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  1. Comment by Melanie on Jun 14 2011 01:33:12:

    I understand this can be frustrating, but allowing your child to cry it out is not a bad thing. I did that with my 22 month old son and still do when he fights naps and bedtime. She obviously knows that if she cries long enough (and throughout the night) she will get a bottle. I would recommend no more bottles/sippy cups at all after 7 or 8 pm. This will help you out when it comes to the potty training stages. Also, When giving your child a bottle; whether it be milk, juice or water, at night time, they happen to fall asleep with the bottle still in mouth and this can cause tooh decay…milk is a a great source of nutrients, but there are sugars in there and many pediatricians recommend NO DRINKING AT BEDTIME/in the crib at a certain age.

    Allowing your child to cry isnt making you a bad parent; its actually great for lung developement, but its teaching them a routine. I hope this helps.

    -resident moms

  2. Comment by Sarah on Jun 24 2011 12:37:01:

    Your pediatrician should have some recommendations for you. I let my son cry-it-out when he was about 6 months old and after a few nights we had no problem with bed-time and he is still a great sleeper. I also had to do it with nap-time and naps are no longer a battle either. It’s not a bad thing to let them cry, they need to learn how to soothe themselves. Oh, try to follow a routine as well, children do so much better with routines and consistency.

  3. Comment by Nicole, Resident Mom on Jul 07 2011 09:31:28:

    I also agree with Melanie and Sarah. You can contact your pediatrician but more than likely they will suggest crying it out at this point.
    At the age of 12 months a child doesnt need anything to drink to go back to sleep. Its a learned/trained behavior/habit. At this point no matter what you do your going to probably have to deal with some type of crying to break her of it.
    I have four children and have let 3 out of four cry it out at about 6 months old. My fourth is only 5 months so we will be doing it soon. It has torn at my heart every time I let them cry BUT it has been so very worth it. All of my children have been fabulous sleepers both at night and for naptime. Never fighting bedtime for very long. Out of all of my friends and family I have been one of the only ones to let my children cry it out. I have to add that my children are the only ones who will still nap for my at the age of almost 3 and 5. My 6 1/2 year old will still nap on occasion.
    A regular bedtime/naptime, a routine, and being consistent are also very important. Along with making sure they arent getting overtired.
    Hope this all helps. I undertand its not easy but very much necessary.

  4. Comment by Charlene on Jul 13 2011 03:45:38:

    I can try to answer your question without a ‘cry it out’ solution. I had/have the same problem with my now 2 year old. I found reading ‘The No-Cry sleep solution’ by Elizabeth Pantley helpful. As well as anything by Dr. Sears (his on-line resources are really good too). Also check online resources/groups/blogs for ‘Attachment Parenting’ styles.
    It can be exhausting so the best solution for our family was to co-sleep. The night wakings would be more brief & I was able to comfort my son with barely opening my eyes. Sometimes he was thirsty, sometimes he just needed a cuddle (all completely normal needs of an infant).
    Also a good night routine (bath, book, bottle) in a quiet relaxing atmosphere is good. A soother or special stuffed animal to cuddle and soothing music or white noise really helps (we play nature sounds). Lavender essential oils mixed in their bathwater or scented in their room is also recommended. Also things like chocolate, sugar and red or yellow food dyes can contribute to night wakefulness.
    I can understand as I have had the same struggles, so I wish you luck & a good night’s rest :)

  5. Comment by Brittany Roland on Jul 14 2011 09:48:14:

    i agree with the comments already posted i let my children cry-it-out because it is in routine but it also helps to have her doing a physical activity and to not have a late nap which can be a cause on sleepless nights. but by her being physically activity throughout the day which can be running around screaming with toys or a day on the park; or just playing with mommy and daddy for an hour or maybe two is alot of help along with a long bath after a good meal; the crys won’t be too long and maybe she won’t get up until 8 or 9 the next morning

  6. Comment by Charlotte, Resident Mom on Jul 21 2011 04:00:52:

    I haven’t let either of my kids cry it out, either. I’ve also found The No-Cry Sleep Solution to be helpful, as well as “the sleep lady shuffle,” a method advocated by “Sleep Lady” Kim West. I’ve also spoken with a sleep doula.

    A bedtime routine is a good thing to have, as well.

    Good luck!

  7. Comment by Nichole M (resident mom) on Oct 30 2011 07:40:47:

    I was against the cry-it-out method for a long time. But after 9 months of rocking my daughter to sleep for an hour, then being up 2-3 times per night I physically couldn’t take it anymore. I was exhausted and she was too. Not only that, I wasn’t teaching her the important skill of being able to fall asleep on her own. The first night we tried it, it was torture. She cried hard for a half an hour, I went in, gave her a kiss, told her I loved her and that it was night-night time and laid her back down. Five more minutes of crying later and she had fallen asleep! The next night, it was fifteen minutes of crying and then she fell asleep on her own. It got less and less every night and about one week later there was no crying at all. Now she seems so relieved to be put in her bed after her nighttime bottle. She sleeps through the night and wakes refreshed. Make sure your baby has a filling dinner and a bottle before bedtime and there is no reason for her to need to eat again until morning. It’s hard to do – but it’s worth it. Good luck!

  8. Comment by Caitlin Nicole on Mar 19 2012 11:48:16:

    There's nothing you can do as far as "professional help." If you prefer not to go with CIO (cry it out), be sure that you're being consistent with a routine. For instance, feed her and then give her a bath, maybe rub her a bit with lotion, etc…and then bedtime. Eventually she'll get used to a routine if you aren't already using one, but things like this just take time and patience. Just hang in there! Make sure you aren't letting her go to sleep with any type of food or drink, though. It will lead to bad dental problems down the road, and trust me, you do NOT want to have to deal with that.

  9. Comment by Victoria Bidwell on Jul 24 2012 09:43:46:

    Instead of letting her cry it out feed her as soon as she starts fussing that way she doesn't become more awake by crying… she should sleep better once she has a full belly again… hope this helps! ~resident mom

  10. Comment by Coupon Gal on Oct 18 2012 10:37:59:

    She is still very young. Her stomach isn't big enough to sleep through the night. Be patient, she will sleep through the night when she is ready. ~Resident Mom~

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