My CIO Experience -- updating :)

I decided to write a post on here so I could look back on it for reference.

Background: DD was literally sleeping through the night from birth. I would give her a bottle at 8PM, she would fall asleep while drinking it and wake up 12 hours later.

At around 11 months, she started waking up at night. At first I could rock her back to sleep after a few minutes. Slowly, minutes turned to hours. Rocking turned into putting her into the carriage at 2AM, during a hurricane, and walking around the house

DH and I were fighting all the time, DD was cranky all the time and everyone was exhausted so I decided to try CIO. TRUE CIO, since I always waited before getting her, even when she was a newborn. Hopefully, it turns into a success story! If not, let's pretend I never wrote this LOL

DAY ONE

Gave a bottle, sang a few lullabies and put her down awake at 11:30AM for a nap. At 11:45 (AGAINST MY WISHES) my mom went in, laid her down and rubbed her back for a few minutes. 12PM, sound asleep.

7:30PM started bedtime routine
8PM put her down awake after a bottle and lullabies
8:10PM I saw on the monitor that she threw up. I wiped her down, changed her, then changed the sheets and cleaned the carpet - all in the dark.
After a few sips of water and another lullaby. . .
8:30PM back down to sleep
9PM sound asleep.

11:30PM DD wakes up screaming, crying and standing in the bed.
11:50PM sound asleep

She was asleep at 5:30AM when I left for work today so I will update when I found out what time she woke up.

Update: She woke up at 7:30AM! Happy and alert!



DAY TWO

My mom put her down for a nap at 11
She was snoring by 11:15

I put her down to sleep at 8:10
monitor went silent at 8:20
She laid down by 8:30

It can't be this easy can it?!?!?!
lol

DD woke up at 4:00
stopped screaming at 4:05
sang lullabies to herself until 4:20
Still asleep when I left teh house at 5:30.
Woke up at 7:30

DAY THREE
Screamed for five minutes at naptime, babbled to herself for ten more minutes then fell asleep

Put her down for bed at 8PM. . . walked down the stairs, grabbed the monitor. . . DD was SCREAMING the worst scream I have ever heard in my whole life. . . by the time I looked at the monitor (less than 60 seconds) she was laying down and asleep!!!!!!!!!

Woke up once during the night, cried for less than five minutes

Asleep when I left the house at 5:30AM!!!

DD woke up at 7

*I slept from 8:30 to 5! I feel wonderful! I am wearing makeup! I had time to get a donut this morning! DH and I seriously discussed having more children yesterday! Sleep is a helluva drug!!




DAY FOUR
10 minutes to fall asleep for nap (with both of her LOUD cousins over)
1 minute to fall asleep at bedtime
STTN



__________________________________________

So, we have been doing this for over a week now so I wanted to give a kind of final update!

Now DD sleeps for OVER 12 hours. Instead of waking up at 5 or 6AM she wakes up between 8 and 9 AM!!! This is a HUGE difference and really wonderful for me, DH AND my mom who watches her three mornings a week. She ALSO naps for 3+ hours a day! I have been waking her up at around 3PM every day because I am scared that she won't sleep at night. . . .

At night, she cries for less than one minute. Last night, the phone rang as I was walking to the crib and I answered it. . . DD started pointing at the crib and freaking out! So, i put her down and walked away - she sighed, rolled over and went to sleep!


For naptime, she still screams for about 15 minutes - I think it is because I can't figure out what time to put her down and she is either NOT tired or OVER tired at that point. . . hopefully we will figure it out.

She is eating MUCH better, not fighting diaper changes, and is all around much more enjoyable to be around.

DH and I are ENJOYING her so much more now, the difference is amazing. I am so glad that we decided to make this big change (after a YEAR!) instead of just b*tching and moaning about not being able to sleep - we DID something about it!

Thanks for all of your support!

Message edited 9/7/2011 7:30:58 AM.

Re: My CIO Experience

Good luck to you! I was so sure CIO wouldn't work for my son but I tried it as a last resort. It worked awesome! (I did the Ferber method though). We've had to revisit it a few times (like last night ) but it always works. Stick with it!!

Re: My CIO Experience

I did CIO with my daughter (even though it broke my heart) and it was the single best thing I have done for her. She is the best sleeper now. Good luck to you and I hope you have continued success.

Re: My CIO Experience

Thanks for the success stories! I am waiting to hear how nap was!

Re: My CIO Experience

At 11 mos is she already down to only 1 nap a day?
Maybe she is overtired....my DD is 14 mos and still falls right to sleep when putting her in for a 10am nap (sometimes earlier). She is awake 2.5 - 3 hrs before this nap...sleeps 12 hrs at night and still REALLY needs that morning nap.
I find when she is overtired is when she doesn't sleep well at night.
Maybe try an earlier morning nap for her?

