CIO - How long do YOU let them cry?

I know HSHHC says to let them cry and cry and cry-- no time limit at night time. So, how long DO you let them cry? I think mine really could cry FOREVER (well not really... but a lot longer than an hour). It's been over an hour right now for one and 30 mins for the other-- they are in separate rooms.

Whenever I let them go for a long time, I usually find that someone has pooped or something equally awful. That makes me feel SO bad. However, I can't keep rushing in because they HAVE to learn to self-soothe. I'm at the end of my exhaustion rope after 11 months of this (sleeplessness).

I'd love to hear personal stories.

Thanks for putting up with my recent CIO obsession. It's more like a sleep obsession, with CIO intended to be the method used to achieve it.

I had planned to go to bed an hour ago to catch up on sleep but Jacob has been crying in the PNP in our room for well over an hour, so I can't UGH! I neeeeeed sleep.

Thanks again ladies!

 

:hug99: I know how hard it is....

Let me preface this by saying that I am by no means a CIO expert, quite the contrary but I will share what I have done...

Started out with extinction CIO, that didn't help one bit. In fact I honestly believe it made things worse because they would get even more upset if they saw me. So I went to straight CIO. For naps I dont let them cry for more than 1 hour (this has only happened 1 time in 2 weeks). If they cry for an hour, I go in and get them up and keep them up until the next nap time. At night time, I let them cry for an hour and if they are still crying (I mean screaming here not wimpering), I will go in and try to soothe them. When I go in, I pick her up (I know this is a No, No...but it gets them to calm down), pat her back for a minute and then I set her back down and rub her back for a minute and then I sneak out.

When I first started CIO it would usually take between 30 min 1 hour to get them to calm down, I think its only been longer than that a couple of times. Now they are usually out in 10 minutes or so. I think the key to CIO is to be consistant, however you choose to do it. Its so hard, and yes I second guess myself all the time and ask myself "What if something really is wrong", but I tell myself I have to trust my mommy instincts and I will know when something is wrong. I do check on them, but I dont let them see me and I listen to the monitor (I have gotten pretty good at deciphering their cries).

Good Luck!!

 

Hey there! MAN, your guys start EARLY! Mine won't be waking up until around 3 am. I let him cry for an hour and a half that first night and honestly, I'm making that my cut off. If it gets over that I'm giving up and resorting to napping when they nap in order to get some sleep...that or go to bed at 7:30 . Good luck tonight. I'm sure I'll 'see' you on here in the wee hours

 

Mine went down for the night at 6pm, they would start crying at 9pm to nurse. When we did extinction CIO, the first night they both cried pretty much all night off and one, but the first stretch lasted way over an hour, after that I did not keep track. The next night they cried alot but less. The third night ds slept thru and dd SCREAMED for most of the night (the hardest night by far!), I thought for sure it wasn't gonna work.
On the 4th night and ever since they have STTN :banana: We did it at 11 months

 

It felt like forever some times, but I know mine have gone an hour at times.