I am no expert on the subject nor do I plan to become one. This is just my experience I am going to share with you (the internet) in the hopes it will help some lost mother desperate for sleep.
Sleep and having a child under the age of.....ohhh 18 , is possible! I know it is because most nights I am getting some!
Yup I am getting some! Who knew that the expression getting some would regard sleep and not the other S word when you became a parent. Not to say the other S word is not important to get but when you are not getting the some of the sleep well...then you are not doing (I mean getting) some of the other S word. Follow? No? Good. Lol
So sleep and I have reunited and what a reunion it was! How I was able to function on such little sleep and not be a total...ahem..grump...is beyond me. Let’s just say it must have been some hormones or mothering instinct that kept me sane. When you are getting 5-6 hours of broken sleep and are still able to function relatively well, I call that a miracle. I can hardly believe I had the energy to try sleep training let alone look up how to do it.
There are so many articles and opinions on the subject it can literally make your head spin. Some say do some say don’t. Some articles claim you will cause brain damage, attachment issues. Basically I read a whole lot of things that would lead me to feel guilty about letting my baby self sooth.
Somehow I came across one website that really opened my eyes. It was post from other moms calling out for help. The best part though, was that everyone was sharing their experience. I could read about a mother whose baby was crying for an hour and still not sleeping but then read on a day or two and now said child is going to bed without a peep and sleeping all night. Is that possible?
It gave me hope. I could do this...I could have a baby that sleeps through the night right? One that doesn’t need to be held or nursed to sleep. A baby that doesn’t need his mother to fall asleep but Daddy or grandma or grandpa could put down just as easily.
So I began the journey of sleep training (which didn’t take too long actually).
A week before D day (or sleep day) we started a very structured routine. Put William in pjs (and clean diaper) give bottle (not nurse since I didn’t want him to associate sleep and me) read story (since I didn’t want him to have to fall asleep with bottle or nursing) sing song and put in crib AWAKE! That is the key. He needs to be put down awake.
Then promptly leave the room. Let him cry for 5 minutes and then you can go to him. Sooth him but do not pick him up. Stay no longer than 2 minutes in his room and leave again. Wait 10 minutes before going in and do it again. Then wait 15...20etc.
I know that I probably lucked out with William because some parents have had to listen to their little ones cry for 3 hours plus...and honestly I don’t know..I would probably have caved.
I was lucky...the first night was 47 minutes I think (already details are getting blurry)
Regardless...it was worth it. Now a few weeks later he goes to bed most nights without a peep.
We actually went away this weekend and kept with the sleep training. He cried a total of 8 minutes. So Matt went in once at 5 minutes and William cried maybe 2-3 minutes after Matt left the room.
Now he is sleeping most nights straight through until 7-7:30. Maybe waking once in the night but most nights sleeping through.
As for naps I use the bedtime routine (except no bottle he will nurse) and read a book and I put him down. He is going to sleep on his own and having longer naps. It is a beautiful thing!
So...if you have been thinking about sleep training my advice would be set a plan and do it! Don’t look back. From what I have read within a week (if not sooner) the baby will have it. You will be happier and so will your child.
True story yo!
