The SleepEasy Thread

nunzchucks

Hey! Thought I'd move the SleepEasy discussion so ugabama isn't getting a million notifications from the other thread.


Here's a place for SleepEasy users to ask questions, offer encouragement, help each other troubleshoot and share successes!

tbmadeamistake

Thanks nunz! We had a good night last night. Despite my best effort, he fell asleep on his last bottle, half an hour before bedtime. He's been slowly cutting out his third nap so I think I need to adjust bedtime a bit earlier. Put him down asleep because I was on my own with both last night. We had two wake ups, 2 and 4, and both times he put himself back to sleep within fifteen minutes.

My question is this. Say he wakes up at 2 and is just whiny. Nothing I'd bother doing a check in with. At 2:04 he starts really crying. Do I do my first check in five minutes from wake up, or five minutes from when he got really upset?

nunzchucks

@Lilygrace48‌ with two it is hard, but going back to sleep twice last night is amazing! I start my timer from the moment of real crying. In your example, I'd go in at 2:09 unless he was showing signs of settling.

nicolemcm

Well, we're moving on to night 2 tonight. Last night was a fail since we rescued him after 2 hours, silly parents.

I'm kind of looking forward to tonight, not for the torture, but because I am just thinking about the light at the end of the tunnel when all is said and done.

nunzchucks

Update tomorrow @nicolemcm!

lest12

Great idea!

Last night was night 7 and we are in SUCH a better place than before.

Tonight is my last night weaning the 2:30 am feed. I'm nervous for tomorrow, although the weaning has been going very well.

Naps have been so much better with the exception of yesterday. I don't know what happened there.

nunzchucks

GL, @lest12! DS still woke up, but went right back to sleeping after weaning. DD just slept on thru. FX you get one of those results!

lest12

Thanks @nunzchucks‌! I hope so too!

nunzchucks

@camag I know what you're doing isn't ideal, but why not just deal with it until you're ready to start SleepEasy and then do everything (weaning, into own crib) at once? Or are you planning on sleep training with then in your bed? I think I'm confused.

TunieBee

I know this won't work for everyone, but I wanted to share my experience with night weaning.  My little guy was waking 3-4 times a night to eat.  When we started sleep training, we just went cold turkey with the night feeds.  I was terrified.  Amazingly, it worked!  He cried for 20 minutes in the MOTN the first night at 45 minutes in the MOTN on night 4.  Other than that he hasn't had an issue with it at all!  We are now on night 8.  He's sleep 6:30/7pm-6:30-7:30am. I know this is just one experience but I thought it might encourage other mamas.  Good luck everyone! 

katekat8721

Have not CIO yet, but we have implemented the other aspects of the book and things are going really well so far (day 2... give me a small victory aight lol).

We're following the nap formula and for once they're both going down on schedule right as they should. They don't fuss when we put them to bed, but when they wake up in the MOTN they do. We're letting them fuss. First night they fell back asleep. Second night hubby went in and fed V two ounces (WTF DH). They're sleeping now and I'm curious to see how tonight goes.

We may still need to do the CIO portion if they can't soothe themselves in the motn. We're just giving it a little more time.

RoccoStar

So glad to see this thread since I just read the book today! Im going back to work in two weeks and can't decide if it's better to start this now (since I'm still home for nap training too) or to wait until two weeks after I've been back at work. Any thoughts?

tclayton53

Just curious - what does the book say about early wakers? LO gets up between 4:45 and 5:30 every morning. Cooing, squealing and excited to start her day. I'd love to push that back to 6 or 7!

RoccoStar

There's a nice chunk of the book troubleshooting early wakers, depending on what time LO goes to bed, where they sleep, etc. it was only like $8 for the digital format and a quick read!

MrsRahl

I've got LO on this jacked up schedule and wanna know what you ladies think I should do with attempting this. My kids bedtime is SO all over the place! Some nights 9 and others 12:30 am! No matter what time she goes to bed she wakes between 4 and 7 am. Then I feed and change her and if I put her in the crib she will wake in an hour or 2. If I put her in the mama roo she will sleep until 10 at least if not noon. If she goes to bed closer to 8 or 9 shes up by 1 am. Now I'm a late night person my whole life but I don't want LO to get that as school was a bitch for me growing up because my mom allowed this and I'm afraid I'm repeating the pattern. So I guess I don't know if that amount of waking is bad because the schedule is so jacked up or how I get her to sleep earlier. And wtf are nap schedules seriously? ? I've never gotten her to nap in a crib but she'll sleep at night there np. What gives? Obviously I'm a sahm with one kid based on this story here.

nunzchucks

CAMag said:

@camag I know what you're doing isn't ideal, but why not just deal with it until you're ready to start SleepEasy and then do everything (weaning, into own crib) at once? Or are you planning on sleep training with then in your bed? I think I'm confused.

