Is It Too Late to Let Them Cry It Out at 12 Months?

hi C.,

Have you tried using a noise maker or one of those ceiling image projectors? My daughter is 3 and still hits the button on the Ocean Wonders Aquarium on her bed when she wakes in the middle of the night. It soothes her back to sleep. She also has a bear that ligths up different colors so if she opens her eyes and finds it's too dark she has a way to create light (soft, soothing light). I agree that blackout shades and a very dim or no nightlight can help. These things help them feel like they have some control over their environment so they don't feel "abandoned". Their crib should be a safe haven!

Start her routine earlier and read an extra book or two for now until she gets used to the time difference. Remember, she can't tell time. It's all about the routine.

I don't know if this is anybody's "method" but I suggest starting with 5, then 10, them 15 minutes - adding 5 minutes each time you go in. At five, hug her and cuddle her and talk to her. At ten don't pick her up, just talk and get her back to laying down and rub her back a moment and leave. At 15+, no talking, just smile and calmly lay her back down, cover up and leave. My daughter was younger but after 3 nights - one went to 15, one 10 and one 5 - she was fine. We never have to go in more than once since then and it's usually justified (an extra trip to the potty or request for another book to read because she's not tired enough to sleep yet, etc).

Good luck!

Let her cry it out - she'll be fine and you'll sleep too. I just did it with my son who just turned 1. I asked the pediatrician and she said that at this age they can cry longer and louder, but to let them do it - the worst thing is they might be hoarse in the morning. I asked her how long before I need to go in - she said two hours. The longest he ever cried was 45 minutes. It felt like forever, but now he goes to bed at 7pm and sleeps until 5:30am. Good luck!

Its not too late, but some people don't have the heart,

I am that type,LOL

What i did was let my baby sleep in my bed then transfer him to his own bed,

if he'd wake at night , i jump up and go to him and pop a pacifier in his mouth, not say a word, cover him up and pet his head and cheek, and leave,

My other guy, always needed to get in bed with me, Do i did, just didn't feed him,

eventually he'd wake less and less, and later and later

and now he makes it thru the night, many nights,

they have a very routine schedule, wake at 630, bed at 830, and 9pm,

the more routine the better,

Good luck

M

It's not too late! It feels horrible listening to your child scream but when you go in and rescue them, it teaches them that you will and makes the process harder. If you think you can listen to screaming for an hour or two for a couple of nights, do it(I did and I don't regret it) but if you think you or your spouse will go in, try something else. I would kiss my son and tell him I loved him and that it was night night time and that I would see him in the morning...I did not go back into the room, the first night he cried for well over an hour, the same for night 2, and by night 3 it was a couple of minutes and by the end of the week nothing. I cried for the first 2 nights too...but we all came out much more rested in the end.

I had to help my son when he was 18 months old son sleep at night by going in every 10-15 minutes when he cried and soothing him by patting him and letting him know he had to go to sleep, then leaving the room. Consistency will pay off (took several times, several nights). He was too restless to sleep with us, and just letting them cry til they are hysterical is brutal on everyone's nerves, theirs and yours! Make sure it isn't too light in the room (shades, no night light- as the days get longer my kids seem more reluctant to go to bed early too).

I let my daughter "cry it out" at 11 months, it took 1 or 2 nights of not going to her at all (she cried for 45 min) and she has done well since. However, my daughters bedtime was getting later and later with the time change and nicer weather and I also tried to put her down a little earlier and we had a couple rough nights where she tossed and turned trying to get to sleep and woke up with a little cry a couple times during the night, but after 3 nights of going down at the same time she is doing ok and I am getting to spend more alone time with my hubby:-)Good luck!

Not too late to let her cry it out...If you don't, as she gets older the "crying out" now becomes more serious in nature. If she is screaming so much that she is "standing in her crib upset", let her be...she'll eventually tire from all that noise and fall asleep...

Trust me, crying out with no response from Mom is teaching her that she cannot have her way and that you are in control. We as parents have to change the behaviors of our children, simply by changing ours...

C.

I don't know I am not a big advocate of that method. For me personally I could only let my daughter CIO for no more than 10 minutes. I could never let it last any longer than that. I feel it is just a really harsh thing to do to a baby. But then again I never really had a sleep issue with my daughter either. She goes down easily, sleeps through the night and wakes up 12 hours later since 8 weeks old. If we did have a baby with sleep issues would we? Don't know until you walk in those same shoes. But if I would have to guess -- Most likely not. My feelings are that they are only that age just once and they look up to mommy and daddy. I just find it not a loving way for me. At 12 months old they are still very much a baby and still feel the need to feel secure, safe and loved. Just my silly 2 cents for what it's worth. Perhaps she is napping to long during the day? Try fiddling around w/her nap sschedule. I would assume that she is still taking two naps? If so, cut the second nap by 15 minutes or more (whatever you feel appropriate) that may help. That is what I did for my daughter when we ran into a temporary sleep issue several months ago. Not to say that it will work for you but it's worth a try before you try the CIO method if you're not totally sold on that idea. Only you know whether you can sustain that type of method before it drives you insane. Hearing a baby wail for more than 10 minutes is all I can manage anything more than that I just do not believe in. Good luck. I am sure will you find that balance.