Can anyone share their experiences or thoughts on implementing the "cry it out" approach to help toddlers adjust to sleeping in their own room?

Question

What are some potential risks or drawbacks of using the "cry it out" method to help toddlers adjust to sleeping in their own room? How can parents mitigate these risks?

Answer

I didn't use cry it out. My son slept in bed with me until 1 years old. I then had him napping in his room dueing the day for a few days before having him sleep in his own bed in his own room. The first night he woke up 3 times. I went and held him till he fell back alseep. Second night twice. Third night once. After that he slept through the night. I made sure to keep the exact same before bed routine and had the same white noise in his room as in ours. We have never had an issue with him sleeping since. I am not a big cry it out method person because pyscholoically babies can't actually "self soothe" that is a concious thing we learn how to do when we are older. All cry it out does is have them learn that crying does not get their circumstances changed and crying at night is futile. Crying can be a repsonse to many tjings: thirst, hunger, fear, lonliness ect and they can't at this age let you know which it is.

Answer

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220322-how-sleep-training-affects-babies
Here is a great article. It tells yoabout all the studies. Read through the whole thing because near the end it talks about emotional regulation which they learn from parents particularly 6-12 months and sleep trained babies have a harder time with emotional regulation later on.

Answer

I used the method in Taking Cara Babies which was like a version of cry it out but included little pop ins where you come in at 5 minutes if crying, then 10 minutes, then 15 minutes, and then pop in every 15 minutes if still crying (which was very rare for us after that much time). Pop ins were just walking in and talking to him, and maybe assessing if a diaper needed to be changed, but not like picking up and snuggling. I preferred feeling like I was able to do SOMETHING while he was crying, but I will admit our pop ins never like, calmed him down 😂  he was sleeping through the night (or self soothing himself back to sleep without needing pop ins) by like, night 5. And is still a great sleeper at 24 months.

Answer

Ferber method 100% and it paid off. It was so hard the first few nights listening to our then 6 month old, but after like a week, I’d lay him down and he’d put himself to sleep. 
We will be doing it again with this baby.

Answer

My pediatrician recommended kind of a soft cry it out method with my first toddler. She said give him his goodnight love put him in the crib and walk out. Let him cry for a couple minutes and then you can go back in the room but do not go all the way to the crib, do not pick him up do not touch him just tell him hes ok and leave again. Then after a few more minutes if hes still crying just peak in the door and remind him hes ok and then after that do not go back in. This reminds them they are not being abandoned but also telling them they will not be picked up again. We only did this the first night and then the other nights we just left him after the initial tuck in. It was a slightly rough couple nights but like 3 nights in he went down easier and slept the whole night without waking and hes been sleeping through the night since and hes now 7

Answer

I use the cry it out method to an extent with my two year old. I still provide comfort but I also always return her to the bed or in cases where she just is crying I will come in and rub her back or head for 10ish minutes. That way she is learning that mommy is always here but that she needs to stay in her bed to sleep. I also praise her dramatically when she goes a full night in her bed without issues.

Can anyone share their experiences or thoughts on implementing the "cry it out" approach to help toddlers adjust to sleeping in their own room?

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