night wakings--need non-Ferber help

KirstensMOH

I am ready to conclude Ferber has not helped us with night wakings. It did help DS learn to fall asleep without nursing and minimal fussing, but it has not helped with night wakings. Only nursing gets him sleeps and relaxed again, so I can put him in his crib awake and he'll fall back asleep. I know this is related to other posts, but I have a few specific questions:

1. I know they say wakings may be related to milestones. He has learned to crawl and got two teeth recently. How long does that relation last? The night wakings began months before, and are still going on.

2. Does Baby Whisperer or any other book specifically address night wakings without CIO? ?

Any other advice is appreciated. Some have suggested I just nurse him and put him down, that eventually he'll outgrow it and may just not be ready yet. Any insight into that??

laur1120

Yeah I think if it is ongoing it's not related to milestones.  I know my DD's problem is that she doesn't knwo how to put herself to sleep- totally my fault cause I rock her to sleep and then she needs me to do it during the night and then towards the end of the night I can't even put her down cause seh will wake up.  Fun times!!

I'm reading LOTS of sleep books to decide how I want to do it. (i'm not down with ferber)  Baby Whisperer's method is pick up/put down.  Basically you pick them up if they start to cry and soothe them but as soon as you calm them put them back down.  Repeat as often as necessary- some babies take 100 times some only 10 times.  The idea is that you are there soothign them but they will have to go to sleep lying in the crib on their own.  I'm reading the no-cry sleep solution right now which obviously is not CIO- haven't gotten to the solutions part yet though.  This method does take longer because there is no crying. 

I also read the sleep easy solution which was a good book and very easy to follow but it is very similar to ferber (you keep checking on them).  There is also the sleep lady method where you sit in a chair and soothe them and gradually move further and further away from them until they go to sleep on their own. 

Sorry so long! My advice is to read up on different methods and see what method you are comfortable with.  (i've just been getting the books from the library so I dont' have to spend a fortune!)  GL!!

funchicken

Night wakings are definitely related to milestones.  When DD learned to crawl, she sort of had a bunch of milestones at once...crawling, pulling up, cruising.  They all happened in a really short amount of time, and it wasn't until she had them all down that she cut back on the night wakings.  They're also constantly picking up new cognitive and language skills.

I haven't read the Baby Whisperer, but we waited out the night wakings, and she's sleeping much better now.  We've always stayed consistent in our routine if she wakes at night.  We only take her out of the crib if she won't settle back down, and we don't take her out of her room or turn on any lights.  I really think it depends on the baby, but DD seems to be outgrowing the night wakings on her own.

Good luck!

 

star173

I'm reading the "no cry sleep solution". I'm only in the 3rd chapter, but it seems helpful and judging from the title, it doesn't advocate CIO. Good luck!