Sleep training & controlled crying

[Jaz78]

Hi

I am a confused Mum of a 6 month old baby girl.

I have read a little around controlled crying and no cry methods of sleep training.

My baby does sleep pretty well, but it can take a little time to get her off. She normally goes to sleep at about 9, wakes for a feed then off again at 1030. She has also been waking around 3 or 4 am. We have ended up putting her in our bed at 3 or. 4am.

I really want my little girl to develop good sleep habits, but I'm not entirely sure about controlled crying. It breaks me, to hear her cueing alone. We have tried it once and it devasted her.

What success have people had with controlled crying and no cry methods. Am I damaging my baby by putting her in our bed?

People can get very emotive about this subject but I will be brave and say I did crying it out at six months and it worked - ds now has fantastic sleeping habits.

I rocked him to sleep for every nap and bedtime for the first six months and just couldn't take it any more. I'd rock for 40 mins and he'd nap for 20 - soul destroying.

I tried pick up put down, gradual retreat, controlled crying - they all just seemed to piss him off! So I turned to cry it out...I felt horrendous and so guilty but it worked so quickly...so for me, it's worth doing.

Now I will be torn apart for being a cruel mother, eek!

OP, the first thing I would say to you is - if it's not a problem for you, it's not a problem. It sounds like your DD sleeps fine for her age and babies sleep improves as they get older, so what you are doing is fine if you're all happy with it. If you're NOT happy, then it's equally fine to try sleep training, but that doesn't have to be CC- you could look at gradual retreat, or No Cry Sleep Solution. You need to do something that you feel comfortable with, and don't be driven by other peoples expectations.

Babies develop good sleeping habits entirely on their own as a general rule. In the same way that they learn to eat, and use a potty, and so on - it is all just fine the way they do it.

No one needs to train them to do most of these things and sleep is the same - it's become a money spinner for people who like to write books but really, you don't need to do anything but roll with whatever she does.

You sound like you are both doing fine

I've got three boys, eldest 10, youngest just turned 1 and have never. ever used a sleep training method on any of them as it's seemed a bit pointless and stressful when they get their all on their own anyway.

get there, sorry - someone's trying to show me their baby moshlings as I type...!

agree with rooners .... be back later

Aw thank you for all your advice. We have always found our little girl to be pretty content. Lady night she spent a while night in her cot.

I think that on reflection, we are very lucky in respects and until things become an issue, we will just let her follow her own natural path. Part of me likes being there just to reassure her and I do like the bedtime cuddles...