LO2 - 18 weeks - is finally getting over his bronchiolitis, and I reached my breaking point late last week so we started sleep training last Friday. It was taking 1+ hours of rocking, soothing, and re-comforting to lay him down and have him stay asleep. I almost always laid him down sleepy but awake, but the 6 weeks of illness really messed with any attempts at self-soothing that I'd tried to encourage, and the coughing fits wrecked havoc on night sleep and naps.

So Friday-Tuesday we did Ferber's timed checks and I didn't let him fuss in the MOTN. A few nights were awful at bedtime, 45 minutes of crying. One night was bad enough (1 hr of crying, wouldn't be comforted) that we did take him out of the crib and gave him another 4 oz bottle (that did the trick). He was sort of getting it, but not consistently and his naps were horrendous - like three 30 minute naps each day unless I was holding him. We had a very over-tired little boy!

At his pedi appt, I talked all this through with her and she suggested - if I was willing to go there - giving CIO a try. He's 17 lbs 4 oz and was sucking on his hand for comfort after crying when she checked his ears, so she knew he was able to get through without a MOTN feeding and could self soothe. I did CIO with LO1 during a regression around 8-9 months, but I'd done Ferber with his initial sleep training at 4 months and at any other regressions. He seemed to respond best to CIO, but he was older than LO2... anyway, I was nervous about doing it with a young baby, but we did it and the results were fast and amazing (so far!)

We started Wednesday night, and he cried for 40 minutes. It was awful to listen to, but I wanted to give it at least 3 days to see if it would work. He fell asleep around 7:30, I gave him a dream feed bottle at 11 (no crying when I laid him back down), he woke up around 4:15 and I popped the pacifier in and he easily fell back asleep, and he slept until 7:15. Woke up extremely happy, took 3 great naps (45 minutes AM nap in the car, 1.5 hour noon nap, and 1.5 hr 4 pm nap). Cried for 5 minutes when I laid him down for the noon nap, other than that, no crying. No crying when I laid him down for bedtime. Dream feed at 11:30, no crying when I laid him back down, up at 6:15 this morning (no MOTN wake ups!) 1 hour nap this morning, no crying. We're 1 hr and 15 minutes into his noon nap, and he woke up completely after 40 minutes and then put himself back to sleep in 5 minutes with no crying.

The crying in our house has been almost totally eliminated. He is so much happier, and I feel like I have my life and (some of) my sanity back. I've gotten him on a 4 hour bottle schedule and a nap schedule and he's refreshed and it's just... I can't even explain how much better life feels.

I know sleep training isn't for everyone, especially CIO, and I totally get it (please don't flame me, I'm not suggesting you do it with your baby and I'm certainly not doing anything that I think is damaging mine!) I just wanted to share because I love reading stories about what worked for others, and if you're considering this method, I highly recommend giving it a try. Maybe easing into it with timed checks, and if that works, great, if not, CIO.

I'm sure our sleep troubles aren't totally behind us, there will be teething and sickness and maybe even regressions where we have to do this again. But I am a new woman, and LO is a new and much happier man