What age is it okay to let my baby "cry it out"?

What age is it okay to let my baby "cry it out"?





A lot of parents wonder about what age it's okay to let their babies cry it out. The literature is not specific about this. There is no certain age when they say it's okay to let your baby cry it out. I think this is a good conversation to have with your baby's doctor because they can talk to you about your baby's health history, their overall growth, and talk to you about whether or not night feedings are still necessary. For example, if your baby was still really small then extra night feedings may be necessary and letting your baby cry it out wouldn't be a good idea. So the doctor can talk to you about your individual circumstances and if they give you the green light then crying it out has actually been proven to be one of the most effective ways to get your baby to sleep through the night. It usually takes about 4-7 days and it's really tough when you're going through it. I just did it with my son but ear plugs are a great thing. After their brains have kind of reset they'll stop waking up at night and even if they do wake up on their own they'll learn how to go back to sleep by themselves without you, which is great. So I do always recommend though to parents that they always check on their babies if they're concerned. You kind of know your child's cry. They may be crying because they're in need of comfort, in which case you'd feel like you can ignore it. But if you feel like your baby is in pain or sick or in danger for any reason then definitely make sure you check on your baby. For example, I was having this same conversation with my pediatrician and he mentioned that even him, a pediatrician, was letting his baby cry it out when they were young and ignored their baby when they had a raging fever. You always want to make sure they're okay. If all is well then you can continue to let your baby cry and again, after 4-7 nights their brain should reset and you should all be sleeping better after that. Good luck with everything and if you have any other questions for me feel free to ask them on our Facebook page and recommend us to your friends and family too. Tweet