We are starting CIO!

My LO's are almost 6 months and had been going almost the whole night sleeping. Until about 3 weeks ago, now they get up every 2 1/2 hours like clockwork and I am exhausted. People said it was a phase, but this is not a "phase"!! We are going to try CIO! I know many of your have told me it's too early, but I've had enough!! They are playing me like a fiddle! What I need to know is how to go about it. How long do I let one cry, and do I do it every time they wake up etc...
Thanks

 

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It could be that they are teething and they are uncomfortable. Have you tried giving them some Tylenol or Motrin before bed to see if that helps them sleep a bit longer?

I have read that consistency is key for CIO.

 

Personally, I don't think your LOs are too young. Mine were the exact same age when we did CIO to eliminate overnight feedings. We started on a Friday and when they woke we just ignored them (DH slept, I watched on the video monitor) and they cried for like 90 minutes and then slept thru til the morning. The next night, they only cried for 15 minutes. It took about a month to sleep without waking for a cuddle, but they havne't been feed overnight since 5.5 months. I'm a much happier mommy.

My only tip is to be strong and know they are okay, just REALLY mad at you because you're changing their routine and babies don't like change. They will love you in the morning and will not remember that you ignored them overnight. For me, it was helpful to watch on the video monitor to know they were fine.

To answer your questions: I didn't go in and soothe them (Ferberize), I found that just got them more riled up. And besides the 90 minutes when they cried, that was the only time they woke. Talk it out with your DH and come up with a plan you think will work and stick with the plan. If it were me and my long term goal was STTN, I would ignore them each time they woke until the designated wake time (probably about 11 hours after they fell asleep).

It's not a fun process, but the results will be worth it. Good luck and let us know how it goes!

 

If you are going to do CIO, consistency is key. Decide on a game plan & stick with it. But I do agree with Rachel, maybe they are teething? It couldn't hurt to try a bit of Tylenol if that's the case.

 

CIO is totally worth it! We did it and it was not fun but they learned quickly. Make a plan with DH and go with it! Consistency is a must, but if not met, disaster!

Good luck,
Jenn

 

Have you started giving them food? if not, it could be that they are still hungry!

 

I just want to say that there is a 6 month growth spurt that always disrupts the sleep of my LO's, and it lasts anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. It disturbs their sleep, messes with their eating patterns and just makes them all around fussy butts! I also would try tylenol or better, motrin for teething just in case.

I did CIO with my oldest 2 at 8 and 10 months, and I agree consistency is key. For me, I didn't have the heart to just let them cry and cry, so I would go in when the crying reached a feverish pitch. Just crying/fussing I let them be, but when they get truly upset, I went in, picked them up to calm them down, when they settled down I laid them back down and went back out.

It took 3-4 nights for each of my oldest kids to settle down.

All my kids STTN at 6-8 wks for my oldest kids, and 12 wks for the twins. I do have to let the twins fuss every once in awhile when they think they need to be up at night (they went through a horrible first few weeks after they turned 7 months old of wanting to be up for an hour around midnight), but for the most part all my kids are great sleepers now.

 

We have tried tylenol, orajel, and put them back on their reflux meds. DD is still waking, and DS is only waking 2x, but nothing is better. They cant have motrin until 6months according to my pediatrician. They eat food 2x a day.

 

Your kids are kind of just on the line for what I think is age-appropriate. It really depends on them. I know at 6 months, my DD had self-soothing skills, and my DS did NOT, so it wouldn't have been good to do CIO with him. If you believe that both your babies have the requisite self-soothing skills, then they are old enough.

As for how, you absolutely have to be committed and consistent. If you start CIO, and then go in because they cry for 45 minutes, you have just unwittingly taught them to cry longer, and it ends up being cruel. So, step one is be sure you are ready to stick to your plan. If you are not, then don't do it.

For us, we found that going back in periodically (the Ferber method or variations thereof) actually resulted in a lot more crying. Since the goal is the least amount of crying possible (for me anyway), we went with the extinction method. Put them down, leave the room, and don't go back. There are exceptions - poopy diaper, sick baby, baby stuck in crib, etc. So, it's helpful if you can tell the difference between their cries. You can also do a variation of going in as soon as they start crying in the middle of the night to be sure everything is okay, and then leaving for them to CIO. That's what we do for those rare regressions now. But, really, I'd recommend just straight extinction CIO.

HTH!