My baby has been falling asleep independently for a month and a half since we did CIO. On average she has one night feed - sometimes 2, and sometimes sleeps right through.
Every night for as long as I can remember she’s had a false start one sleep cycle after bedtime. It was usually 2-7min, and I would let her CIO. A few weeks ago we started having some nights with no false starts which was great! But then, in the last week or so it’s gotten worse than ever. She wakes up hysterical and won’t settle on her own. I have been going and holding her to calm her down when it gets frantic, I usually have to get her up to blow her nose and clean her up cause she’s a mess. I know my interfering might have contributed to making it worse… but at this point since she knows how to fall asleep independently (she does for all naps and bedtime and after night feeds, usually no tears), I feel like if she’s upset, she actually needs me, as it’s not a matter of not knowing how to fall asleep on her own. Plus I have such a hard time with the crying. I hated doing CIO even it was the best decision we could have made at the time, everyone’s sleep improved drastically from day one!
I’ve tried letting her CIO the last few nights cause it’s been getting worse. But by 20min she’s still upset and I end up giving in, and get her up to clear her nose as she can hardly breathe through it, and then helping her fall asleep. Sometimes I can put her down awake. Sometimes she’s immediately upset again when I put her down, so I hold her to sleep.
I guess I’m in a dilemma because I don’t know if I can handle CIO again, but I’m probably redeveloping a sleep association by going in every night.
Everything I read says it’s schedule issues. But I feel like I’ve tried all the schedule changes and there just isn’t a pattern for the days she didn’t have the false starts vs the days she does… like I said, it’s been every single night since day one, other than some good nights starting a couple weeks ago.
Always at least 30minutes from last feed until bedtime, so that’s not a sleep association.
Schedule is approximately 2/2.25/2.5/2.75-3. Average night sleep 11.25, average day sleep 2.5. Average wake time, 10 or so hours.
Any advice would be appreciated.