No cry sleep solution - did it work for you?

[Bobby99]

My DD (7mo) is a dreadful sleeper. The main problem is that she wakes about 10 times in the night. Generally she quickly goes back to sleep if I put the dummy in, although sometimes I have to cuddle her for a while. Waking 10 times in the night is exhausting me, but I'm really not keen on letting her cry it out (I did try it about a month ago, but it was a disaster).

So I'd love to know how people got on with the 'No Cry Sleep Solution', especially anyone who had a dummy problem...

We tried it at about 10 months and I thought it had some good ideas but we did end up doing controlled crying which did the trick. It is quite a commitment and it takes a while to see results by which time I was exhausted hence we ended up doing cc.

I think it probably does work if you are very patient!! Oh dummy wasn't the problem with our ds.

Good luck!!

is a dummy that big of a problme at 7 months? I wened mine off it relatively straight forwardly at about 2yrs. Obviously I'll do anything for an easy life/bit of sleep...

Kewcumber - the dummy is only a problem because I have to get out of bed and put it back in her mouth 10 or so times each night and I'm exhausted... I have no problem with the dummy in principle. I wouldn't mind at all if she could sort herself out in the night.

We tried using the pull-off trick from the No-Cry books when our DD had the same sort of dummy issues (she was much younger though, just 3-4 months so no chance of her learning to put it back in herself). But we found it was very hard to do and didn't seem to work for us - I was getting even less sleep constantly trying to get her to drop off without the dummy than by just putting it back in. So eventually we did cold turkey and although we had a few days weeks of hell we did eventually manage to teach her to sleep without it - though she has never gone down quite as easily since, especially for naps. There are some other good tips in the book though I think, but that one didn't help us.

At 7 months though I would think your DD could well be able to learn to replace the dummy herself. Have you tried the trick of scattering several around her cot? If she just had one I wouldn't expect her to be able to find and replace it; but if there are lots scattered around the top end of the cot there's a good chance of her being able to grab one and eventually get it into her mouth. After all they are genius at sticking everything in their mouths at this age aren't they (DD is now 6 months)!

Just wanted to say that we have had real battles with our little ones sleep. She wasn't able to self settle and I finally reached my limit of rocking. She is now 8 months and 4 nights ago we decided to start some sleep training. I tryed crying it out on advice of Hv a while ago and, like oyu, it was terrible! I vowed never again.

But, exhaused, suffering witha cold and achey muscles from her increasing weight!! I decided one night (well, at approx 4.30am!) that we had to do something!

We have been using return and check (with a bit of gradual withdrawl mixed in I think!). Basically you leave them but return as many times as you like. Try not to pick them up, but can if really distressed. Use voice, etc to sooth.

On our first night she took about 1 hour to go to sleep (not constant crying but on and off). It was hard but we stuck with it (both me and husnand went back in to re-assure her regularly). When she went to sleep she stayed asleep from 7.30 until 2am. We then did same again and she settle dback to sleep until 6.20am. That was enough encouragement to stick with it. Next night took less time to settle and lsept staright through until 4am, then back to sleep until 6.50am. Last night just 20 mins to settle and didn';t wake until 6am! Bloody miracle! Tonight she settled herself to sleep woith no tears.

Of course this is still early days but maybe worth a try for you. It seems that we just have got it timed right. She's ready now to learn to settle herself and has got the hang of it very quickly.

Sorry for ramble. But I know how you must be feeling and there are other alternatives to CIO that may be worth you looking into to find what workds for you.

Thanks Lazzaroo, it's encouraging to hear from someone who has found a way to resolve this problem. Every night I get desperate in the small hours and consider CIO but just can't bear it. Might give the return and check method a go. Funnily enough I was just reading about it on a different website.

How much asleep (terrible grammar but never mind) is your baby when you put her down?

Pretty much awake! she gets pretty sleepy while I feed her but she's such a nosey parker that as soon as we stop she's looking around and usually has a big smile on her face when I put her down! past couple of nights have sat her on my lap and read a quick story before bed. Just a nice end to the evening and so she's not going straight down on full belly. Luckily she rarely falls aslpeep whle feeding.

I have to say that last night was our best night yet. She took about 20 mins to settle but we had no tears. She just sort of chatted to herself. She was asleep by 7.10pm and woke this morning at 6am. Amazing. She's done so well.

I know what you mean about needing a solution. I got to that point to, and now for both our sakes I'm gald we gave it another try. I found the sleepytot website very useful.