Re: My CIO Experience

Re: My CIO Experience

Re: My CIO Experience

Good Luck. We did it to get her to fall asleep on her own in the crib around 5 months. She's been fine since. Like your dd, sstn since practically birth. It's hard to hear them cry, I cried some nights as well, but it was the best thing. She stills cries for 10 mins before falling asleep but I think that's just her thing. Other kids "talk" to themselves, she cries haha.

Glad to hear it worked well for you.
MY dd is also down to 1 nap at 15 months. She usually takes a good 2 -3 nap and she is fine.

Re: My CIO Experience

BUMP for day two!

Re: My CIO Experience

YES Tilde it really can be this easy. When they are ready, they are ready. However, don't be surprised if she catches on to what you are doing and has some nights of backtracking but stick to your guns and it will pass quickly. I'm glad it's working for you so well!

Re: My CIO Experience

yep it can be that easy, i had 15 minutes of screaming the first night, and that was the worst.

I honestly think, its because you wait to get her. You give her a chance to figure out things for herself. I started doing this at 3m too. I wish I started earlier. So she knew how to deal... she just was now dealing with some new issue, needed a bit more time to figure out.

Re: My CIO Experience

yes it can be that easy! i did it at 3 months. all it took was two naps of crying less than 10 minutes. She is almost 14 months now and still a great sleeper, naps and bedtime. i dont even do a routine with her anymore. i go straight into her room, put her into her crib and she rolls over and sleeps. its great!

Re: My CIO Experience

I had a similar situation. My oldest Ds was a great sleeper from birth. He would sleep 6 hours at night from day 1 and at 7 weeks was STTN until about 7am, take a bottle and back down until 9am. He was a dream until 9 months. From 9-12 months it just got progressively worse. First 1x a night, then 2x, then 3x...taking longer and longer to get back to sleep. Finally at 12 months I had enough with the excuses I was making, and the demands DS was setting.
I too did full fledged CIO but only for middle of the night wakings. First night woke up 1x, cried for 1h15mins passed out.
Night 2, woke up cried for 35 mins
Night 3 woke up cried for 15 mins
Night 4 never woke up.
At 3.5yo I have never had to revisit CIO. Now he will sometimes wake, out of fear, a bad dream, etc. But its a one time thing and thats it.

GL!!!!

Re: My CIO Experience

Thanks guys!!!! Love hearing all the success stories! I really feel like I am doing the right thing! She is already getting more sleep and is more alert during the day! It is also easier on my mom, who was rocking her for HOURS before naps!

We just have to get DH on board. He was home yesterday for naptime and he couldnt understand why they couldnt go for their "walk" where she falls asleep and naps in the stroller. . .I told him he will be able to do that again eventually, just give me TWO weeks to really have her fall asleep on her own. So, he gives her to my mom and has to leave the house so he doesn't hear her cry

Re: My CIO Experience

Day Three!

I promise I will stop bumping at some point LOL I am just so excited that its working!

Re: My CIO Experience

So glad CIO is working so well for you! Amazing what a little sleep will do

Re: My CIO Experience

Posted by Tilde


We just have to get DH on board. He was home yesterday for naptime and he couldnt understand why they couldnt go for their "walk" where she falls asleep and naps in the stroller. . .I told him he will be able to do that again eventually, just give me TWO weeks to really have her fall asleep on her own. So, he gives her to my mom and has to leave the house so he doesn't hear her cry

Re: My CIO Experience

Posted by mommyIam

Posted by Tilde


We just have to get DH on board. He was home yesterday for naptime and he couldnt understand why they couldnt go for their "walk" where she falls asleep and naps in the stroller. . .I told him he will be able to do that again eventually, just give me TWO weeks to really have her fall asleep on her own. So, he gives her to my mom and has to leave the house so he doesn't hear her cry

Oh, I have to tell you, my son is a great sleeper in his crib, but once he was going down without a fight consistently, he was terrible about sleeping in the stroller.

Don't know if it will happen for you, but I wish I could get him to sleep in the stroller sometimes too now...

Re: My CIO Experience

Wow - she is takinig to it well! Glad to hear you are getting some sleep!

Re: My CIO Experience

I am going through this now....some days its good some days like this morning was hell...she was up at 4:30 she was on and off crying every time she heard me move on my bed she was screaming. She is still in our room, we just moved to our house and have yet to buy her new furniture and curtains. I cannot wait until she sleeps in her own room.

Re: My CIO Experience -- updating :)

BUMPing for a Where Are They Now!? update. . . . lol

Re: My CIO Experience -- updating :)

Great update.

My dd still cries when I put her in for nap or the night for 10-15 mins. Always has. So it could be a thing your dd does just settling down for her naps.

It's amazing what a little straight sleep can do for you all right?

Re: My CIO Experience -- updating :)

Tilde, if she is crying that much, and you have to wake her up at 3pm, my guess is that she is overtired and having a hard time falling asleep because of that (but that's just a guess based on my own kids LOL).

Re: My CIO Experience -- updating :)

good to hear!