When to Sleep Train a Baby?

I never knew that the number one most difficult challenge of motherhood was getting my child to sleep.  I don't just mean sleep through the night, I mean sleep period so he didn't wake up cranky.  So when is the right time to sleep train your baby and when should you start thinking about it? Well, if your into attachment parenting-the answer is never.  Some books say 5 months...some say by 4 months all their habits are set.  Now that I have gone through the challenges of a son that didn't sleep well and would cry hysterically every night for hours because he was overtired. I say it's never too early to teach a baby good sleep habits and if they don't have good habits, then 3-4 months would be ideal to sleep train to make sure they get enough good quality sleep.

Here's what led me to my revelation:

I read all the books...they say put them down drowsy, but awake.  That never worked for me.  I tried it, but he would just cry and not sleep so I gave up.  

 After almost 4 months of doing whatever I could to protect my baby's sleep from carrying him for all his naps to rocking, shushing,  bouncing on an exercise ball for hours every night for hours and everytime he would wake usually every 4 hours, then 3 hours, then 2 then 1-I am physically and mentally exhausted.  It's been taking a toll on my attitude, my work and my marriage.  

 I never really let my son cry. As a first time mom, you feel like you need to do whatever you can to make sure they are loved, healthy and happy.  So I thought that meant if they cried I wasn't doing my job.  Well when it came to falling asleep, my son cried all the time no matter what I did-so it was time to help him learn healthy sleep habits and self-soothe.  I had never really tested any methods, because everytime I put him down he would cry. The Pat-shush didn't work for him -it made him more agitated.

It was time to Cry-It-Out.  My son needed it.  He was overtired and would cry for hours before crashing out for the night-even my soothing didn't work anymore.  I felt guilty, yet I knew it is what my son needed to learn how to go to sleep and stay asleep.