We are trying to teach 11mo ds to self-settle, and stop waking for night feeds. He has generally been a crap sleeper.
Controlled crying seems to be the only way with him. I have made my peace with this- we all need sleep.
Bedtime is ok as his older sister (3) is out like a light at that time. So we've been able to do cc effectively, no matter if he shouts for a while. So he's got miles better at the start of the night.
However, late at night and especially from around 4am, his crying will wake her. She is prone to very early rising anyway so we'll sometimes end up with both screaming at 5am and keeping each other awake.
For this reason we haven't done cc for middle-of-night or early am wakings. Have been trying to settle him without a feed- or just caving and feeding him. Even that doesn't settle him sometimes. This morning he woke at 4am, I fed him, then he grizzled (with me in room) or yelled ( when I left). We eventually let him cry it out at 6 and he went back to sleep- but had already woken dd at 5am. Nightmare.
Dd has just started preschool full time. I don't want her to be knackered. But we need to sort ds's sleep out for all our sakes. And he really doesn't need night feeds- he eats like a horse!
I don't mind doing cc for every waking- but HOW do you manage this with an older child? Bribery? Sleeping downstairs with them? Sending them to granny's for a week?! Or just gritting teeth and getting on with it?