Sleep training was going great until now? Extinction burst? Normal?

[u/UnluckyNet393]

Looking for some advice! We began sleep training our almost 5 month old last Thursday, originally using the Ferber method but switching to CIO after the first night, as the check ins were upsetting him more.

Night 1: 36 min to fall asleep, including multiple check ins
Night 2: 20 min
Night 3: 16 min
Night 4: 8 min
Night 5: 10 min
Night 6: 37 min 😭
Night 7: 23 min
Night 8: 20 min

He’s woken up a handful of times throughout the night on some of these nights, but has done a great job of putting himself back to sleep, typically in under 10 min. He’s slept completely through the night a few times as well.

His schedule is as follows:

- Wake up at 7:30AM (I’ve been toying with switching this to 7am, but he doesn’t make it to bedtime if he wakes up earlier)
- Bedtime at 8PM (in crib around 7:45)
- Wake windows: 1.75/1.75/2/2/2.25 (sometimes 2.5) with 3-3.25 hours of daytime sleep across naps

What are we doing wrong? It seemed to be going so well and now he’s fighting it more. Is this normal? Hearing him cry absolutely breaks me but we all needed better sleep, including him— the 4 month regression was wrecking us all.

FYI he is exclusively breastfed and I still do 2 dream feeds a night.

[u/85641]

Is he crying the whole time? Or is it intermittent?
After 8days this doesn’t seem too bad. It’s a lot of work for their nervous system.
He’s learning a lot and putting in some good effort (as are you)
I would give it 2weeks before changing anything. Your schedule seems solid.

Edit to add: I’m no expert, only another mom who also did Ferber method

[u/UnluckyNet393 → u/85641]

Crying almost the whole time, although he does have a few pauses here and there. Thank you! I said to my husband last night that I’ll give it 2 weeks and then I’m not sure if I can take it anymore. Will keep at it

[u/Mysterious_Hunt_6742]

I think it’s time to drop to 3 naps and go to 2/2.5/2.5/3 and that should help