My Baby Won’t Sleep: Should You Let Your Baby Cry It Out?

This morning my son, who is 22 months old, woke up around 6 AM and starting calling for me. I was so tired and not ready to get up for the day. I laid there for a few minutes thinking to myself “Ugh, it’s too early! Why is he waking up before 7?”

While still in bed, I spoke into his monitor and said “No. It’s too early! Go back to sleep.” Thank God for modern technology! To my surprise, he actually laid back down and I didn’t hear another peep.

My Baby Won’t Sleep: Not Your Typical Sleep Advice

When I was ready to get up around 7:15 I went into his room and he was all smiles, happy to see me. This reminded me of a post I wrote a few years ago about how I got my daughter to love her crib.  Sleep is something I’m asked about most often.

How do you get your child to sleep like that (without fussing, happy to be in his crib)? So you just put them down and they don’t cry? They just go to sleep? My baby won’t sleep, help! 

These questions always get me thinking. How do I share my sleep secrets with other moms without offending anyone? See we let our kids cry it out.

Sleep Secrets

When I was pregnant, a friend recommended Twelve Hours’ Sleep by Twelve Weeks Old: A Step-by-Step Plan for Baby Sleep Success and we followed this closely.

It is similar to the Ferber method. Both our kids slept through the night by 12 weeks old and we always cleared this with our pediatrician before we started sleep training. 

RELATED: How to Make a Smooth Transition From Crib to Bed

New research is showing it is okay to let your baby cry himself to sleep! In this study, sleep training did not stress out babies and the babies actually fell asleep faster compared to the control group.

I think these early boundaries helped our kids develop healthy sleep habits. Our daughter, who will be 4 in a few days, no longer naps. But she still plays in her room for quiet time and is happy to do so! She loves to sleep and she loves her bed.

It Won’t Always Be Easy

Today we live in a culture that wants the easy way. The no cry way. The path of least resistance. This can be seen in more than sleep training. Just search Pinterest and you will find thousands of articles about the secret to keeping a clean house, the secret to losing weight, the secret to staying organizing.

We want fast and immediate answers. Unfortunately the secret to losing weight and keeping a clean house is you have to put in the work. There is no secret! 

I find the same is true in parenting. If you want a specific result, you have to make the tough choices. There will be times when you disappoint your children. Times when they will cry. And guess what? That is okay! Certainly we should try to learn from our mistakes and garner wisdom from others, but we shouldn’t be afraid of saying no. Afraid of doing the hard thing. 

RELATED: Why My Kids Stay in Bed Until 7:30 AM

Now I’m not claiming I do this all the time. I’m definitely encouraging myself by writing this! To make the hard decisions. To say no and set boundaries when needed. I believe it’s something we need to be intentional about.

Kids thrive on healthy boundaries and parents do too. I certainly don’t like hearing my kids cry, but in the end, when I set a firm boundary and follow through it is always 100% worth it. 

Finally, follow your mommy gut on this one. Don’t let popular culture make you feel like you are doing things wrong if you don’t want to get your child immediately in the morning. Talk to your partner and make a decision that works for your family. Then stop comparing! 

My Baby Won’t Sleep: Not Your Typical Sleep Advice

Do you set sleep boundaries with your children? How do you handle the tough decisions in parenting? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!