I need a favour.. can all the parents who let their babies *cry it out* to go to sleep leave an answer?

I couldn’t handle it, so hubby did it. They cried it out for almost 2 weeks and then it was all good. I had to leave the house at bedtime every night in order to make it through.

Well if its a new born then its good for there lungs but if there like 2 or older there is something wrong maybe afraid or something.

How old is the baby? If the baby is 5 months or younger, I do not think it is right. If it is over 5 months, you tough it out or you will have a 3 year old up at 11 at night. (My ex thought it was mean, too.)

If your baby is just young young, it builds distrust in a child – I have read it in a million books, but you can read in a million books the opposite.

I am all about the cry-out method, but only after a certain age.

i do it to my 2 1/2 year old son, and within minutes he’s out and sleeps right through wakes up in the morning all happy and cheerful. there is nothing wrong with it. rather put him and that room to cry it out or you loose your temper.

We did it with our grandson, he learned pretty quick it was no longer going to get our attention. Its a GOOD thing, keep doing it, its not cruel, that makes no sense.

Yes.Unless your family gave birth in the stone age, they KNOW that any doctor will tell you it is healthy to let a baby cry occasionally to strengthen the lungs.Also, it teaches the baby to get used to sleeping on its own, more independantly.
I had to do this because my son was colicky and NOTHING you do will stop the crying.

When he was about 7 months old, we discovered that our son just needed a good cry in order to process his day. He calmed down on his own after about 30 minutes and the phase only lasted a few weeks. It was hard, but we knew he didn’t need us to calm him down, he could do it himself. It depends a great deal on how old your child is, but it isn’t as cruel as it seems and it doesn’t last forever.

I was watching oprah or montel williams…one of those shows. they had a baby special and the doctor said letting the baby cry will eventually hurt him/her. When they cry blood rushes to their head. minutes turn to hours and hours turn to days and it will slow down the babys development.

I did it when he was about 5 months old. It does hurt your heart but I had too many friends complaining that there 3,4, 5 y/o still sleep with them…I can’t handle that. What we did was put him in his room in his chair that swings to sooth him and turn the classic radio station on. Then when he feel asleep put him in his crib. He still cried but it wasn’t as long as when we just put him in his crib.

Hope it helps!!!!

Your always going to get different opinions (even from Drs)but I did it and do not regret it. my kids were happier and got more sleep after I did it. Set up a bedtime routine with lots of cuddling and love before laying baby down. its not cruel.

For the first 2 month’s we let our children cry for 20 minutes when they went to bed,only after 20min would I of my wife go into their room for 2min to reassure them.They would not be lifted.It would be a stroke on the head or a reassuring hush.It worked great for both of them. At 6month’s onwards they sleep throughout the night from 7pm till 8am.Our second child cried more than the first,but discovered that putting a pillow under his mattress to lift his head up slightly, that he slept more comfortably.A sleeping bag was also great a they would not wake in the night due to blankets being kicked off.

My mother in law and hubby were the SAME way…and the worst part…my mom in law lived with us!!! It was a total nightmare! They didnt want to let our daughter cry but they didn’t want to take care of her..who’s that leave? ME. So when she was TEN months old and still not sleeping through the night, and I was still haveing to get up at 5:30 every morning to go to work..I had to say enough! I had to do something. We started a routine…at 7:30 bath time, after that we tell everyone good night and give out kisses, then we go to her room and her father and I tell her we lover her very much and sweet dreams and give her some warm milk and her pacifier (i know they say dont do that but it really calms her down) and I had to walk away (leaving on her night time music and nite lite) and let her cry for the first time. It was hard…I sat out on the porch cause it was tearing me up to hear her cry. but if she is clean, full, and not sick…she is FINE. After about 2 weeks of her sounding like someone was beating her to death…she stopped. She now goes to bed all on her own like a big girl and sleeps all the way through and as soon as she falls asleep we go and cover her up. I really wish I would have started it sooner…ten months is way too old to still be up all night. Kids are smart…they will continue to do what they know they can get away with. I shouldn’t have let anyone guilt me into letting her do what she wants just to keep her from crying. You are her mom…you will always second guess yourself, as well as other (especially others(like mother in laws)) But ultimatly you know whats best for your child. Been there! If you need an ear you can email me!

Having a set scedule is the most important part of doing this…you have to start and finish through or it will not work.

