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CIO sleep training isn't working, any helpful suggestions?

amandalampingamandalamping member
in Babies: 6 - 9 Months
Hi Everyone! We decided when our daughter turned 6.5 months old and was waking up every hour at night to try CIO training. She wasn't teething or hungry either. She would wake crying and actually have her eyes closed. Up until then she had been sleeping through the night the prior 4 weeks. So we tried it and it seemed to work for about 3 days. She slept through the night. Then her naps were screwed up. She was sleeping 1 hr in the morning and 2 hrs in the afternoon. Not any more. Then gradually she started waking again at night. Usually between 11pm - 1:00am. We continued with the CIO and would check on her after a few minutes. Let her know we are here, not far away. Now it's 4 weeks later and she's still waking every night crying. Sometimes will cry for 10 minutes and others 1 hr (pls don't judge). Still not teething or hungry. Why is this happening? What should we do? They say not to pick her up or feed her so we haven't. Plus we tried that in the beginning and she still would wake an hr after feeding her. We don't want to develop any bad sleep dependent habits like picking her up. But I'm wondering if I should just rock her back to sleep. The CIO doesn't seem to be working. Or would a sound machine work? Has anyone else experienced this? Everyone else we know the CIO worked for them after just a few days. I'm guessing it might be separation anxiety. What to do??
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Re: CIO sleep training isn't working, any helpful suggestions?

  • skylilyskylily member
    We can't do CIO and I'm at a loss, too. We do have a humidifier that runs right beside the crib which runs a little loud for white noise. Doesn't seem to help us.
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  • SpeshulSpeshul member
    tricia560 said:
    I don't have first hand experience yet because we keep putting off doing CIO, but I found a lot of what looks like good information on CIO and how babys sleep here: https://www.troublesometots.com/cry-it-out/  I plan to use her advice when we finally bite the bullet.
    This talks about not using CIO for night weaning.

    I'm reading the Ferber book and he discusses the difference in comfort feedings and actual night mealtimes. You aren't supposed to eliminate mealtimes cold turkey using CIO in his book either. OP where are you getting your info from?


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  • LJUTCMommyLJUTCMommy member
    What is happening when she falls asleep? Are you in the room with her? Are you using a mobile, pacifier or music? Around 6-8 months babies learn object permanence.

    This means they now remember the circumstances when they fell asleep versus when they wake up. If you were in the room when she fell asleep and now you're gone that can shock her causing a full waking. Even having a light or mobile on when she fell asleep and now having them off can cause this issue.

    We haven't done CIO or sleep training. It's just not for us, so no experience, but I just wanted to offer my perspective based on what I've read.
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  • classc1classc1 member
    edited February 2014
    We were having some trouble and had considered using CIO. I really didn't want to so started reading a few books. The thing that has helped the most so far is simply putting baby to sleep earlier. Its changed our lives. We were putting baby to sleep too late and every time I would put her down she would awake and stay awake. Try a nighttime routine and put baby to sleep earlier if you're not already doing this. I am still holding baby until she falls asleep which is a no-no they say but at least she's sleeping now!! Will work on that next.
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  • LimaDLimaD member
    I read a couple different sleep training books for DD,and one thing that the Ferber method said was that if it wasn't working within a couple weeks to stop the CIO because there must be something else to address. What are her sleep habits during the day? Are there 3-4 hours between the end of her last nap and her bedtime?
    Also, I agree with a PP that sometimes you need to mix and match different sleep training books.  "they" always say  not to pick your LO up, but I HAD to. My DD would freak and flail all over. I picked her up each and every time I went in there during the CIO training and would lay her back down after she had calmed down but was still awake.  It only took 1 night for her to get the hang of it (thank GOD) but it was 1 very rough night.  So, I think picking them up isn't necessarily a no-no, but the part I'd watch out for is not doing something "to put them to sleep."Like rocking to sleep, nursing to sleep, etc. Because that could become what they become dependent on. That's why we had to sleep train DD in the first place. She needed to be rocked and swayed and bounced to sleep. So she'd wake up, and couldn't just go back to sleep on her own.  The sleep training helped teach her how to fall asleep without the rocking/bouncing/swaying motion and the quality of her sleep improved tremendously!! Don't give up, but you might need to rethink your strategy if she's still struggling. 

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  • LimaDLimaD member
    Oh, and I would definitely recommend using a sound machine. Ocean sounds or rain are great
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  • TREDgirlTREDgirl member
    We've been following the Moms on Call method which sets a good eating schedule during the day to set them up for nighttime success. Check them out they have some great reference books.  It took a good 2 weeks for both our twins to figure out this is the new routine and now they are sleeping from 7:30p until 6:30a with only little wake ups during the night (knock on wood.) If they wake up and are actually crying and not just fussing I'll go in there to settle them back down. But thankfully for us this method has worked. 
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  • TREDgirlTREDgirl member
    Sing2phins said:
    TREDgirl said:
    We've been following the Moms on Call method which sets a good eating schedule during the day to set them up for nighttime success. Check them out they have some great reference books.  It took a good 2 weeks for both our twins to figure out this is the new routine and now they are sleeping from 7:30p until 6:30a with only little wake ups during the night (knock on wood.) If they wake up and are actually crying and not just fussing I'll go in there to settle them back down. But thankfully for us this method has worked. 
    Babies really ought to be fed on demand.  Convenience and predictability are not their strong suits.
    I agree. Our feeding schedule isn't anything drastic and predictably they are hungry around the times I have set up their feeds. They eat what they want to satisfy themselves. Everyone needs to find the method that works best for them and for us and having twins this is what has worked.
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  • noelani42noelani42 member
    I found that going in to "check in" on my girl only worked her up...we have done a very modified CIO, and she has only cried for 7 minutes at the longest...we agreed that if she went longer than 10 min, we would go get her and nurse/rock/try again...in the MOTN, if she goes longer than 5 min, I go in and feed her...she usually STTN or wakes up one time to have a full feeding now
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  • MaelaraMaelara member
    Sometimes babies aren't ready to STTN. It sucks, but it's true. My suggestion is to shelf the idea for a month and then try again. You'll know right away if she is ready. People get super judgey with CIO so just let those comments roll off your back :)
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  • landon15landon15 member
    We did Ferber with DS #1, but not until 9-10 months. Although my sister did it with her son at the same age as your little one and had success, I feel as though it's a bit young and now being on my 2nd I am cherishing the 2 wakings a night-this too will pas. (2nd DS is just 8 months now)

    Consistency is KEY and following a protocol that you and your SO both read and UNDERSTAND, follow through!!!  It's a very stressful time for all, so you don't want to be doing it "like this" one night and then "like that" the other.  it becomes confusing to LO and will make it worse.
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  • princesspreggoprincesspreggo member
    White noise has been a life saver for us since about 2 months or so! It is GREAT! Helps baby sleep peacefully. Also, sometimes baby wakes up because she doesn't feel comfort and just need you to cuddle her for love. It is normal and I see nothing wrong with picking baby up and rocking her back to sleep. Babies sleeping change all the time, it happens. Not all babies are the same, so just because she is 6 months doesn't mean she NEEDS to be sleeping through the night. This will pass. Just keep loving the baby and it will be alright! I am going through the same thing, it is hard and tiresome, but baby needs you.
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