Controlled crying with older child....is it really hard?

[Sunshine123]

I've got to start getting tough with my dd because every night she cries, gets out of bed and wants to get into our bed. I've been so tired that i made the fatal error of simply allowing her so as to at least get some form of sleep. This has now continued for quite some time and each night she simply refuses to settle and cries hysterically etc and i'm so worried that she's going to wake up my other daughter that i just give in to her! She's obviously cottoned on to this but it's now getting a bit silly so i'm going to try controlled crying with her and probably have the entire household up too!!! Do you think it could take forever with a 2 year old? i'm just so bloody tired

Meant to add that she goes to bed fine but the crying starts in the early hours - not the sort of time that i feel at my strongest nor want to be up and down out of my warm bed!!!

Really sympathise sunshine123 - had similar prob with ds last year when he was 2 and a bit. Just started waking up for no reason but the only way to settle him down again was one of us to stay in his room with him - if we tried to leave we got all the screaming and crying, so much that he would make himself sick sometimes!!. Eventually decided we needed to sort it out and did the controlled crying - it was tough for the first couple of nights - he was sick etc but it took no longer than a week and he was back to sleeping by himself - and now if he does wake up, he is easy to settle down again quite happily by himself.

Sorry to ramble on, but what I'm saying is 'yes' the controlled crying does work - you just have to bite the bullet and go for it, be strong and stick to your guns!! Also helps if you have a husband or partner who can share the wakeful nights with you and back you up!! Good Luck.

My HV warned me that it could take up to 3 weeks when we went through the cc with ds2 ( aged 2 at the time). In the event, it took about a week, but the first few nights were HELL ( even drew comments and worried questions from the neighbours he made so much fuss!). He now sleeps so soundly that I can pull him out of bed, change all his bedclothes and pj's, and put him back without him even waking.