Since there are so many post about sleep training, I thought we could start a daily post about how things are going and how things aren't going.
Feel free to share and ask as many questions as you want, I'm sure they will all get answered by someone.
Side note: I'm not on regularly enough so feel free to commandeer this daily post if it has not already been posted for the day.
Re: Sleep Training Check In
I will start. I'm doing Ferber. I'm liking it because DD doesn't fuss when she goes down at night. But I hate it when she wakes up at 4. I feel like she cries and cries and there is no end.
THIS ISN'T THE BUMP, THIS IS SPARTA!!!
We did some sleep training about 3 weeks ago after a string of bad nights. DS was a really good sleeper (sttn) until then. He was waking up about an hour after he'd go to bed at night, and then 3-4 times per night. I think teething/learning a new skill (crawling) was to blame.
We wanted to be able to put him to bed drowsy but awake. I was previously nursing or bottle feeding him to sleep. I read up on the Ferber method online, and decided to give it a shot.
Turns out, it was the best thing we ever did. Here's the breakdown:
We checked in on him at 3, 5, and then 10 minute intervals.
1st night: cried for 40 minutes, then STTN
2nd night: cried for 20 minutes, then STTN
3rd night: cried 7 minutes, then STTN
4th night: made a short "waaaah" then fell asleep, and STTN.
Going to bed has been super freaking awesome ever since.
I didn't even think of the crawling aspect. When your DS was crying, did he ever get to a full out scream? Thats where I caved the first night. And after he went down, did he sttn or did he wake up and you repeated?
THIS ISN'T THE BUMP, THIS IS SPARTA!!!
Yeah, I'm sure he did some full out screaming, but we were checking on him every 3, 5, then 10 minutes. DH and I would go in and rub his back a little, put his blankie in his hands, and say some soothing words. After he fell asleep, he was out for the night.
Edit: double post!
You're telling me that while he used to wake multiple times per night, he STTN from night #1 of sleep training?!
I attempted some modified Ferber last night - it was terrible and I gave up - I'm not in the least upset that I gave up, either. I have a post below about it. I think DS is now scared sh!tless of his crib (he used to play in there just fine), and he's being incredibly clingy. He freaks the eff out if I even make a motion that might result in me putting him down.
I'm going to go take a nap with him now.