So DS has just turned 11 months and has always been an appalling sleeper. Since he was born, he once - once - freakishly slept for a 7-hour stretch, and for about a week when he was 6ish months he did a few 5-hour stretches. But that aside, he has never slept more than 3 hours at a time, and never woken up fewer than 3 times a night. And that's a good night, too - often it's 4 or 5 times (or even more). So a few nights ago I suddenly decided enough was enough, and decided to embark on some CC.
Previously he had been fed/cuddled to sleep at bedtime and when he woke during the night, but increasingly often lately that wasn't really working - he'd cry even when you held him/tried to feed him, sometimes working himself up to really screaming. It was like he was just seriously frustrated about not being able to get back to sleep.
Anyway, we have definitely made progress:
Night 1 - 15 mins crying at bedtime, 15 mins crying an hour later, 1 hr intermittent crying in the middle of the night, 1hr 15 mins intermittent crying pre-dawn. Very tough, for everyone concerned.
Night 2 - 10 mins crying at bedtime, 1 hr intermittent crying from midnight, 45 mins intermittent crying at 3am. Still tough.
Night 3 - few mins crying at bedtime, an hour's intermittent crying at 3am, 2 other very brief wake-ups with grizzling
Night 4 - half an hour's intermittent crying at 11pm, 2 very brief wake-ups with grizzling
Night 5 - slept through from 7.45pm till 4.30am. MIRACLE!!! Nearly 9 hours' sleep! He has never come even CLOSE to that ever before. BUT - grizzled intermittently from 4.30 till 5am, then got increasingly agitated and was crying quite hard on and off till 5.45am, when he then fell asleep for another hour.
Night 6 - this evening - he only cried for a few minutes at bedtime, but it was quite 'upset' rather than 'angry' crying, IYSWIM.
So there is no doubt that things are miles better, but he's still far from settling happily on his own (which to me is actually more important than him sleeping right through the night). So should I persevere? He's getting much more sleep and much longer stretches, but he's also crying. As I said, he was often crying before with us in the room, cuddling him, but somehow it feels worse that we're not with him while he cries (though of course we do go in intermittently to reassure, I could never do CIO). If I keep on for a while, might things improve on the crying front - does anyone have experience of this? I know everyone says CC is basically supposed to work within 3 nights, maybe 4 or 5 at a push.
Oh, and I also have DD who is now 5 but was also an AWFUL sleeper and did not sleep through until she was nearly 4. It almost broke us, which is why I am so keen to try NOT to have to go through the same thing again.
Phew - sorry this is so epic! I didn't mean it to be. If anyone has managed to read this far - thank you, and any advice/thoughts much appreciated...