Hi everyone,
My 9-month-old has struggled with sleep since birth. She was a very fussy/high-cry baby, and I feel like we’ve built up a lot of stress around sleep as a family. Mom, dad, baby.
We’ve tried a lot: CIO when she was too young (regret that), 3-5-7 check-ins, 10-minute check-ins, lying next to her, feeding to sleep, rocking, bouncing on a yoga ball. Nothing really sticks long-term except for crazy movement.
Now that she’s bigger, settling her is getting harder. When she’s tired she gets very overstimulated and aggressive (pulling hair, scratching, grabbing my face, etc.). I’m honestly at my limit but also feel really bad for her.
Current schedule is roughly 3/3/4, 2 naps. Bedtime routine is consistent: diaper, sleep sack, short calm moment, then into bed. In the evening + a bath & book.
We recently restarted 3-5-7, but check-ins seem to make her more angry and hysterical. At bedtime she goes from 0 to 100 almost immediately, crying so hard it sounds like hyperventilating. At daytime she is doing a bit better.
I was considering doing 10 minutes (max 3 times) for naps and 3-5-7 at bedtime. But is crying that intensely something you push through, or is it a sign to stop? Some newer methods say sleep training doesn’t work once they’re that escalated.
Has anyone dealt with a very intense/fussy baby who gets worse with check-ins? What helped?
Thank you.
So, in summary, main question: Should we keep going for a few days even if she escalates that much (almost hyperventilating), or is that a sign to stop?