When parents contact the Baby Sleep Site for the first time, they often say the same thing: "Are you going to tell me I have to let my baby cry? Because I can't handle that!" No parent enjoys the sound of their baby wailing in distress. That's why the cry-it-out methods advocated by Ferber, Weissbluth, and Ezzo are so controversial. Some parents feel like cry-it-out is a form of cruel and unusual punishment, but others are quick to point out that cry-it-out methods are fast and
crying it out
Why Super Nanny’s Method Is Wrong
Recently, I had a client tell me that another sleep consultant was leading her towards cry it out by telling her something like "If you are in the room, that is like holding an aspirin in front of someone with a headache." and how cruel that is. This was an interesting statement that made me pause to consider whether this other consultant was right. Let's discuss! Let's go back to you teaching your child how to ride a bike without training wheels (and why crying is sometimes part of sleep
How Crying Can Lead to Babies Sleeping
A lot of times parents don't understand how crying can ever lead to their baby sleeping. They think that they will certainly exhaust themselves and fall asleep that way, eventually, but what are they really learning? This article is very much NOT about cry it out. There is a LOT in between helping your baby back to sleep every two hours at night and letting them cry it out. This article is discussing how crying can lead to sleep and why crying might be a necessary step in your baby learning how
How Long to Cry It Out (CIO)
This topic "How long to cry it out?" has come up a few times in the last few weeks in one way or another, so I thought I'd talk about it this week. I always preface any discussion about cry it out by making sure that everyone understands that I'm not a "Cry It Out Pusher" and I'm very much NOT an extremist or a hard-core "sleep trainer". I try to be realistic and just know that all babies are different and all family structures are different and what works for one won't work for everyone. I even
Sleep Quick Tip: Why Does Baby Wake Up Crying?
Obviously, babies wake up crying to eat, because they are wet or dirty, or to have their sleep association recreated (such as replacing a pacifier). But, this Sleep Quick Tip is to discuss what it means when your baby wakes up crying from a nap, or in the morning when they are "done" sleeping. Crying Between Sleep Cycles From my reading, I have not found any definitive reason as to why babies cry when they wake up. However, it is normal for them to cry between sleep cycles. With my
Will Cry-It-Out Change Your Baby / Child’s Personality?
I happened upon an article where a woman (and husband) was against cry-it-out and specifically, The Ferber Method, but ended up doing it anyway, because it was what worked. In that article, Confessions of a Ferberizer, she said that, in the end, her son stopped wanting to be rocked or cuddle. She did not seem to regret doing cry-it-out, I don't think, but reading the article reminded me that many of us wonder whether doing cry-it-out will change our child's personality, so I thought I'd reflect
Sleep Training is NOT Cry-It-Out (CIO)
I thought I should first talk about my philosophy on helping your child learn healthy sleep habits. Sleep Training I don't define "sleep training " as cry-it-out (CIO). You don't have to let your child cry to teach healthy sleep habits. Some people seem to think they are synonymous and I disagree. Sleep training starts with respecting your child's need for sleep (Weissbluth) and doing your part to ensure they get the sleep they need. This does not mean throwing up your hands if