I don't have a baby anymore, but I recently noticed the "Cry It Out" method of getting your baby to sleep is under attack, again. With my first baby, almost 21 years ago, the method was then getting thrown around. 
My oldest daughter refused to sleep, she just couldn't stand missing what was going on around her. By the time she was 9 months old, I was at the end of my rope. My husband was in the Navy and out to sea all the time, it fell to me to make the decisions and to figure out a way for the both of us to get some sleep. I tried everything and eventually settled on the "Cry it Out" method. The first night I put her to bed, and she cried for 45 minutes before she feel asleep. Listening to her cry was pure torture. I only made it because of a well-timed phone call from my husband. She only cried for 10 minutes the next night and after that she would go right to sleep. (I don't think this is typical results, it was pretty smooth for me.) However, it never really felt right. By the time my third child came along, I was prepared with many more tools in my "sleeping" toolbox. (Check out http://sleeplady.com/ she saved my sanity and taught me so much about a child's sleep patterns.) I felt more confident and also learned that each child is different. There isn't one "correct" answer.
There is one thing scarier than being a new mom, it's having a house full of teenagers. I'm still worried about when to leave my child all alone to "Cry it Out" and when to hover nearby to save him from himself. I still gather all the information I can from any source, hoping to make the "right" decision. I guess it's more appropriate to allow a 16-year-old to "Cry it Out," leaving him alone to make his own mistakes, but it's not easy. Maybe by the time my third teen is 16 I'll have it figured out. If you ever start a teenlady.com website, please let me know! My toolbox is running low.
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