Talk to me about: Sleep Training
MrsRiceARoni
member
I know ST has been a popular topic on the board recently so some of this will be a repeat but I also have some specific concerns that I haven't seen discussed. DD has never been a good napper but from about 2.5-4 months she was a great sleeper at night only waking up once a night to feed (in a 11-12 hour stretch) and going back down easily. Ever since she hit four months she's been waking up a lot more, sometimes to eat but often again about an hour after eating just needing to be comforted back to sleep, she is also getting even more difficult to put down at night. She still hardly naps so I am getting warn out, at least before I could recharge at night after a difficult day but that hasn't been the case for the last month. I know sleep training is generally not recommended until 6 months but with her lack of napping it could take me a month to read a STing book so I'm looking for recommendations now.
I'd love to know what method of STing you used and what your thoughts on it are, when you started STing. Also DD is still swaddled, we've tried one arm out a few times but she isn't having any of it, she refuses to go to sleep that way and the one time mh was able to get her to fall asleep with one arm out she woke up when he tried to put her down and screamed for hours after. Can we even use STing if she is still swaddled or will we have to take away the swaddle as well? Will it be too much trying to eliminate the swaddle and ST at the same time? We also currently put her down completely asleep, we used to be able to put her down sleepy but that also went out the window when she hit four months so now we are putting her down completely asleep like we had to when she was a newborn
Thanks for any advice you have and sorry if any of it is a repeat but I am exhausted and could really use some help. DD is a very extreme personality and is exhausting enough during the day but this whole lack of sleep at night too has me on edge.
Re: Talk to me about: Sleep Training
I read Pantley's No Cry Sleep Solution and Ferber's Solve Your Child's Sleep Problem. Both have good information. NCSS is less prescriptive and takes more preparation, trial and error and patience, IMO. When we were to the point of needing to ST, I was not in any position to exhibit much patience (i.e. a zombie due to lack of sleep), so we went with Ferber's method which is more of a one-size-fits-most approach.
We eliminated swaddle and paci (although he never was too attached) all at once when we started STing, just before DS hit 6 months. I wouldn't say it was too much all at once at all.
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I know you said you don't have the time to read the books but can't you get a copy of Baby 411 from the library? They have a chapter on sleep you could read in 15 minutes and they outline various methods. You can decide which one you would like to try and maybe just research that one method online or even ask again here.
That being said, I would address the de-swaddling first before you start STing. She will outgrow that thing before you know it and before you are even ready. Keep trying with the one arm out method.
We are doing the Ferber method where you put them to bed before they get overtired, awake. They may yell for a while and you do progressive waiting where you go in and soothe them, but not pick them up, for a minute or less, leave the room and if the crying continues, return to the room and do the same thing starting at five minutes then longer each time until they fall asleep. First night it took DD a hour and she was mad as hell. Second night she went up with no issue but last night she fell asleep before I could get her in the crib so we are still working on it.
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Thanks for your response, Ferber is the method that I'd been considering just from what I've seen mentioned on the boards I think I'll get the book to check out on my kindle. DD isn't very attached to the paci but she is very attached to the swaddle so I think that's where our struggle will probably be. I do feel like I am approaching zombie status so I'm thinking STing will need to start sooner than later I just wonder how it'll work with such an extreme personality like DD. Is your DS generally easy going ?
We haven't done any ST so I can't help there, but as far as the swaddle, DS used the merlin's sleepsuit as a transition and now he's totally out of both. It really helped, it's tricky though since it's summer... I'm not sure how hot it is there? If his room is pretty cool you could look into that.
I will say, it wasn't magic, but it did help transition!
Married the love of my life 7/11/09 - Our first baby, Peyton Mark, was born sleeping 10/25/11 at 33 weeks - Our second baby, BFP 2/4/12, welcome to the world Raylan! Holy Moly, BPF 2/4/14, please be safe and sound little one!
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We live in AZ so it is definitely hot here but we do keep our house cool especially at night since I can't sleep when it's warm, I'll look into the sleep suit.