6 hours!!!

Donna Metler writes:

Then, she reached her first birthday. All of a sudden, we can go through
the complete ritual, with an obviously tired baby, put her down, leave
the room, and about 10 minutes later, have banshee wails coming from the
bedroom.

That must be really frustrating when you're used to being able to leave her
awake! Any idea at all of anything that might have caused the change?
(Though sometimes things do change for no external reason, I know.)

Would it be OK to let an older baby just cry and fuss herself to sleep
for a few nights? That's what a lot of people are telling me they've had
to do-that going in and checking on her is just making it worse because
she's learning that she can get away with it-but I hate to just abandon
the poor thing-I mean, she's still a little thing!

My take - which is really just my opinion - is that it's vastly closer to
being OK than doing the same with a 6 month old. If I were going to do
that, I would start talking about the change of policy a day or two in
advance, then remind her of it repeatedly during the bedtime routine the
day you plan to put it into practice. Wouldn't do any harm, and my son
understood a *lot*, even about future events, earlier than I would have
expected.

Still, personally I wouldn't do it, which is probably obvious from what
I've said up thread. Instead, I would switch to staying in the room with
her while she went to sleep; ideally just being there, to make it easier to
switch back, but if necessary, in contact with her. Once she was again able
to go to sleep with me there, I'd try leaving her for just a minute or two
while she was still awake, then coming back *before* she starts crying -
"I'm just going to the loo" type thing. Then gradually lengthen the time
for which I left, still making sure it's not so long that she starts crying
before I come back, and hope that one of these days I get back to find her
already asleep.

YMMV! Whatever you decide, I hope it works as you plan.

Sidheag
DS Colin Oct 27 2003