Baby Sleep Training

[JVKn'CVO 11]

Even though I'm aware the AAP has issued a formal warning against babywise, I thought I'd add it because it is well known, and maybe someone here has used it.

Please use the option that best reflects your sleep training method, even if you did not follow it 100%. Use the "other method" option if the method that you used was really different from the other methods.

Thanks!

Saludos,

Caro

Edited May 25, 2010 by JVKn'CVO

[Dr. Obvious 49]

Other: I did little to nothing. Sleeping through the night or getting her back to sleep was rarely a problem. Just her personality or the way she was wired. No idea. Another reason to stop with one. If I had another, that kid would probably be the pointless, all night long screaming terror model. I dodged a bullet there.

[Jenn! 918]

Very controversial topic!

I have done no sleep training and as of right nor I'm not planning to. Adam still wakes a few times a night to nurse, but I really don't mind. I think we both enjoy the extra time together since I work full-time. Also, I've observed how his sleeping habits have evolved over time. His sleep is improving gradually and naturally, which is what I would expect and hope for.

None of the sleep training methods really resonated well with me. Although I don't think Sears really has a method per se. In fact, I think he discourages what one might categorize as "sleep training".

[Mithra 1,185]

I suppose I did something similar to the Sears method with my children. We did co-sleeping. It worked beautifully for us and I got lots more sleep than when I tried to put the children in their crib. The crib was used for maybe a month (at night), if that. I would use the crib for daytime naps once the children were able to roll around to prevent them from falling off the bed. Not only did I get more sleep with co-sleeping, it made breastfeeding much easier at night.

[Jenn! 918]

Not only did I get more sleep with co-sleeping, it made breastfeeding much easier at night.

[GabiandVi 34]

My daughter slept through the night starting at 8 weeks which was when I had to go back to work, so it worked out perfectly. However, as she grew older, I had a hard time putting her down for the night. I tried "controlled crying" but I was incapable of listening to the really angry crying. I caved, big time, and we did co-sleeping. The problem with that is she wouldn't go down until I did. I would lie down with her "for a few minutes" and wake up at 3:00AM to take my shower.

We are doing better now, but I'd say she climbs into bed with us 2 or 3 times a week.

[JVKn'CVO 11]

Oh yes, we've been sleep-sharing so far and it's been great, but now he's 8 1/2 months and I think it's time we start moving him to his own room

Saludos,

Caro

[Eveline 9]

No sleep training here either. I'm not a fan of it. If the kid won't sleep, there's probably a reason for it. Both my kids did great, sleeping and going to bed has never been an issue. I am trying to wean my daughter now which isn't working too well. She only nurses at night so she wakes up a couple of times every night and I usually give in to her 'boobie' whining... because that's what gets her back to sleep and I'm not gonna spend 3hrs at night awake 'sshhhh-ing' a 30lbs toddler around the house when a ####### is all it takes and 10 mins later she's snoring soundly.

[KaiserD 12]

LOL I BFed for a year, I don't miss it at aaaaalll.

Miles has a weird history. He had regular feedings and that was fine but after about (hmmm don't remember too much now) 6 months or so? Started sleeping very badly, he just wanted to be up all the time to play. BFing didn't work, he would just fight all the time so he wouldn't have to go to sleep. I was in severe pain from over abusing this practice in some hope of getting him to sleep.

We co slept for a while, I remember this working at some point but it stopped and he had this really bad habit where he would half wake up, sit up and flop backwards, he kept headbutting me all the time (10 - 12 months?), on top of being very sleep deprived this was driving me crazy. None of us were getting any sleep at all.

I am not against CIO, but I exhausted all other options first for the sake of peace in our house. I had sung, rocked, walked around and every time we lay him back down his eyes would just go wide open again and more screaming ensued. My inlaws (we lived with them for a while) were really against it though, my FIL was trying to convince me (seriously, he honestly believed this) that letting Miles CIO would make him lose the will to live and he would die of SIDS.

