Nights are longer when your baby is always crying. As a worried parent, you seek to soothe the baby so you rock or nurse him/her. You have to know that crying is normal. There is a sleep training method that you can use for more peaceful nights plus the baby will learn how to be dependent. Have you ever heard about Cry It Our Method? It is also called CIO.
It is sleep training method with the ultimate goal to teach the baby how to self-soothe. At the end of the training, the baby will be able to sleep or go back to sleep without the help of parents or caregivers. Many paediatricians here in Singapore encourage this method so it is quite safe.
With these, your baby will be able to master the skill of falling asleep on his/her own. Just give him/her the opportunity to master it. Here are some tips that you can consider if you want to try CIO method:
- Set the mood: It is crucial that you develop the baby’s bedtime routine before getting serious about CIO method. It is also important that you stick to it no matter what happens. Bedtime routine means having a bath, a lullaby, book and then bed – it should be same time and every night. This is effective so your baby will know what to expect exactly.
- Be prepared: You should also be prepared not just the baby. Make sure that your partner is also in for it. Discuss about it first and make sure that both of you understand how to proceed and more importantly agreed to the process. Your baby will surely cry and it can be painful to hear so prepare for that as well.
- Stick to it: Sleep training is gradual. That means for the first night you will have to leave the baby for at least three minutes, the second night five minutes, third night ten minutes and so on. You have to stick to this plan. However if you feel that your baby is not yet ready for this, you can put this method on hold for a while. Never forget it.
- Anticipate relapses: Even if you successfully sleep trained your baby, anticipate that there are times he/she will relapse. That is perfectly normal do not worry. When this happens, you should still stick to the plan.
Few tears are nothing compared to the lasting effects it can bring. At the end of the day, the success will depend on how consistent you are.
