whos had success with CC and how long did it take?

[hayleybop]

Who's had success with controlled crying, what was your technique and how long did it take?
How did you feel?

am a big fan of controlled crying. it's horrible for the first couple of nights, but now baby goes down without a whimper and just rolls over and goes to sleep.

wouldn't do it when they're newborn and needy, but when she started sleeping through the night (about 6 mo) but was it was still taking an HOUR or MORE of breast feeding (!after a full formula feed!) to get her to sleep, and I had to put her down so slowly and steadily that she didn't budge (or else would have to start all over again), I had to do something or go mad.

so tried lots of no-cry sleep solutions (she cried anyway). tried staying in the room and patting her endlessly (still crying), lullabies, mobiles, silence, pitch-black darkness, everything, finally turned to controlled crying.

DH hated hearing her cry, so I started on a night he was out. method i used was put her down after usual routine and cuddle (immediate crying), check in 10 mins every approx 10 mins (don't go exactly 10 as they're cunning bairns and will quickly figure that out, so 9 or 11) every 10 minutes for an hour, then every 15 minutes for second hour (if they go that long). When you go in, don't pick them up, just rub their back, but not for longer than 2 minutes altogether (or else they wake all the way up). They will increase the volume as you leave, but don't give in, or else you'll prolong the misery for everyone.

After the first night (7 entries), she went down to about 4 entries for 2-ish weeks (so an hour to get her to sleep, which is what it used to take anyway), then after that it quickly got to the stage where she'd just roll over.

I know that there'll be a bunch of MN'ers on here who'll be SHOCKED that I left my child to cry for an hour or more, but I didn't! it was 10 mins at a time! and it really, really was that or my sanity. plus it was a rage cry, rather than a sick or frightened cry, which would have had me straight in there, picking her up.

So, good luck. whatever you do, if you go with this method, persevere and stick rigidly to the routine, because otherwise you'll have to start over and you'll have put her through it all again. and turn up the telly for each of the 10 minutes.

Hi

We did it with DS when he was 20 months old and taking ages to go to sleep and waking in the night. After 2 nights, he went to sleep without a cry and slept right through.

I think you have to be ready for CC if you know what I mean - i.e you have to want to give it a go because you are at the end of your tether and not because someone tells you you should. I just remember being thankful that we were finally following some kind of method. I found going upstairs at set intervals - we did 3 mins, 6 mins, 12 mins etc - far easier than having to stay in the room for up to an hour trying to get him to sleep.

Anjelika

DS1 took two nights and DS2 took one night!! Seriously, they both slept peacefully from 7pm until 6.30am after this.

Before we did CC, many people told me that it took four nights, but we were very lucky and it took us one night. One night of hell, but still.

I agree with Anjelike about being ready for CC - you have to be to it properly. It worked a treat for us and I think that's because DS, DH and I were all ready in our different ways. And speaking of DH - I think one of the reasons it worked so well for us was that DH took over night time duty that night. I'd been BFing quite a few times a night until then so night duty was usually all me but DH was fab and DS knew that things were different from the off.

I also used CCing for naps and this took a bit longer and I found it much, much harder without DH around. However, after a few days we cracked it and life is usually so much better now. I say usually because I am writing this as DS is resisting his nap which is really, really needs right now!!

My DD was a great sleeper from 4months til 12 months then it all went downhill after a bout of teething.It was my fault as I gave her a bottle to get her back to sleep to make my life easier.After 3 months of this I was at rock bottom so did CC.It took 1 night!She cried for an hour (I went in after 5 mins,then every 15 mins).This was last month(she is 17 months now).
She's a thumb sucker so I think that helps.I read the Millpond sleep clinic book which gave me confidence.