Hi Ladies,
I've been doing some research on sleep training and was considering it for my LO when I came across this article, the first of its kind from what I've read, and I'm confused as to whether ST is way to go.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/parenting/whyinolongerbelievebabiesshouldcrythemselvestosleep/article622978/?utm_source=SharedArticleSenttoUserutm_medium=Email:Newsletters/EBlasts/etc.utm_campaign=SharedWebArticleLinks
Please note, I am not attempting to start any controversy over this as I know there are camps on either side of the ST issue and I respect both! I just want to solicit some opinions and sage advice from those who have successfully/unsuccessfully tried or do ST and whether this is a concern for you. TIA :
Re: Confusion Regarding Sleep Training Article
We don't do CIO methods because I'm all AP style and barely put the kid down as it is. I think it's flat out cruel as a baby to let them cry. I still rarely let my 2.5 yr old cry for more than a couple of min. That said, there are a lot of sleep training methods that don't involve just letting the baby scream. And there is a difference between a little fussiness and actual crying. And some kids scream no matter what you do! And every family has to find what works for them.
You've gotta do what you think is right. That being said, I don't see how posting this won't start controversy.
I talked to a psychologist about doing it before we did sleep training. He said there was nothing to back up the idea that crying for a while would hurt her emotionally or psychologically, and I trust him. Also a bunch of friends used the method we follow, and all of their kids are fine, so that makes me feel comfortable with what we do. If you're not comfortable with any sort of crying for your kids, don't do it. It's that simple.
FWIW, we don't just let her cry for an hour. When we started, we did regular checks every 10 minutes. I don't want to jinx it, but DD doesn't need any checks most nights now.
Watch, tonight she'll cry for a half hour now that I said that. :P
Honestly, I'm getting pretty sick of reading stuff like this. IMO, everyone thinks about it too much. If you can't do CIO, then don't. If you can, then try it. If whatever you're trying isn't working, then try something else. I don't think anyone now advocates letting the baby cry for hours on end and never going back in to soothe. You have to decide what works for you and your baby and go from there.
Personally, we learned that DD likes to just be put down when she's tired- no rocking or holding. The longer we stay with her before naps or bedtime, the more she wants us to stay and then cries when we leave. If we set her down and leave immediately, she's fine.
First round of Clomid in May 2012= BFP #1, DD born January 2013
BFP #2 in January 2014, DS born September 2014
P.S. I think I read waaaaay too much for my own good
A friend from MOPs has said this as well. She said they tried rocking like their previous child, and it just didn't work. But know one seems to believe her (babysitter/church nursery etc), until they finally try it, and it works.
DD2 is the same way...DH says she takes after me. When I am ready to go to sleep, I don't want to snuggle. I want my space.
Apparently so does DD2 since she does much better if I just lay her in her crib and giver her a couple of pats.
Haha thanks! I finally figured it out after several nights of bedtime consisting of at least 30 minutes of crying and her getting more and more agitated the longer we tried to soothe her. She was exhausted, but as soon as we'd put her in her crib and started to close her door, she'd bawl. Now I hold her for like 5 seconds, put her down, and don't look back. She almost always goes to sleep right away.
First round of Clomid in May 2012= BFP #1, DD born January 2013
BFP #2 in January 2014, DS born September 2014
This is DS, too. When he's ready to sleep, he wants to be in his bed so he can find his "sweet spot" my husband calls it and nod off. If we rock him, he thinks we want to play, so he starts getting wound up again. If we prolong it in any way, we set ourselves up for a 25 minute meltdown before he falls asleep.