need alternatives to CIO

i'm looking for some techniques to put one of our boys down without doing CIO. he just goes hysterical when we leave the room. and if he goes to sleep peacefully as he did tonight he wakes up about 45 minutes later in total hysteria that escalates to vomiting. i tried leaving him in the crib and shushing and patting/rubbing his back but he was gasping with sobs and he couldn't calm down.

anyone else have a tough bedtime case? i'd love some ideas.

 

White noise? Also, I used to have a bear that vibrated that I would put into the crib & it made it feel similar to being in a car. Worked great for my oldest son. I'll keep thinking & see if I come up with anything else!

 

:hug: I am so sorry that you have to go through this. Was it you who did the vacuum by the crib the other night?

 

we already do white noise. no, i don't run the vacuum by the crib.

 

Can you try picking him up, calming him down, and then putting him back in the crib. Repeat as needed until he falls asleep in the crib? I never tried this as it sounds mentally exhausting to me, but it supposedly will help him learn to fall asleep in his crib rather than in your arms.

:hug: bedtime issues suck! I hope you find something that works.

 

QUOTE(piccologirl @ Jun 30 2009, 10:18 PM) [snapback]1376392[/snapback]
we already do white noise. no, i don't run the vacuum by the crib.


Maybe that is worth a try? ardon: I hope that you find something that works for you both. :hug:

 

:hug: i'm so sorry you are going through this, and he must be having a rough time of it too.. poor little guy. i honestly think that if i was having this problem i would just go back to rocking to sleep for a while. will he fall asleep and stay asleep if you rock him and then put him down? i know it sounds like you'd be going backwards as far as being an independent sleeper goes, but maybe if you could get him past this phase then you could try and do CIO again in a week or so and see how it goes.

i might also, as a last resort, put a pnp in my bedroom and just lay there in bed where he could see you until he falls asleep. i know, going backwards again...

i hope you can figure something out so you can all get some sleep.

 

So sorry your little man is struggling right now, it must be hard on you too. If it were me i would rock for a bit and then do pick up put down method. I wonder what has changed for him? Does he have a nightlight or crib soother?

 

My DS gets a bit hysterical at times too... he used to go down for bed so easy, and the past few weeks it takes some work to get him down, and then we have several trips in the room throughout the night. We have had to pick him up and bounce him back to sleep (doesn't seem calming, but he likes it!). The past few nights he is going down easier, and I only had to get up once last night. So.... though I know you probably don't want to get in a habit of picking him up, maybe try it for a while to see if he can then start sleeping better?

We also have ocean waves that play on an ipod continuously throughout the night (and their naps). I also just started leaving an arm out for his swaddle so he can hold his lovey, and when I rub his lovey on his cheek, that seems to calm him a little.

 

Our Evan was NOT a candidate for CIO either - he just doesn't have the personality for it. Around 8-9 months he started developing an attachment to a little stuffed doggie and he used to snuggle his face up against it. That really helped. He loves his doggies to this day (he has two now, of course - he needed a twin!).

 

QUOTE(DATJMom @ Jun 30 2009, 09:03 PM) [snapback]1376359[/snapback]
:hug: I am so sorry that you have to go through this. Was it you who did the vacuum by the crib the other night?



No, I'm the one who was desperate enough for the vacuum by the crib. Works though.