We intended to wean prior to sleep training so that we would be able to comfort them through the process. We were concerned that we would cave for crying because we would be worried they were hungry. As far as sleeping with us goes, we do not plan to do it long term. We will be transitioning them to their rooms soon and will eventually have them CIO there. We didn't want to implement before I took the boys out of town, though bc the book said traveling may not be the time for CIO. Does that make more sense? Maybe we are over thinking the whole thing. We are so tired!

I get what you are saying, now! I agree with your thought process on waiting until you are done traveling.

nunzchucks

@mrsrahl I recommend reading the book. It talks about laying out your kid's schedule. To me, it sounds like bed time is way too late (ideally between 6:30 - 8). Once you decide on the appropriate bedtime, the rest of the schedule falls into place. Also, being a SAHM of one makes this process super easy if it is what you choose to do because you can really commit to ironing out naps.

@RoccoStar‌ Do it now! You going back to work is a major life transition for LO so you'd really have to wait another 7-10 days after that. Do it while you can be home and really iron out the problems. Exactly what @krystalann94‌ said!

nunzchucks

MegEL85 said:

LO got up at 3:40 last night. I was like wtf, you haven't done that in weeks. When I finally got her up this morning she was dirty. Oops!

Ha! Been there! DS had an enormous poop 30 min into a nap and I had no idea. I let him fuss and he slept for another 1.5 hrs! I felt terrible when I got him up.

Jenn111211

I just finished the book. @CAMag‌ we've decided to wait until after all of our holiday travel too. We're trying a modified sleep lady shuffle in the mean time. DD already has major separation anxiety and doesn't like to be put down during the day. I'm hoping CIO will go better if we can help her become a little more independent first.

TunieBee

Our LO has been waking between 6:30-7 in the morning. He'll just hang in his crib for an hour or so. Is it ok to let him do this so we can sleep a bit longer or should I get him up immediately to feed and start the day? Thanks for the advice!

TunieBee

Also, what so you do in regards to feeds during a growth spurt?

nicolemcm

Ok, so I'm not sure if this is considered progress or two steps back...
So night 1: 1 hr 50m crying then we gave in and returned to cosleeping as usual.
Last night: 53 min crying followed by 1.5 hrs sleep, then awoke, nursed him but he was wide awake - so we returned to cosleeping at 12

lest12

@nicolemcm what was life like before you tried this?

Also, what was bedtime? Was he tired? Overtired?

lest12

@MaddieRosie‌ - if your lo is awake and entertaining himself then I'd leave him maybe he likes the quiet time in the am.

I haven't gone through a growth spurt. I would feed him, but wake him up to do it, not respond to cries with feeding.

nicolemcm

@lest12 most nights consist of bedtime routine between 630-7 (bath, jammies, nurse, song) and he would usually sleep for an hour or two in my arms, but then wake up at 9 or so wide awake and wanting to party. We usually play for a bit with him, then nurse again and DH rocks him to sleep and I go to bed with him. It's not terrible, but I'm just over the 11/12/1 bedtime and sharing the bed. And I want my damn duvet back for these cold nights!

eta i'm not entirely sure he slept those 1.5 hours that he was quiet - he was wide awake when I went to feed him at 10 and was super awake. We just thought he was happy to be with us, but he may have been overtired now that you mention it.

nunzchucks

@nicolemcm For this method to work, LO needs to be put down awake in his own crib after your bedtime routine. From then on out it is ONLY check ins unless you are weaning a feeding. Check ins only need to happen if LO is crying. Awake and happy or fussing? Let him put himself back to sleep!



He needs to stay in his crib for those 11 hours NO MATTER WHAT. Feeding upon waking isn't helping. If you're trying to wean that feed, you've got to wake up 1 hr before he normally does. This method teaches him to only wake slightly and go back to sleep in his own.

nunzchucks

MaddieRosie said:

Our LO has been waking between 6:30-7 in the morning. He'll just hang in his crib for an hour or so. Is it ok to let him do this so we can sleep a bit longer or should I get him up immediately to feed and start the day? Thanks for the advice!

