It went well...well, better than I expected.
We've tried ALL the gentle methods: No Cry Sleep Solution, The Sleep Lady, Co-sleeping, nursing to sleep, not nursing to sleep. You name it we've tried it. He just doesn't sleep well and it's hurting us all - including him. On the very few nights when he has slept 6 or 8 hours in a row he is SOOO much happier all day. Know he's tired all the time and that much more prone to having a full on tantrum - which always involves him banging his head. This weekend he split the skin on his forehead from all the banging. He's like an angry little zombie. So, much to my deep sadness we are sleep training/crying it out, for the sake of his poor little brusied head if nothing else.
So tonight, per his Speech Therapist's advice, we started the bedtime process earlier than normal. So at 7:15 he got a bath, by 7:30 he was in bed and DH is reading books for another few min then we are starting the sleep training. Greyson's therapist even told me "You have a VERY stubborn child. Don't be surprised if he screams at you for 3 hours every night this week." Oh great...
Luckily we didn't have 3 hours of screaming! I put a baby-gate up across his doorway and every 20 min. I went in and put him back into his bed and told him, "It's time to go to sleep". I' kept a timer with me! Man, 20 min is a LONG time with a screaming baby.
So last night after about an hour and a half he was suddenly quiet. I waited 5 min and went in to check on him. He was fast asleep at the foot of this bed, one leg hanging off the bed! It's like he was climbing back into bed after realizing just how tired he was and couldn't make it all the way. He had Smooch Lion tightly in his arms. It was so cute. I moved him all the way into bed and did a little dance of joy! He was asleep before 9:00pm!! That NEVER happens.
He slept until Midnight then woke up screaming. We had brought a timer into bed with us and set it for 5 min. So as soon as he woke up we hit the timer. After 5 min I went in and put him back to bed, just saying "It's bedtime." We only had to do that 3 times at midnight, so less than 20 min before he climbed back into his bed and went to sleep.
Then he slept until 3:30am, when we had a nearly exact repeat of the midnight situation. It took us three "checks" before he went to sleep.
He slept until 7:00 this morning and woke up in a better mood than he has in a LONG time! Plus his diaper wasn't soaked - which makes since because I didn't nurse him at all last night when normally it's an "all-night mom buffet". I'm hoping he'll eat better today because of that.
We had been waiting until 8:00 to START the bedtime routine. We started earlier last night (7:30ish) and I'm hoping to start at 7:00 tonight. I'm heard from a lot of people that an earlier bed time is key.
All in all I think it was a success. We will be sticking with this, for his sake!
3 comments:
Sleep training is rough! I did it with Madison around 8 months and there are still nights (and naps) where she will cry for 10 minutes before going to sleep. We do a 630 bedtime and still 2 naps a day. She's 17 months. Your so right, when she is crying time goes sooooo slow :) I usually go clean something and by the time I'm done so is she. Good luck!
I feel for you Morgan!! Luckily you and Michael will have this all figured out by the time I have kids. I'll just refer to your blog. Food, Sleep, etc. :) I can't speak from experience but I know that generally speaking the first time for anything is hardest, so hopefully the first night was the worst and each night gets a little easier. : ) Hope you all have a great weekend!! : ) Much love!!
I'm so proud and excited for you guys! I does SUCK!!! But you'll be so grateful and it will help all 3 of you so much in the long run! So glad he's learning how it works.
You'll have set backs, when he's sick, when you travel, etc... but try to stick to your routine as much as possible and just get back into it as quickly as you can.
There will always be glitches, but it sounds like you have really found something that works for you! That's great!
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