I did it, the doctor told me to do and it works!
She’s 7 now and I’m glad I did it.
Never never listen to mother in laws, it’s easy for them to talk.
You’re the one facing the problem.

Some kids are just harder to fall asleep than others. My oldest (now honestly needed to cry every night to blow off steam. She is totally normal now, with the exception that she still doesn’t like to go to sleep! Her personality and temperment were evident from the get go!

But I am with the chick who said if they are under 5 months, don’t do it. Expect some crying at that age, but if they are freaking out, I would have a hard time leaving them to cry their lungs out. But by 6 months, you might just have to do that. I went in and tried saying ONE sentence such as it is night time, or time to go to bed, or everyone else is going to sleep and you are too. She would still be screaming and jumping in her crib, but I would do this for several hours. I eventually stood outside her door and said the same phrase in a loving but firm voice (no small feat when it is 11:30 at night!) The WORST mistake, in my opin, is to take them out of the crib and cuddle them after you have decided that they are going to bed. Then you have just taught them that if they scream for 2 hours, eventually, someone will come get them. Esp if your child is “strong-willed” like my oldest– Then the stakes are even higher. You will not harm an older infant or toddler by being firm about bedtime. They actually crave structure and some are just more in your face about testing you. This includes bedtime. Do not fail this crucial step in your parenting!

Try to experiment with her daytime schedule too–like limit her naptime–or maybe the baby is fussy because she is in need of more daytime activity. It is really hard to tell! These little cuties don’t come with instruction manuals and I am sure that whatever you do will come from a place of love. Don’t be too hard on yourself–if this method of night time discipline doesn’t work for you, then pick something else and stick with what works for you and your family.

A great book for you to read would be “love and logic for two to five year olds” by Jim Fay. Even though you only have a baby, you are already beginning the basic structure of how you will discipline your child. Good Luck!

I didnt do it. And I am going to tell you…I have a 13, 12, 10, 8 and 4 year old and I really miss those nights before bedtime rocking my baby in my arms feeling so close to them because I am lucky to get a kiss that is not asked for and I love you is always under the breath from the older ones who thought I was the best thing in th e world next to a bottle. So enjoy your baby while you can and get as much cuddling as you can because as they get older they dont want to cuddle. My 8 and 4 year old still do but it is only a matter of time that my 8 year old will be just like his tween and teen brothers. They love me no doubt but less affectionate and certainly would not want to cuddle.

I did this with my son and he’s perfectly normal and healthy.
I am a loving mother who wanted what was best for her baby. At first, my husband was really against it too but once he talked to the dr. he thought we should give it a try. I’m not saying that it wasn’t one of the hardest things you will EVER have to do, but it’s important that you do so. I wanted nothing more than to go in there and hug and hold and rock my baby to sleep but I knew I had to be strong and be the parent so I let him cry the first night for about an hour! I was totally upset about this. There was a couple of times that I just wanted to go in there and scoop him up and cradle him in my arms and sing sweet hymms in his little ear but I stood strong. The next night when I put him into his bed he cried again! But this time it was only like 45 minutes. My husband and I were crying that first night because it was so hard to hear your baby cry and know that just being in your arms would comfort his little heart. On that second night, once we realized it didn’t take him as long to go to sleep we started to have faith in what the dr was telling us. The next night it was like half hour and then the next day it was just a slight whimper and then within a week he was going to bed and sleeping through the night without me. This is NOT going to hurt your child and actually you are doing what is right for them because in the long run they are getting more sleep this way and actually better rest to. My son is now 8 yrs. old and is doing perfectly fine and knows that I love him deeply and so will your little one… My mom was also against me letting him “cry it out” because she rocked us all to sleep every night. I think if she had let me cry it out as a baby I would have learned to sleep more independently. I can remember as a child of about age 6-9 yo being so afraid because I had gotten so use to mom being there over every little thing I thought I might have saw, etc. My son never got use to that and now he is a better sleeper than I ever was. Good luck and I know you will do what is right with your baby. Trust yourself and everything will come out just fine.

Tuff question.I have 7 children,there have been times when they needed to cry a fit or tantrum out.Though I wouldn’t go so far to say I would make them cry them self to sleep.I found it best to better use that time for story telling or just laying with them.It can try your patients at times though I believe it is better for the child.None of my children have ever needed a night light none have fears of bed time or monsters.You can do things however you choose though I believe you are missing on the best individual bonding time.