CC. Am I doing it right? It is working, but its not!!

[B4Beatrice]

DD 21 months, had never fallen asleep in her cot. Only ever bottle fed to sleep in our bed and we then move her into her cot.

Have been doing CC for 4 nights. Here is how I have been doing it.

Bath
Pjs
Milk and wind down (in our bed)
Move her to the cot.
Tell her "lay down its sleep time"
If she is not trying to sleep, and is standing up and playing, I leave her for 5-10 mins.
Repeat "lay down its sleep time" sssh/pat etc.
Leave her again etc etc.

We have been doing it for 4 nights. She has fallen asleep on her own without me in the room once, fallen asleep with me patting/stroking twice and has fallen asleep alone but with me sitting next to the cot once.

So I think it is working, however all 4 times it has taken nearly an hour. This is what I am a bit concerned about.

She only has a very short nap in the day, normally in the car, normally at some point before 2.30pm.

When I leave her she is crying but it is not constant and not hysterical.

Is it taking longer just because she is older, do you think?

Would love some help and opinions.

I failed at CC (and the one where you back out of the room, and don't get me started on PUPD), so I can only tell you what happens if this doesn't work.

With DD we had to sit in her room for 30 mins to an hour at a time - if it was me I'd read a book with a torch; DH browsed the internet on his phone. When she was 2 and a half, so 30 months, she suddenly 'got' sleeping and I said goodnight, gave her a kiss, left the room and we've never had to sit with her again. I think what turned the corner for DD was getting to know other, slightly older children. I think she was afraid that she'd miss something by going to sleep but as part of bed-time routine we'd say 'M' is going to sleep now, or she'd ask what is T's mummy doing? - 'reading her a story/ brushing her teeth' etc. And she decided if it was what other kids did then it must be okay.

So I suspect she will learn eventually, its up to you to decide what you are prepared to put up with in the meantime.

Thankyou.

Have never wanted to leave her to cry as I cant stand it. Hence the feeding to sleep, co-sleeping, doing everything DD wants, routine so far!!

But I am feeling faily happy as she really is not sounding very upset. Crying, moaning- but not constant or distressed, and as soon as I go in she is all smiles again.

I also feel okay as her communication skills are reasonable now. She understands " P, tonight you are going to sleep in her cot". She gets in arranges her pillow and duvet, but just can't fall asleep for ages.

Tonight she pointed at her cot and said "sleep.........cot". So I think she is getting the hang of it.

Just worried as if it is always going to take this long, we are no better off than we were before.