Sleep Training Survivors Thread

CatherineDC2012 · January 2015

Baby Tylenol does not work for us, barely drops a fever and does nada for what we think is pain. Motrin is better.

I tried soothing last night, I lasted approx. 30 seconds. She shrieked as though I was cutting her in half, took the "lovey" which is an Olivia the pig and literally tossed it across the room. WTF? is this a normal reaction? I seriously don't think soothing may be for us if this is the case. holy. S.

CalinAZ · January 2015

@CatherineDC2012 - "soothing" always made Evan angrier, because he felt like if we were right there, we should pick him up. The "sleepeasy solution" book recommends only coming halfway into the room and talking from there. Not that that went any better for me, but who knows, it might for you.

We always looked at it that we were just reassuring him we were still around, not actually expecting that it would make him happier.

CatherineDC2012 · January 2015

thanks, this is so brutal. Im at the end of my rope. She hasn't STTN since October and I'm a shell of the person I used to be. Lack of sleep is brutal on everything and everyone.

BADASBKRCK · January 2015

Do you keep the same bedtime for Lo on the dot, or does it vary a little bit depending on circumstances?

kmos816 · January 2015

BADASBKRCK said:
Do you keep the same bedtime for Lo on the dot, or does it vary a little bit depending on circumstances?

It varies, she's typically asleep by 8 am give or take 30 minutes depending on how tired she is.

BADASBKRCK · January 2015

So I'm sick as hell and want DH to put DD to bed tonight. Is it alright to switch up parents during sleep training?

BADASBKRCK · January 2015

Never mind...worked out just fine with DH putting her to sleep instead of me.

jgallegos · January 2015

@Liane28‌ I would like to hear what you did if that's ok? We did sleep easy for bedtime and nights at 7 months but teething and lots of travel has totally backtracked us to newborn days. I want to do training again and am also wondering if I should wean him since he nurses back to sleep or sleep train MOTN too? I tried all the no cry methods and he's having none of it. I don't think I've slept more than a five hour stretch since he was born and those are rare.

lisabugg444 · February 2015

LO was constantly waking after bedtime and would only sleep in my arms in the glider or co-sleeping in the bed with us. I didn't mind the snuggles and closeness, in fact I enjoyed it. The problem was the time between her bedtime and our bedtime--we didn't want to go to bed at 7, and we were getting no personal time (I get home from work around 6 or 6:30 and would spend the whole evening in the nursery, it seemed like). I would give her a bottle and rock her to sleep, then gently lay her in the crib. She would wake anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes later, realize I wasn't there, and scream. I would pick her up and she'd instantly go back to sleep. Put her back in crib, she wakes up, cries, repeat until one of us finally lays down with her. This went on for 4 months. It was exhausting and really strained our relationship.

We read all the baby sleep books and tried to do the "No Cry Sleep Solution," but it was "too gentle" to make any real change. We were really hesitant to do any CIO methods, hoping it would pass on its own. It didn't. Finally after her 9 month checkup and with the pediatrician's support, DH decided it was time for sleep training. (He's the SAHP, so he gets the brunt of the sleep deprivation). LO wasn't even happy co-sleeping anymore, so I knew it was time to do something.

We chose the Ferber method with the timed interval check-ins. Started exactly one week ago. The change has been absolutely incredible. Before, we never gave her a chance to learn how to soothe herself back to sleep. We always rushed in and did it for her. Now she goes to sleep with no crying and sleeps soundly from 7 pm to 5 am . She hasn't done this since she was like 4 months old! (even then it was only for a few weeks.) I actually get to read or watch tv or chat with DH at night now.

I know it's only been a week, and I know we will hit rough patches with teething and sickness, but I never thought it was possible for LO to put herself to sleep and sleep for long stretches like that. Just wanted to share in case there's others out there who felt like me. Glad to share specifics if asked.

BADASBKRCK · February 2015

Congrats Lisabugg444! We are about 2 weeks in now and it is absolutely amazing. Spending a few hours alone with DH has made us both feel a little better.

lisabugg444 · February 2015

BADASBKRCK said:
Congrats Lisabugg444! We are about 2 weeks in now and it is absolutely amazing. Spending a few hours alone with DH has made us both feel a little better.

I feel like I have my life back!

katy4128 · February 2015

Hi ladies! I haven't posted on this thread yet but have read most of it! LO is almost 10 months old and has a hard time at night. I can get him to sleep but it is the staying asleep that is hard. We put him in his crib after he is asleep and he does fine for about two to four hours then the only way he will go back to sleep is if he is sleeping with me. His room is completely baby proof and we sleep on the floor together after he wakes up. I am so over that! Any advice would be great!!

katy4128 · February 2015

@MrsStanton87‌ We pat his back for about 10 minutes. I have not read any books yet. DS was sleeping through the night from about 4 weeks old until 8 months now I'm stuck. I don't feel like I could do CIO. Any recommended books?

kmos816 · February 2015

Katy0525 said:
@MrsStanton87‌ We pat his back for about 10 minutes. I have not read any books yet. DS was sleeping through the night from about 4 weeks old until 8 months now I'm stuck. I don't feel like I could do CIO. Any recommended books?