I don't see a problem with it, but recognize that the first nap will start 2 hrs after he wakes so I'd keep an eye out so you can make sure he's napping on time. Also, you don't want him to sleep more than 12 hours either.

nunzchucks

MaddieRosie said:

Also, what so you do in regards to feeds during a growth spurt?

The book says babies over 5 mo do not need to eat at night. I assume DD just ate more during the day, though I can't really remember. Any night crying after weaning feedings should be handled with check ins.

TunieBee

Thanks for the advice!

nicolemcm

@nunzchucks
thanks for the tips! we're not weaning just yet, so I was planning a dreamfeed, but plans have gone awry
try, try again tonight!

nunzchucks

nicolemcm said:

@nunzchucks
thanks for the tips! we're not weaning just yet, so I was planning a dreamfeed, but plans have gone awry
try, try again tonight!

Good luck. Consistency is key here. Inconsistent responses are so confusing for LO and prolong the process.

nicolemcm

nunzchucks said:

@nunzchucks
thanks for the tips! we're not weaning just yet, so I was planning a dreamfeed, but plans have gone awry
try, try again tonight!

Good luck. Consistency is key here. Inconsistent responses are so confusing for LO and prolong the process.

I'm really struggling with the idea of night weaning. Could I handle these as if weaning ie set an alarm?

nunzchucks

nicolemcm said:

nunzchucks said:

nicolemcm said:

@nunzchucks
thanks for the tips! we're not weaning just yet, so I was planning a dreamfeed, but plans have gone awry
try, try again tonight!

Good luck. Consistency is key here. Inconsistent responses are so confusing for LO and prolong the process.

I'm really struggling with the idea of night weaning. Could I handle these as if weaning ie set an alarm?


I don't have an answer for this except that according to the book, after 5 mo or 15 lbs, LO is waking by habit not for hunger - page 39 end of page. We weaned both kids at that milestone.

TunieBee

nicolemcm said:

nunzchucks said:

nicolemcm said:

@nunzchucks
thanks for the tips! we're not weaning just yet, so I was planning a dreamfeed, but plans have gone awry
try, try again tonight!

Good luck. Consistency is key here. Inconsistent responses are so confusing for LO and prolong the process.

I'm really struggling with the idea of night weaning. Could I handle these as if weaning ie set an alarm?


I know I aleady said this earlier on the thread but seriously I was TERRIFIED to night wean. Our LO was eating up to 5 times a night. We followed Sleep Sense, not Sleepeasy, but it is very similar. Anyway, we night weaned COLD TURKEY with very little protest. You can do it! But I agree with @nunzchucks‌ that you have to commit or it's not fair to your baby or you.

nicolemcm

@nunzchucks
Okay (deep breaths), I can do this
Updates tmrw

nunzchucks

@nicolemcm I'm pulling for you! Please know I've been there so I'm saying things firmly from a place of understanding. DD was a horrible sleeper. We were rocking her for over an hour. The mixed message thing really hit home for me. How confusing that must be for a baby! I'm upset - what's going to happen this time? Eat? Cuddle? Nothing? Mom crying, too?

nicolemcm

thanks @nunzchucks and @maddierosie for your encouragement
i'm going into this tonight with my ass kicking pants on (sleep training, not LO hah)

nicolemcm

It's early into the evening, but he's been asleep for about an hour and 45 after 1hr12m crying.
Feeling optimistic about the rest of the night for a change.

nunzchucks

nicolemcm said:

It's early into the evening, but he's been asleep for about an hour and 45 after 1hr12m crying.
Feeling optimistic about the rest of the night for a change.

You got this. Be consistent!

lest12

Just updating... I had been weaning all week and planned in last night being the least night... Instead I just ripped the bandaid off and didn't go the extra night. He did great! Practically slept right through the night - maybe woke up and cried for < 5 minutes once or twice but to be honest, I'm not sure he was even fully awake. 9.5 hours of straight sleep, such success!

MrsRahl

For those night weaning. If my kid is going to bed at 11 and not waking until 6 or 7 to eat then going back to sleep until 10 am, would that be considered a night feeding because of our wonky schedule? If she wakes up at 4 am would I make her wait until what time?