Hi Bobby99,
I haven't tried No cry sleep yet but just wanted to say that I could have written your post myself! Ds is 6.5 months and I am up about 10 times a night to to give him back the dreaded dummy. It's exhausting isn't it? We went cold turkey with the dummy last week, lasted 3 days of hell and then I gave in. As soon as Ds had it back he fell instantly asleep. I think he's teething now so I'm hoping that this is why his sleep has suddenly got far worse. Maybe weaning also adds to the problem - or maybe I'm just making excuses!
Am picking up the No cry book from the library this week and I'm really hoping for success! Just can't do controlled crying, have tried it a little bit but just feel so mean and can't carry it through.
Didn't want to give Ds a dummy initially as I thought weaning him off it would be the problem. Had I have known that the dreaded dummy run was a possibility, perhaps I'd have done things differently!
Good luck if you try No cry too. "It's a phase and it will pass"???!

Lazzaroo - just read your post properly. Agree that it's encouraging to read too. I might try the return and check as well - thanks. Sounds nicer than controlled crying at least. Glad things are improving for you!

DD's sleep has got proogressively worse over the last 2 weeks due to teething and I am shattered. I might need to try some of your ideas Lazzaroo or get hold of that book.

DD has been soooo miserable these last couple of days and her naps have seriously gone to pot. I have just managed to settle her with a dummy for the first time ever (she's almost 5 months) and I hope, as you have said TimeForCake, that I won't live to regret it. If this isn't just a fluke and it helps her settle I figure it will make my life easier at the moment...but I might just only let her have it for naps rather that have to keep getting up in the night to help her find it - has anyone tried that? does it work?

I've not really got serious with the Pantley Pull Off (and DS's sleep association is bf, not a dummy) but I have, I think, had some success with settling DS without feeding in the night. He was waking every hour and a half to two hours and I'd feed him every time.

Now I try to settle him without a feed first. I pat him the instant he wakes - we sort of co-sleep so its easy to do and he usually goes off again. Last night he only woke me up once so it does seem to be working.

I think the other key to stopping the frequent wakngs was getting him into a better daytime routine, as I have tried patting before, but failed. I have given up trying to go by his tired signs, and he's now having his first nap 2 hours after waking, second nap 3 hours after waking and bedtime 3-4 hours after waking. I do an early bedtime if he was overtired before naps. I've fed him to sleep & stayed with him on my lap, re-feeding any time he's woken, although he's in his cot now. :)

It could all go downhill from here, though!

Well, we have progress of sorts... On Monday DD was tired at teatime, so she had her porridge just before bedtime instead...and slept from 9pm to 6.30am! Just like that! I was absolutely amazed! Last night wasn't quite so impressive - 4 wakings instead of the usual 10 - but still a big improvement. So maybe porridge is the answer!

I think DD must have been understanding more that we say - we had agreed to try the return-and-check method starting on Friday - perhaps she didn't like the sound of that!

Okay, I don't want to count any chickens, but I think we're on to something here. She slept from 7.45pm to 4.40am last night and didn't even ake for her last feed. Then a quick 2 minute cuddle, and back to sleep until 6.15am. Amazing! So we are now doing BWL+porridge!

I think it depends on the child. We tried it and it worked to some extent, but there have been ups and downs. It made us feel better though as he is a partucularly stubborn child (like mum!) and could bellow for hours! There are the old favourites... full belly before bed (I second porridge), wind down time (bath, book and bed), keeping noise from TV, etc down as they go off to bed (or ther think they are missing something really fun in the other room and refuse to settle), room comfortable (not too hot or light)...

I think things get better as they get older naturally, but then they start getting into 'I want a drink, go to loo, need the light on, want a story, see a shadow, hear a monster under the bed.......'

We did have some success with it with DS but he was older, about 12 months I think. He didn't have a dummy though, not through lack of trying on my part. I would recommend the book though.

Didn't use it with DD as she co-slept for the first year and didn't really need it after that.

7 months is way too young for CC IMHO.

Glad to hear things going well Bobby99! We're trying the dummy removal plan from Elizabeth Pantley and had a couple of nights where Ds only woke around 4 times which was a BIG improvement. Then we had a night from hell and all that would work was the dummy. Think he was overtired. And then, all of a sudden, last night he slept through! Refused dream feed and woke up at 06.30! I have no idea why or what I did that was different. Maybe he was so damn tired from the previous night?! I like your porridge idea though! My fingers are crossed it wasn't a flash in the pan and that Ds will do it again tonight.
Like you though, will leave my chickens uncounted.