Tell me about YOUR sleep training

CanuckFan03 · September 2011

I know there has been a TON of these posts, so forgive me.

Friday is the day. The day we stop swaddling cold turkey, and the day we start teaching B to put himself to sleep. We currently rock, bounce, walk with him until he is dead weight and transfer him to his crib. For naps, we are using the swing, but he is able to put himself to sleep most times if I put him in it sleepy (I realize its because of the motion of the swing)

So Friday I will start all naps and nightime in crib. NO swaddle. God help me.

We want to start putting him down sleepy, but awake.

Baby 411 says to allow him to protest (cry) for 10 minutes, then pick him up/sooth as needed and put him back down. Then if he starts crying again (and my son will) do I let him go another 10 minutes?

Healthy Sleep habits seems to kind of say to just leave him to CIO (Although its unclear because it says that in the 5 months section, but the story inside is of a 3 month old)

SO, what did you do? How long crying, intervals, how much holding, how to sooth.

Should I pick up Ferber's book? I'm not willing to just leave him to cry for hours(yet I suspect this might be the quickest method for my stubborn LO) but he has a soothier option doesn't he?

I promise I'll stop posting about this after next week. I just want to have a good plan to start on Friday and STICK to. I know consistency is key. I also know some of you lovely ladies started this last week - tell me your experience!

Lisa Frank · September 2011

I would get Ferber's book.

And HSHHC does have a method for a modified version. He goes through the different methods. Extinction, modified extinction etc.

CanuckFan03 · September 2011

Lisa Frank:
I would get Ferber's book.
And HSHHC does have a method for a modified version. He goes through the different methods. Extinction, modified extinction etc.

You're right. I went back and he has them listed and described (I guess I was confused as to the ages, but they're listed right on top with temperments)

I think I'll go pick up ferber today or tomorrow. Are you using it Lisa?

LLH2010 · September 2011

It may be easier than you expect. We rarely ever swaddled so we didn't have to cross that bridge, but for the last 2 months we give Lila her last bottle at 8pm, burp her, put her in her crib with the mobile on, and by 9pm she is conked out. Sometimes she fusses and sometimes she wants her pacifier, but other than that it is the easiest thing ever.

Temp38995750004016 · September 2011

Baby 411 gives several methods, but I think they mean for you to buy the book for the method you choose. That will answer questions like the one you have above. Sorry, I'm not being a smartass, but I really think choosing a method and learning about it will work best. That way you know what to do, why you're doing it, and you have a resource to go to when things don't go exactly as the book says you should!

We used parts of Babywise and EASY, so we didn't really have to CIO...but I researched Dr. Ferber's method too, in case we had to CIO when getting rid of the swaddle. www.momsoncall.com is pretty much CIO and I think would really work well for your situation, plus they are moms and are so nice about it on their webinar. It was worth the $30 even though I didn't use a whole lot of the info.

Temp38995750004016 · September 2011

OH! And it only took Georgia 1 or 2 nights to get used to no swaddle. She pretty much went cold turkey for naps on the first day. It really wasn't a big deal for us. Good luck!!

heikem87 · September 2011

I never swaddled LO just put her in a sleeping sack. I give her the last bottle around seven thirty or eight and then she wants her pacifier and pretty much falls asleep all by herself. Then at eleven she gets another bottle but she doesnt wake up from it. We?ve had this routine for about eight weeks now and I am very thankful for it.

knicoletti · September 2011

We just started this last week. Under our dr's advisement we had to start a new plan. Our baby is super chunky and didn't need to be waking up for feeding anymore. After our first few nights I thought for sure he would wake up starving, but never took any additional oz.

We implement a flexible CIO/Ferber Method. We put him down awake but sleepy. If he starts to cry we wait 4 minutes. After four minutes, we go in and pat/shush him for either 10 mins or until he calms for more than 30 seconds. (He always quiets long before the 10 mins). We leave the room and if he starts crying again, we wait 5 minutes and so on...

Only once did we make it to a 7 minute cry. It has helped us in the middle of the night too. He only wakes once now and quickly calms after we pat/shush. I am hoping he eventually just learnes to sooth himself.

Our dr also told us to start telling him that it is time to sleep. He told us to say the same sort of thing each time we go in so he starts to associate the words with the comforting with the sleeping.

This make sense?

Sorry if grammar and spelling is crazy. I am pumping in the men's bathroom at work!

Lisa Frank · September 2011

knicoletti:
Our dr also told us to start telling him that it is time to sleep. He told us to say the same sort of thing each time we go in so he starts to associate the words with the comforting with the sleeping.

I do something similar, but since the day I brought her home from the hospital, I sing Twinkle Twinkle before putting her down for nap/bedtime. Now that she's 4 months, once you start singing it she immediately calms down and knows it's time to sleep

rainfallki · September 2011

mullenem:

We de-swaddled cold turkey a few weeks ago and it went great. She woke a couple times the first night and hasn't woken up in the middle of the night since. She goes to sleep on her own at night too but we've been doing that from the beginning really.

