sleep: the rough cut

To cry or not to cry? This is the question that Eumi and I harp on constantly. Every child reaches an age where a sleeping routine must be instituted. You must direct children to nap and sleep at exact times every day. You must direct them to be independent so that they can soothe themselves to sleep. This will create great existential harmony in a baby. But the path to sheep-counting nirvana belies a bit of pain and suffering.
This is all thanks to Dr. Emmett Holt who created the "Cry It Out" (CIO) sleep method way back in 1894. This method entails putting the baby down at sleep time and not returning to the room until sleep time is over, even if your baby just spit up his/her lungs.
Dr. Richard Ferber released a book in 1985 teaching a modified CIO method, which is the approach most widely practiced today. "Ferberization" involves creating a bedtime routine followed by intervals of CIO that increase over time. In this method, if you see your child's lungs on the bed, you may intervene.
Attachment parenting practitioners scoff at the idea of allowing your baby to CIO, their logic being that it's cruel and insensitive. They feel that it's unnatural to raise a baby from books.
Unfortunately, I'm looking for a bit of resolve. Consciously governing Jalen to cry (or not) is the first hard decision we'll have to make. I have yet to release the final cut.