Hi! I am a firm believer in the cry it out method! Being a single mom and being in the Navy was very draining. When he refused to sleep through the night it was TERRIBLE! Finally after many tearful phone calls to my mother, she convinced me to let him cry it out..no time limit..until he stopped. She reassured me that she had never heard of a child crying himself to death. So, the first time, I had to turn the TV up so that I could not hear him, the cries were so piercing after the first 10min or so (about how long he cried before I was getting him up in the middle of the night)that I though maybe he had his arm stuck or SOMETHING! Nope, he was just a mess! So after 2 1/2 hours of screaming..sweating..cracking voice..he fell asleep. He woke up again (slept for a much longer interval this time) and screamed...quite a bit. I thought he may be genuinly thirsty so I gave him 3oz of water and closed the door. He was quiet long enough to finish the water; trouble is it wasn't long enough to fall asleep. Sooo...he screamed for what seemed like forever but when he was out, he was out until I woke him up in the am. The next night was a little better...I only gave him 2oz of water when he got up..screamed some more..out like a light. I widdled it down to not giving him a bottle at all..until he finally just didn't wake up anymore. He finally got the hint that no matter how long he screams he's there until his room is bright again!! So if he wakes up he has learned to adjust himself, cover up when he's cold and just soothe himself. Going down at night is still hit or miss depending on how tired he is but the fits don't last more than 5min. Soooooo...best thing I can say is go to the opposite end of the house if you can't handle letting him scream. If you don't he will continue in the same pattern because that's his routine. You are the parent, you decide the routine...don't ever forget that. We give up enough as single moms, I refuse to give up my what little bit of sanity I have left...I'm fighting for that one!