I would read the Ferber book. I was hesitant to do CIO. But I read the book and was all ready for a ton of crying, but C surprised me and didn't cry at all! We had bounced/nursed her to sleep for 8 months; I think she was just ready to fall asleep on her own! She did cry at nap time but only for 3-4 days; 8 min was the most crying. His book is more than CIO and gives options for those that want a more gradual approach- and Ferber doesn't call it CIO.

katy4128 · February 2015

@kkaew816‌ I will have to look into it! I am not opposed to a little crying so I think that might be a good mix!

rrachelle813 · February 2015

We bed share as well and i can't take it anymore. My problem is that my DD is so restless. I'm pretty sure I could get her to fall asleep in her crib...but staying asleep is a completely different story. She would be all over the place and constantly waking herself up.

lisabugg444 · February 2015

tlp2558 said:

@kkaew816‌ I will have to look into it! I am not opposed to a little crying so I think that might be a good mix!
Every kid is different - my LO cried hard for 3-4 days (30-40 mins each night - I cried too) but then he dropped down drastically to fussing for <10 mins and now he's pretty good at just a min of fussing or nothing at all. I didn't think I could do "CIO" but bed sharing wasn't working anymore and we had to do something. It was a "rip the band-aid" for us. Ferber saved my sanity. I hope you can find something that works for you!

Also, I left the house for the first three nights. I went to my best friend's house and did fun activities to keep me occupied, while checking in every 30 minutes with DH. We both agreed it was for the best. I'm so proud of DH for being strong and doing what I couldn't... and it wasn't as bad as I feared. I have an anxiety disorder and my anxiety skyrockets when LO cries... probably why I resisted sleep training for so long.

katy4128 · February 2015

@lisabugg444‌ that is so great you were able to get out of the house! My dh usually caves before I do which would make that not an option for us.

lisabugg444 · February 2015

Katy0525 said:

@lisabugg444‌ that is so great you were able to get out of the house! My dh usually caves before I do which would make that not an option for us.

Ah, in that case I would send HIM out of the house. Whichever parent is more likely to be more upset.

kmos816 · February 2015

If you can't get out of the house keep busy! I would do dishes, laundry anything to keep myself busy during the crying periods!

BADASBKRCK · February 2015

I may be setting a bad example here... but we didn't read any books, I just gathered info from this thread actually and kind of made it up as I went along. It is working really well so far! I guess its kind of a CIO method. We were very lucky though because DD has mostly slept through the night since the beginning.

katy4128 · February 2015

We kinda did our own thing last night and it seemed to work! LO only cried for about 18 mins! We did check ins every few minutes with the check ins at 3 mins/5mins/10mins. After the ten min check in he fell asleep! Yay!! He slept from 8:30-330 without any wake ups. Do you all do the same thing in the middle of the night as you do for the bedtime routine?

lisabugg444 · February 2015

Katy0525 said:
We kinda did our own thing last night and it seemed to work! LO only cried for about 18 mins! We did check ins every few minutes with the check ins at 3 mins/5mins/10mins. After the ten min check in he fell asleep! Yay!! He slept from 8:30-330 without any wake ups. Do you all do the same thing in the middle of the night as you do for the bedtime routine?

Yes, we did. There was more crying after the MOTN feedings at first. Those are getting better. We also tackled naps the same way. Some people opt to address just one at a time. There's pros to each approach, I think.

katy4128 · February 2015

@lisabugg444‌ okay, I was wondering because that is where we have the biggest trouble. Tonight we will try to do that during wake ups. For nap time, I rock him a little and he falls right to sleep. He will sleep 1.5 hr straight during nap time so no wake up issues there.

lisabugg444 · February 2015

Katy0525 said:

@lisabugg444‌ okay, I was wondering because that is where we have the biggest trouble. Tonight we will try to do that during wake ups. For nap time, I rock him a little and he falls right to sleep. He will sleep 1.5 hr straight during nap time so no wake up issues there.

To clarify, when she wakes up MOTN, we go right in and get her, because we know she needs a bottle. We don't make her wait. We give her the bottle in the nursery, no lights or talking. Then when she finishes, we put her down drowsy but awake and leave. The first week she would protest, but now she's adjusting and doesn't cry much an more. Then in the morning, we go in and turn on the light and turn off her white noise machine first, so she "gets" it's time to start the day.

Mmk724 · February 2015

Did anyone try the Ferber stepped soothing with a LO who is starting to pull themselves up in the crib? I'm beginning to think about using this method but when I leave DS in the crib he pulls himself up and then sometimes falls and hits his head... If you are in the waiting phase and they fall, do you go in?

Rachnan · February 2015

I posted a little while back about this. My little guys is doing great (for the most part) at night, but we are still bouncing and holding for the majority of naps. If we put him in the crib when he's tired during the day he seems to get a second wind and just stands up and plays around in the crib. Any ideas? We used Ferber at night and he did really well with it.

clbailey5 · February 2015

So I read the sleep easy solution a few months ago when my daughter was 6 months....... Just recently she has been sick so we had some major regression she is also pulling herself up in her crib (I skipped over this part when I read the book the first time) hopefully she will get back in track soon...... Just wondering though what are the differences between sleep easy and Ferber? Anyone tried both and proffered one?

lisabugg444 · February 2015

Our LO stands up in the crib. When they're first doing it, you can watch them on the monitor to make sure they don't bump their head and reassure yourself. After some practice they will learn how to safely sit down. Just make sure your mattress is at a safe level.

lisabugg444 · February 2015

If LO were to fall and hurt herself (and her cry reflected it), then yes I would go in. But by the time we did the sleep training, she already knew how to sit down herself.

BADASBKRCK · February 2015

Nap training (kind of)-When do you throw in the towel and retrieve the baby? She has never napped in her crib, we usually rock her to sleep and put her in the pack n play. I figured I'd try it this time and she was playing for 10 minutes but now she is just crying.

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