Naps are where we're having issues. She's fighting them tooth and nail, has to be cuddled/rocked to sleep, and need to be a asleep for a good 5-10 minutes before we can put her down. Not sure what to do about it...she does SO well at night!

This is us, too. No problem with nighttime sleeping, no need to be rocked or nursed to sleep... except naps are just tough. I don't know if it's because he doesn't like the nanny putting him to sleep or if he gets overstimulated or what's going on. But since I work out of our home, I see the struggle and it's tough. I need to figure it out soon, though, because his lack of naps are making for a very cranky baby when normally he is as pleasant as can be!

pinkflipflops44 · September 2011

rainfallki:
mullenem:

We de-swaddled cold turkey a few weeks ago and it went great. She woke a couple times the first night and hasn't woken up in the middle of the night since. She goes to sleep on her own at night too but we've been doing that from the beginning really.

Naps are where we're having issues. She's fighting them tooth and nail, has to be cuddled/rocked to sleep, and need to be a asleep for a good 5-10 minutes before we can put her down. Not sure what to do about it...she does SO well at night!

This is us, too. No problem with nighttime sleeping, no need to be rocked or nursed to sleep... except naps are just tough. I don't know if it's because he doesn't like the nanny putting him to sleep or if he gets overstimulated or what's going on. But since I work out of our home, I see the struggle and it's tough. I need to figure it out soon, though, because his lack of naps are making for a very cranky baby when normally he is as pleasant as can be!

Naps are an issue here too. She naps in her swing still but will let others put her down, apparently shejust has us pegged for losers. Though, I only fight naps with her for 40 minutes and then I just put her in the swing. That is my limit. She sleeps flat at night but man will she fight a nap, even when I try to catch her early.

mzsparklepdx · September 2011

I've been reading the Sleepeasy Solution and will implement their strategies in a couple weeks. They have a very gentle, modified CIO and identify some other issues that may be related to frequent waking. I just went back to work last week and all the books say not to try sleep training in the middle of a transitions, so I'm using that as my excuse to put it off a little bit longer Big Smile

NothingLikeBarbie · September 2011

I started Pick Up/Put Down yesterday.

Prior to that, I nursed my baby to sleep all the time, and only slept in my bed. Starting yesterday he hasn't slept in my bed at all and has fallen asleep without the boob. I am pretty excited!

I pay extra attention to his awake time, and put him in his crib at the first sign of drowsiness. Then I put him in his crib. If he cries, I pick him up and cuddle him till he calms down. As soon as he calms down he goes back in his crib. Rinse and repeat till he falls asleep. It has worked great for us so far, and I like how I don't have to let him cry.

rainfallki · September 2011

NothingLikeBarbie:
I started Pick Up/Put Down yesterday.

Prior to that, I nursed my baby to sleep all the time, and only slept in my bed. Starting yesterday he hasn't slept in my bed at all and has fallen asleep without the boob. I am pretty excited!

I pay extra attention to his awake time, and put him in his crib at the first sign of drowsiness. Then I put him in his crib. If he cries, I pick him up and cuddle him till he calms down. As soon as he calms down he goes back in his crib. Rinse and repeat till he falls asleep. It has worked great for us so far, and I like how I don't have to let him cry.

How long (or how many times?) did you have to Pick Up/Put Down until he was asleep?

NothingLikeBarbie · September 2011

rainfallki:
NothingLikeBarbie:
I started Pick Up/Put Down yesterday.

Prior to that, I nursed my baby to sleep all the time, and only slept in my bed. Starting yesterday he hasn't slept in my bed at all and has fallen asleep without the boob. I am pretty excited!

I pay extra attention to his awake time, and put him in his crib at the first sign of drowsiness. Then I put him in his crib. If he cries, I pick him up and cuddle him till he calms down. As soon as he calms down he goes back in his crib. Rinse and repeat till he falls asleep. It has worked great for us so far, and I like how I don't have to let him cry.

How long (or how many times?) did you have to Pick Up/Put Down until he was asleep?

I am not sure how many times I PU/PD exactly..maybe 5 or 6? It takes me on average 20-25 minuets so far.

Edit/Tonight it only took 7 minuets and I only PU/PD 4 times.

paramedicswife · September 2011

NothingLikeBarbie:
I started Pick Up/Put Down yesterday.

Prior to that, I nursed my baby to sleep all the time, and only slept in my bed. Starting yesterday he hasn't slept in my bed at all and has fallen asleep without the boob. I am pretty excited!

I pay extra attention to his awake time, and put him in his crib at the first sign of drowsiness. Then I put him in his crib. If he cries, I pick him up and cuddle him till he calms down. As soon as he calms down he goes back in his crib. Rinse and repeat till he falls asleep. It has worked great for us so far, and I like how I don't have to let him cry.

I think when we're ready for something, this will be it. I like that you don't have to let them cry. I'm in the same situation right now (always nurse him to sleep & he's mostly only sleeping in our bed), I only hope that it goes as well for us as it did for you.

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