CIO TONIGHT!

Okay. Going to try to get consistent tonight. My DD and DS wake up pretty consistently all night long -- 9P, 11, 1, 3, and 5 or some variation thereof as both don't usually wake up at the same time.

It's too long a story but back in October my DS ended up in a crib in our room and my DD is in a crib in the nursery. I want to move them back together but don't want DS (very vocal guy) to keep my DD up (she doesn't wake as often as DS at night). (I also have to disassemble/reassemble crib to get back into nursery which has been biggest impediment thus far, but I digress).

So, my plan is to respond to them up until 11P when I am going to go to bed and then from 11P to 6A, I'm going to sleep!!!!!!!! (I've been up since 2A today). So, my thought is to go sleep in another room far away from the children or else I will hear them crying. But I worry that if something is really wrong, I won't be aware of it.

Would you really isolate yourself from all the crying, or have the monitor with you? I can't fathom not hearing them, I think I won't sleep because I'll be worried sick about them.

Any advice? I'm nervous.

Sotto

 

Oh, I remember those horrible sleepless nights but at 7/8 months I would assume that they may still be waking because they are hungry and you would still need to give them at least one more bottle after 11pm...probably around 3am. I agree that is too much waking up for the night but you may have to do a modified version of CIO, at 7 months they may still get hungry during the night. My boys still ate twice a night at that age I would put them down about 11pm after their bottle and they would wake around 2:30/3am for a bottle about 10 months I eliminated the night time bottle and I would get to sleep until about 5am. I still use a monitor every night and mine will be 2 on Friday...Hope you get some sleep!

 

QUOTE(Shadyfeline @ Dec 18 2007, 12:45 AM) [snapback]538267[/snapback]
Oh, I remember those horrible sleepless nights but at 7/8 months I would assume that they may still be waking because they are hungry and you would still need to give them at least one more bottle after 11pm...probably around 3am. I agree that is too much waking up for the night but you may have to do a modified version of CIO, at 7 months they may still get hungry during the night. My boys still ate twice a night at that age I would put them down about 11pm after their bottle and they would wake around 2:30/3am for a bottle about 10 months I eliminated the night time bottle and I would get to sleep until about 5am. I still use a monitor every night and mine will be 2 on Friday...Hope you get some sleep!



I disagree with this. I think an 8 month old is perfectly capable of going 7 hours without eating. if they are eating well during the day, and getting a full feeding in before you go to bed at 11, they are plenty fed. I'd stick with your plan. It worked great for us for quite a while, and they've recently started sleeping 12 hours---without any CIO. they just stopped waking up for that 11 feeding. And there's no way I'd sit there listening to the monitor while they are CIO. I would turn it off and do my best to go back to sleep, and hope the babies did the same!

Good luck. Let us know how it goes!

Reyna

 

My sister just did this with her 7 month old who was waking up at 11, 1, 3, 5...just like yours. It took 3 nights and he now sleeps from 8-8 with NO tears. I agree with PP that they do not need to be fed past 11. Really, they can probably have their last feeding at 8 or 9. Good luck. Stay strong and keep reminding yourself that you are giving them the gift of soothing themselves back to sleep and a well rested night every night. They need this skill.

 

When we did CIO, we did what you did...respond at 11:00 (or close to it). Our house is small so we had no choice but to hear them cry on and off throughout the night(s). It was difficult but I was so sleep deprived it was doable. Also when I saw their smiles in the moring, it make the next night easier too. Good luck!

 

QUOTE(Shadyfeline @ Dec 17 2007, 08:45 PM) [snapback]538267[/snapback]
Oh, I remember those horrible sleepless nights but at 7/8 months I would assume that they may still be waking because they are hungry and you would still need to give them at least one more bottle after 11pm...probably around 3am. I agree that is too much waking up for the night but you may have to do a modified version of CIO, at 7 months they may still get hungry during the night. My boys still ate twice a night at that age I would put them down about 11pm after their bottle and they would wake around 2:30/3am for a bottle about 10 months I eliminated the night time bottle and I would get to sleep until about 5am. I still use a monitor every night and mine will be 2 on Friday...Hope you get some sleep!


At 5 1/2 months (when we did CIO) I discovered my boys were eating out of habit (and full bottles at that!). I know this because after a few nights, they did not wake anymore. I was so confident that they ate enough during the day that it put me at ease during those first few CIO nights.

 

Update!

Well, I konked out at 9P because I'd been up since 2A yesterday. I didn't get to nurse either at 11P! I nursed my DD at 7P and she's still sleeping now at 7A. My DS awoke at 2A, I nursed him then as it had been 5 hours since I had nursed him and then I put him back in the crib after burping and soothing him for a very short time - minute or two- something I've never done (always resort to the swing). He cried for I don't know how long, not the howling cries though and then fell asleep. He's in the crib in our room so if he had been hopping mad I would remember it. He woke up again at 5:30 when my DH was getting ready for work. I nursed him then and then used the swing

Anyway, didn't go exactly as planned but seemed to be better. I"m going to try again tonight! Thanks for the encouragement.

Sotto

 

Do you have another room you can put him in during this CIO? I would think that him being in your room will make it pretty hard to listen to lots of crying. When we did CIO at 11 months I put them to bed at 6pm and didnt feed them until 6am, mine are bf too.

 

Glad you got some sleep...for us I did not feel comfortable doing CIO until I knew they were not hungry anymore during the night and that didn't happen until they were about 9 months every baby is different...Sounds like you got a few straight hours which is good if you can get them down by 9pm and only have to get up once during the night that's sounds great to me ...I'm sure you will be able to tell if they are waking because they are hungry or just fussing and in no time you will get a full night without waking at all.

 

QUOTE(sottovoce @ Dec 18 2007, 05:02 AM) [snapback]538645[/snapback]
Update!

Well, I konked out at 9P because I'd been up since 2A yesterday. I didn't get to nurse either at 11P! I nursed my DD at 7P and she's still sleeping now at 7A. My DS awoke at 2A, I nursed him then as it had been 5 hours since I had nursed him and then I put him back in the crib after burping and soothing him for a very short time - minute or two- something I've never done (always resort to the swing). He cried for I don't know how long, not the howling cries though and then fell asleep. He's in the crib in our room so if he had been hopping mad I would remember it. He woke up again at 5:30 when my DH was getting ready for work. I nursed him then and then used the swing

Anyway, didn't go exactly as planned but seemed to be better. I"m going to try again tonight! Thanks for the encouragement.

Sotto

You are going to find that all your "plans" will be flexible from here on out!!
:banana: TO ME....SOUNDS LIKE A ROUSING SUCCESS!!! Congratulations!!! :a_smil09:
Hang in there and keep working on it!! Use your instincts, they'll guide you well!!! :hug99: