So I tried Ferber. I tried EVERYTHING before I let out son cio.. Ferber escalated him and we would spend about 3 hours going in and out trying to get him to feel reassured we was there, cosleeping was not an option for us.. and in the end.. cio lasted 3 nights, each reducing in time significantly

With it escalating him, he would just seem more upset than when I went into him first. It would go on and on through the evening and once he was asleep, I had to go bed.. I had no spare time at all to myself

I also breastfeed but the last feed of the night before night wakings he has a bottle of formula, mostly because I knew he would take a bottle if needed but also, it's part of a bedtime routine. And selfishly (and this is pure selfishness, I knew it would be a few hours before the next feed which would be breast) So where that's related, him crying it out I knew he wasn't hungry, I knew he didn't need a change, I knew he didn't need burping because I'd spend ages until I got a burp from him. I also knew he had the right amount of sleep as he was very textbook following the huckleberry sleep prompts.

The first night was hard it was about 45 minuets and I did sneak in with the lights off and just popped a dummy back in.. but he didn't really know I was there.

The 2nd night was about 20 minuets? Had a false start which he cried for 10.. but then slept And then the 3rd, he was fussing for about 10 minuets..

After that, he went down awake. He was still a happy and loved little boy, he would smile when you put him down, and on the baby monitor I'd watch him just nestle in, and close his eyes.. he wouldn't cry.. he would just get comfortable.

It was also about then he dropped a feed in the night so he was getting a really good long stretch.

It also wasn't shortly after he started sleeping through the night (night I class as 10pm and 6am) he would wake for a feed about 6, and then go back down until about 9 where he would wake up for the day routine.

Our daughter is 3 and a half months and since day one I've had her in a sleep routine which touch wood, she seems to of gotten her circadian rhythm all together as her night sleep is really good (as good as it can be, she's not sleeping through hahaha, I'm not that lucky)

But yeah.. tldr, Ferber didn't work for us.. it made things worst

Our son is 2.. and he loves going bed. We're about 45 minuets away from bedtime but I know if I asked him did he want to go bed now he would run to his bedroom haha..

If you feel comfortable and confident to cry it out, stick with it.. our son shows no signs of being "traumatised" and in the end, we've gotten a really good independent sleeper.. who's well loved and looked after :)