Sleep Training

Meg2634

Curious if anyone has started it yet and if so, what was your experience / what worked / didn't work / what methodology did you follow / did you modify. Pediatrician encouraged us to start thinking about it now. LO currently nurses to sleep. When we try putting her down awake but drowsy, she isn't happy about it. Fusses for a while then turns into cry. So I'm not looking forward to this if we decide to go this route...

momofmanyinthemitten

We LOVE The Sleep Whisperer Solves All Your Problems. We "sleep trained" DS at 2 mos to go to sleep on his own. With DD, we did PU PD with great results. However, DH had to do it because she expected to bf with me. CIO was not an option for her.

jenn248

We did Ferber right around four months; I had also been nursing DD to sleep and our ped recommended at her four-month appointment that we start sleep training.  

After her bath, we dim the lights and DH reads her a very short story in the glider (we thought it was better that he do this instead of me, since DD was used to me nursing her there).  He puts her in the crib awake; sometimes more drowsy than others.  If she cries, one of us goes in three minutes after she's started crying to soothe her (we rub her tummy or back and talk to her, but we don't pick her up).  If she keeps crying, we then go in five minutes later.  If she's still crying, you're supposed to go in every ten minutes after that, but we've been lucky in that we've never gotten to the ten minute mark; she always falls asleep after the five-minute check-in (sometimes before if we're lucky).  We also do this at nap time as well, minus the bath and story; it sometimes takes her a while to fall asleep during the day, but a lot of the time she just lays there and rolls around, and doesn't actually cry.

I haven't had too much of a problem letting her cry since it's for such a short period of time.  However, sometimes when I go into soothe her, she stops fussing and gives me this big smile, so then I feel super guilty leaving the room again. Oh well, the girl's gotta sleep, right?   

Starfish02807

Lo is four months. I started slow, I to was nursing her to sleep. I started with naps, so I nurse her after she has been up for an hour and a half, then I wrap her in a blanket and walk with her for five minutes, rubbing her back and telling her it is nap time in a soft voice. I put her down, kiss her forehead, say goodnight and leave the room. She fusses and whines for about five minutes then naps for about two hours. The most she has cried/whined is fifteen minutes. I have done this all week for her naps and it has been successful. I will start with nighttime next, just letting this sink in and having her building up her self soothing skills.

ashlena

We started a light version of sleep training when we moved DD to the crib when she was a week shy of 4 months. I pretty much read every single method that anyone with a PHD created. We pretty much took little parts from each one and made our own. If your LO is in the crib I HIGHLY recommend this sea horse https://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Ocean-Wonders-Soothe-Seahorse/dp/B0083IXKYY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369315978&sr=8-1&keywords=sea+horse

This came recommended by a girlfriend and DD LOVES it. It's crib safe and plays this soft music and the belly lights up this soft yellow glow. She scares at this sucker and then off to dream land. 

If she fusses and its not time to eat I wait 5 mins and if she hasn't put herself back down I go in, rub her head and put my hand on her chest (heavy hand) no speaking and I do NOT pick her up. Repeat this process if fussing continues and extend the amount of time you go in there for a few mins. So far the longest we had to let her fussy was 10-15 mins (longest 10-15 mins of my life). 

Now if she fusses it only last 5 mins and she is good and can put herself back down. It took about a week for her to get the hang of it. 

 

ashlena

Stares**** at this sucker not scares!