Why I leave my baby to cry...

[PumpkinZulu]

If it's working for you then that's great A well rested family is always a good thing.

Personally, I'm not a fan of CIO I could not hack it and I don't think I'd have the perseverance for it. We have never CIO with DD, she is similar to your DS in the way that she sometimes wants her own space to fall asleep. I didn't realise until DD was about 2 months old that I was leaving it too late, not picking up on those early tired signs and instead trying to put her to sleep at the yawning, eye rubbing, grizzling stage. Now, if she doesn't want to feed to sleep or be rocked/bounced/walked to sleep, I'll pop her in bed (we cosleep) with her blankie and dummy and lie next to her while she dozes off. Sometimes I'll stroke her cheek or sing to her. I really didn't realise before becoming a parent how contentious an issue baby sleep was. I think there is way too much pressure on parents to have a socially acceptably 'good' sleeper, when really, babies learn at their own pace, and respond in different ways, not how a book or your friend or the girls at mothers group say they should. I guess what works for one baby may not work for another. I know if I left DD to cry she would be beside herself because that is not what works for her. It sounds like your DS's just wanted some alone time (how funny are babies!?) and that it totally works for everyone involved. Sleep time shouldn't be a stressful time and you've found a way to get around that that works for your family, as you said, in the moat loving and gentle way possible.