Care to share your CIO plan

Mufflerlove · December 2013

My LO is at the point we can't even put her down anywhere near her crib. We have a nighttime routine but as soon as she knows she's supposed to sleep in her crib she looses it. I am currently researching CIO options. I am thinking this is where we are headed. My DH has some time off for christmas so this seems like a good time to try.

Does anyone care to share what plan they used? Did it work? Would you do anything different?

Thanks so much for any input you have.

momofcatan · December 2013

I didn't really do any research and just went with what felt right for us, but we did not have a big problem to fix (she went down for the night independently, just wouldn't go back to sleep in MOTN without me holding her). I figured she shouldn't need to nurse before 2 am so when she woke at midnight instead of picking her up like I used to I soothed her in her crib, rubbing her tummy and giving her her pacifier. She cried on and off for an hour, but then didn't wake up again until 5am. I was going to do the baby Wisperer's pick up/put down, but she would just freak out more when we picked her up. The troublesome tots blog has been suggested here a lot I know she has a "is it a good time to CIO" article. I've also heard good things about reading ferber's book. ETA do you do any fun time I her crib? I would try to spend some time I there with toys playing so maybe she won't hate it so much.

Hopeful1981 · December 2013

Hi, I am normally a lurker, have posted here only a handful of times. We did a modified CIO starting at about four months and it worked great for us. At the time we did it LO had ended the hellish 4 month wakeful and I had just started supplementing with formula (was EBF but supply dried up). We didn't have a night time routine (and still don't) and LO would get worked up into an agitated state that led to inconsolable sobbing before dropping off to sleep (this lasted about 30-45 minutes). Pediatrician recommended putting him to bed drowsy but still awake. So we started carefully watching for sleepy cues--LO starts to get antsy, mildly agitated, won't focus, rubs eyes, etc. As soon as that started he was promptly placed in crib. Then about ten minutes of agitation started--grunting and mild kicking and thrashing. Then he was asleep. On one or two occasions he broke into cries, at which point after a couple minutes DH or I would go in and rub his belly without picking him up. After about a week of this he was easily going to bed and has been STTN (9pm-8am) since.

I think the key points that worked for us: 1-we implemented it early on, pediatrician warned us repeatedly if we waited it would only get more difficult. 2-LO was not getting enough calories from my BM and became more satisfied when switched to formula, which allowed him to drop MOTN feedings 3-those sleep cues are key, as soon as he started his sleepy cues he was immediately put to bed before being able to work himself up into a state of severe agitation 4-he sleeps in total darkness and has from day one and 5-a few weeks after we did the modified sleep training he learned to put his pacifier back in his mouth so I started placing about 5-6 pacifiers all around him in the crib at night and so when he wakes up he is able to find one to pop back in his mouth...this has also been huge for us.

Lizzybizzy80 · December 2013

We are planning to wait until after traveling/Christmas and will move his crib to the nursery at the same time. I'm happy to have a plan but very nervous about implementing it. Right now we are trying to wean him from the MOTN feedings, he had two last night instead of three.

Our pedi advised picking a set time we are comfortable with, say five minutes, and only going in every five minutes to comfort him without picking him up and then repeat however long it takes until he goes to sleep. However, he never seems comforted unless we pick him up so this is going to be tough. She said we will not be harming his psyche and that if we give up after an hour and nurse he will only have learned that if he screams for an hour he will get milk. Our pedi felt CIO meant closing the door, plugging your ears and leaving him until morning.

I'm a bit conflicted right now. My mom said they never 'sleep trained' me but wished they had when it took them only one night doing something similar with my little brother. I also can't decide if it would be better to do on my own or wait for a couple nights when my husband will be home. He has an even harder time with B crying. His face gets really tight and stressed. It is a tough decision, fingers crossed it goes ok.

ColieAnn31 · December 2013

I'll be following this thread. We need to get LO in his crib ASAP. He's getting too big to be sleeping in the swing and I can't sleep comfortably with him in bed with me. We can put him in his crib asleep but he always wakes up shortly after and we end up going back and forth all night until we give in. I don't know how I feel about CIO but at this point we have got to do something.

Hopeful1981 · December 2013

@mufflerlove, how does your LO go down for a nap?

Mufflerlove · December 2013

She used to sleep a 6-8 hour stretch in a PnP so I know she can sleep. Then we went to Florida for 2 weeks and it messed with her schedule and we mostly co slept in Hotels. Now we have been back two weeks and trying the crib every night since. Her travel PnP she used to sleep in is too small for her when she stretches out.

@arazizi Thanks I'll look for that article.

@Hopeful1981 she naps in her swing mostly. I know I should get her in her room. I need to buy black out curtains. Her room is very very bright during the day.

Hopeful1981 · December 2013

When we decided to transition from bassinet in our room to crib in nursery, I started putting LO in crib for naps during the day. I did this for about a week before trying nighttime. That first night was smooth sailing and we never had an issue with sleeping in the crib. However, I did this when LO was 9 weeks. Also, I have been meaning to get black out curtains for the day since our nursery is bright as well but never did. LO naps in bright daylight during the day and total darkness at night.

Sleep training is a hard decision. My husband fought me on it and even though we have had great success with it he still can't leave LO in his room, awake, in the dark. It breaks his heart. I have had to be the tough one on this and I feel really good that I have done the best thing for my child in the long run because he no longer is hysterical before bedtime.

numbersgirl08 · December 2013

We did a bed time routine, put her down awake, and then would go in at 5 min, wait 10, then wait 15. Spent no more than 30 seconds in the room and didnt pick her up, just encouraged her and let her know we were there. Did this for motn wakings too. First night she went down easy, woke up once and cried an hour off and on, and slept til 6. If they sound like the crying is slowin down - DONT go in then. See if they will settle.

After one night she was a pro. Could go down for naps and slept all night.

One important thing to note is to wean off night feedings before you let them cry when they are used to being fed.

We read the Sleepeasy solution and followed it. It really literally changed our lives

It's hard but so worth it. She seemed perfectly happy and fine after her one night crying. And now cries less because she's more rested and can put herself to sleep. CIO = net less crying overall for us.

ETA the key is to have a plan and be consistent. During that hour of crying I definitely thought "this clearly isn't going to work for us. She's never going to sleep" and lo and behold she did and it made a huge difference.

bumpuser8448316 · December 2013

Have you read the no cry sleep solution?

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