How to Let a Baby Cry It Out

When you let your baby cry it out, it means letting your baby cry him or herself to sleep at night. Allowing a baby to cry to sleep does not mean you are a bad parent or a neglectful parent. The most important factor to consider when you want to let your baby cry it out is to pay close attention to the type of cry your baby has and how old your baby is.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Baby monitor or video baby monitor
• Patience and consistency

1. Have your baby be fed, clean and comfortable. If you have already fed your baby, changed her diaper and cuddled with her and there is nothing else to try, then she is likely just tired and needs rest.

2. Check that the crib or sleeping area is safe. Clear the crib of any blankets or toys that your child may get tangled up in if he rolls around while crying. Remove anything that could potentially be a hazard to your baby, including the crib bumpers.

3. Monitor your baby during the crying. You need to ensure that she is safe when left in the crib. Staying in the room with your child is not recommended because she may be able to sense that you are there and continue crying more than absolutely necessary.

4. Listen to the type of crying. If your baby is only crying louder and harder and after 10 minutes no progress has been made, consider re-checking your baby's needs before letting him cry longer. If there seems to be less urgency and less frequency between cries then your baby is on his way to getting some much needed rest.

5. Be consistent every time you put your baby down. You will be setting yourself up for failure and putting your child through unnecessary trauma if you give in too early and pick him up without really letting him cry. Follow your instincts; if you know something is wrong and you need to get to your baby immediately, by all means go check on your baby.

6. Prepare yourself for side effects of prolonged crying. It is not abnormal for a baby to cry so hard that she induces vomiting. This can be heartbreaking to witness, but it is not abnormal due to the sensitive trigger on a baby's gag reflex. Just clean your baby's sleep area and put her back to bed.

Tips & Warnings

• Babies younger than six months of age have constant needs and it may not be appropriate to let them cry it out.
• Your baby needs sleep even more than you do, so don't lose heart by letting him cry to sleep.
• Video baby monitors will allow you to keep an eye on your baby without being in the room.
• The intensity of the cry is also important; sometimes a baby will be hysterically upset after a matter of seconds; another time you know just leaving him to cry for 1 minute will let him get back to sleep.
• Always consult your pediatrician before trying the cry it out sleep method.
• You can't keep up elaborate sleeping routines forever, so don't get stuck in any habits you can't or don't intend to continue forever.
• Never neglect or ignore your baby just because you have decided to try the cry it out method. Prolonged crying can cause elevated blood pressure or other harmful effects.

Resources

• For more tips on getting your baby to sleep, visit BabySlumber.com.

[mcmeelk]

on 12/17/2009 YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT...i HAVEN'T SEEN A POST SINCE YOUR KID WAS 3 MONTHS OLD. WOW. MY KID SLEPT THRU THE NIGHT @ 2 BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN SHE SLEEPS NOW...SHE IS AWARE, AND KNOWS HOW TO MANIPULATE WHAT SHE WANTS....BTW SHE ISN'T CRYING ANYMORE AND SHE IS ASLEEP...JUST LIKE SHE IS EVERY NIGHT, AND GUESS WHAT?? I'M STILL HER FAVORITE PERSON IN THE WORLD! DOES YOUR MOMMY STILL PUT YOU TO SLEEP AT NIGHT?? NO!! BECAUSE SHE TRAINED YOU TO PUT YOURSELF TO SLEEP...I CAN TELL YOU IT WASN'T BECAUSE SHE TOLD YOU HOW WONDERFUL YOU WERE.... HIGHLY DIUBTFUL JUDGING FROM WHAT A PREVIOUSLY READ.

[mcmeelk]

on 12/17/2009 babies are manipulative...wow...I'd like to hear what you do know that your kid is 11 months old. FEARFUL?! are you kidding me? Get a grip on reality, there is nothing cruel about making your kid fall asleep on their own. do you have your mommy cuddle you to sleep every night? no. you put yourself to sleep after your kid exhausts you. Manipulative? you can manipulate your kid to do what ever s/he wants...omg. they know when/what it takes for them to get you to pick them up... oh...looks like my baby cried her self to sleep...see her in the morning. And she'll still love me tomorrow, just like she did today. Sissy.

[jazzmazz]

on 7/21/2009 I have worked as a Nanny for the last 12 years and have also studied Childcare and Early Years Education for 2 years at college...and from all the sleep methods that parents have asked me to use on their babies the 'cry it out' method is by far the most effective. The baby is constantly reassured, and they are never left abandoned. After using this method on the babies I have cared for they are sleeping soundly by the 3rd night of practice. It is a proven method that works, no child has been harmed from it, and there is no effects on the child's emotional development. It's a method that has been used for many years, and to this day there is no proven negative side effects. Letting a baby cry to sleep is not dangerous or cruel. By constantly reacting to your babies every whimper, they will not learn how to soothe themselves, and will only yearn for more reassurance. I encourage parent...

[noxiousoffender]

on 5/12/2009 5 stars! A very good how-to for new parents that might not know that babies sometimes JUST NEED TO CRY. If some of you think I'm a bad parent, guess what? I don't care.

[katielf]

on 4/16/2009 I used the techniques from The No-Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley because my parenting instincts let me know CIO is not the right way. Once I implemented her ideas my son's sleep improved greatly without causing permanent harm:http://www.sleepnet.com/infant3/messages/534.htmlhttp://www.phdinparenting.com/2008/07/05/no-cry-it-out/http://drbenkim.com/articles-attachment-parenting.htmlhttp://www.askdrsears.com/html/10/handout2.asp