with it and one night is not enough. adults need their sleep to function effectively and your other 2 kids need you too so personally would persevere. not a fan at all of co - sleeping for all the well known and rehearsed arguments against it.

All the info I've read on it says it for 6 months plus but when you put it that way Mortified it does seem extreme

I will go against the grain and say six months is a good age for cc. In my experience it only takes a few nights at that age but longer when older. I actually think teaching a baby to sleep through is a gift for them: they are better rested and happier and so are their mothers whose moods effect them so much. It's a very personal thing though and cc should never be done if either parent is uncomfortable with it.

Loll at guilty zombie! No mummymeister I meant I didn't have to try CC with the others

Mummymeister that's what worries me most not being able to give enough to my others

I think at six months they're more likely to be waking because they need something (especially if they've suddenly started waking more frequently, rather than it being a long-term habit iyswim). I'd only do CC at that age if I really felt they weren't waking for any other reason than habit. And I have an 8mo who doesn't sleep though yet, so I do sympathise :)

Thanks Yippee X

I did controlled crying with my 15 month old and it worked within 3 days for him. I wouldn't have tried it at 6 months I don't think (but we co-slept).

He now reliably sleeps in his own bed, from 7-7 (ish) and it is GREAT!

Put him in the bed with you. He's still tiny, he won't be in there forever, and you need some rest.

That reversion is normal (or at least not uncommon) for six months of age, particularly those newly weaning and/or newly mobile.

Giving up because it didn't work is feeble. Giving up because your brain is screaming at you that it is the wrong thing for your family is eminently sensible.

Sleep training is the most tiring thing I ever tried, I think. I believe you have to have a decent sleep reserve before you can calmly attempt it - and if you had that you wouldn't need to!

And yy to co-sleeping, even if only to build up your sleep reserves in advance of another attempt in a month or more.

I hated my DH so much last night and that can't be good for us! He actually fell asleep and started snoring during the yellathon

Do the normal wakings affect him? Why did he insist you try CIO/CC?

No he sleeps through them, I guess in his own way he suggested it for me as I'm so tired at the moment and totally strung out

Another vote for co-sleeping here. I don't like CC but I think it's more acceptable for a toddler who can understand that you're just outside the room/downstairs or whoever than for a young baby.

If it is for your benefit then either he needs to help with the process, or he needs to help you find a solution that actually suits you.

Things like potty training and sleep training can only fairly be decided on by those involved in the training IMHO - uninvolved partners, inlaws and passersby can fuck off

Yanbu cc is cruel imo please don't do it to such a young baby.

Co-sleeping as others have suggested is your friens here. All 3dds co slept and moved into their own beds around 1 and started sleeping through, cuddles and security are much more affective than being left to break your heart crying!

Of you are the one who deals with the night wakings then you decide how to deal with them.

I think a sleep deprived family for months on end is a lot more cruel than a few nights if CIO or CC.