Should You Let Your Child Cry It Out?

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I agree with you that all babies are different and you do have to find a method that works for you and your baby. Nightwakings are very common in all children, that is true, but when you have a baby waking every 1-2 hours ALL NIGHT EVERY NIGHT, for example, families simply shouldn't sit back and accept that as "normal". That isn't good for the parents but most importantly, for the baby. We all feel better on a good night's rest and that includes your baby. He needs that sleep (a lot of it) for physical and mental development. So, no, crying it out won't get rid of all sleep problems forever and ever, but it can be effective for some parents trying to solve a very specific issue such as replacing a pacifier 5-10 times per night, nursing every 2 hours, rocking to sleep every 2 hours, etc. There is a range of things to try between doing what you've been doing and crying it out, but if those methods don't work, at some point sometimes you do just have to say "no". Sometimes a mother is really depressed, losing sleep, has a baby crying anyway because she is so tired, but keeps hearing she is a horrible mother if she lets her baby cry. Depending on the situation, this can be even more dangerous. Parents run stop signs in sleep-deprived states, doctors need to do operations and the like. And, according to the National Road Safety Foundation, "Drowsy driving" is as dangerous as drunk driving.