Our new pediatrician sort of put a guilt trip on me for being a softy and getting up with Willa whenever she would cry. So I decided to man up and start her on a sleep training program.
It broke my heart the first night to hear her cry. She cried for 2 hours straight even though I went in every 3, then 5, then 10 minutes to pat her back and comfort her. But now, 6 nights later she is doing FABULOUS! She has slept over 10 hours the last 3 nights without making a peep. And she falls asleep by herself in her crib within 10 minutes in the evening and at naptime. It is so nice to be getting some good sleep. And I must admit it has been a little liberating to let her cry.
6 comments:
so is the secret just not to go in and get her?!? more details, please!!
Yes, how does this work?! : )
It is so hard to hear them cry!! We pretty much let her cry her self to sleep right from the beginning and I'm so thankful we did. We followed the guidelines in Babywise and have loved the results.
She is getting so big! I'm glad you're both sleeping better. Life is good when everyone sleeps!
I used the Controlled Crying method found here
http://www.askbaby.com/baby-sleep-training.htm
I needed something very specific. I followed it exactly and actually set a timer. The first night was hard on both of us but she got progressively better each night. It was worth it. I don't think I could have let her cry when she was younger but now I feel like she is big enough to cry a little. Silly.
Actually I didn't follow it exactly. I just re-read it. I went in every 3, then 5, then 10 minutes from then on the first night. But I quickly discovered that she would cry harder when I went in so it was better to leave her for longer periods of time. The second night was when I started the schedule on the website.
I also started a wake up routine to teach her when it was time to wake up. It is opening the curtains to let the sun in, singing a good morning song, and then feeding her.
Post a Comment