We did controlled crying with my son. But keep in mind this method takes a lot of determination as the first couple of nights will be tough ... Basically, following my son's bedtime routine, we would put him in his crib, kiss him, say good night, and then leave the room. Of course, he would start crying immediately, so for the first night, we waited 2 minutes before going into the room. Then I would go into the room, and pat him on his back to comfort him - but I also tried not to talk too much to him. I would only really say "shhh, shhh, shh" just to try to calm him down while patting his back. Once he settled down, I would leave the room again. The next time, I waited 3 minutes, go in and do the same thing. Everytime before going in, I would add another minute but I never waited any longer than 15 minutes. I think he cried on and off for about 45 minutes before he fell asleep. The next night, the same thing. By the third night, I waited a little longer before going in for the first time - 5 minutes. And then the following night, we would wait longer again - each night waiting a little longer before going in.
For his naps, I did the same. From my experience, it was easy to get him to sleep on his own for his naps. I think it only took 2 days to correct the problem. It was the night sleeping that took longer. But by the 5th night, he was only really crying for less than 10 minutes before falling asleep. And for there to be no crying at all, it took a little less than 2 weeks.
Just from talking to friends, I have heard that the older the babies are, the longer it takes for controlled crying to work. They are just a lot more aware. In addition, this method will not work for all babies. I have heard of babies who get so worked up that they throw up from crying. Anyways, good luck!