So we both went to pediatrician for advice (at about 12 months) who told us no that wouldn't happen and gave me instructions on a plan that was similar to the Ferber method. Routine, comfort him goodnight, leave the room with the door open/half open. Leave him from 2 - 10 mins (all depends on how much you think your child can handle), go back in. Explain sweetly that it's night time and he needs to sleep, lay him back down and repeat. If he was really really screaming, pick him up until he calms down (crazy angry babies don't rest well, who knew?) and go back.

My FIL couldn't bear this and we had a huge fight one night that came close to blows (he was not used to anyone challenging his authority at all). So DH and I decided it was more than over due for us to move out, we had our own house already, I was fully recovered from having Miles, DH had found another job. I was afraid that being in a new house would freak Miles out and he would not sleep not being in the same room with us. Within 2 days (yes, 2 days!!!) he no longer fought going to bed, had entire nights sleep and he was the happiest baby ever. Being a parent has been soooo much fun since then (He's 20 months now)

I would never say that CIO is good for everyone, I don't think there's one-size-fits-all for any child on anything but we, as parents, have to do what we think is best for our children (whatever that may be). It seems like lots of people are too afraid to use CIO (or similar) on their babies because they are afraid to be judged by others but as parents we can never do anything right anyway. Whatever you do someone will think you're a terrible mother/father and should be reported.

Instead of judging each other we should be supporting each other. Breastfeeding/bottle feeding, CIO or feeding on demand, co sleeping or however we go about it, they're all just methods that will get us to the same place, happy healthy little people. If you think bottlefeeding is wrong, don't do it, if you think CIO is wrong, don't let anyone bully you into it but at the same time we don't have the right to go telling other people what they should be doing in an effort to score points and to be perceived as a wonderful perfect parent.

[Eveline 9]

Speaking of co sleeping...We all usually go to bed in our own bed but still I woke up this morning with Allie nursing vigorously, my husband snoring next to me and my son tickling my feet (he sleeps at the end of the bed). All four of us were stuffed in a queen size bed . Happy times LOL.

[KaiserD 12]

Awwww that's so cute, the kind of thing that stays with you is what family should be about

[JVKn'CVO 11]

LOL I BFed for a year, I don't miss it at aaaaalll.

Miles has a weird history. He had regular feedings and that was fine but after about (hmmm don't remember too much now) 6 months or so? Started sleeping very badly, he just wanted to be up all the time to play. BFing didn't work, he would just fight all the time so he wouldn't have to go to sleep. I was in severe pain from over abusing this practice in some hope of getting him to sleep.

We co slept for a while, I remember this working at some point but it stopped and he had this really bad habit where he would half wake up, sit up and flop backwards, he kept headbutting me all the time (10 - 12 months?), on top of being very sleep deprived this was driving me crazy. None of us were getting any sleep at all.

I am not against CIO, but I exhausted all other options first for the sake of peace in our house. I had sung, rocked, walked around and every time we lay him back down his eyes would just go wide open again and more screaming ensued. My inlaws (we lived with them for a while) were really against it though, my FIL was trying to convince me (seriously, he honestly believed this) that letting Miles CIO would make him lose the will to live and he would die of SIDS.

So we both went to pediatrician for advice (at about 12 months) who told us no that wouldn't happen and gave me instructions on a plan that was similar to the Ferber method. Routine, comfort him goodnight, leave the room with the door open/half open. Leave him from 2 - 10 mins (all depends on how much you think your child can handle), go back in. Explain sweetly that it's night time and he needs to sleep, lay him back down and repeat. If he was really really screaming, pick him up until he calms down (crazy angry babies don't rest well, who knew?) and go back.

My FIL couldn't bear this and we had a huge fight one night that came close to blows (he was not used to anyone challenging his authority at all). So DH and I decided it was more than over due for us to move out, we had our own house already, I was fully recovered from having Miles, DH had found another job. I was afraid that being in a new house would freak Miles out and he would not sleep not being in the same room with us. Within 2 days (yes, 2 days!!!) he no longer fought going to bed, had entire nights sleep and he was the happiest baby ever. Being a parent has been soooo much fun since then (He's 20 months now)

I would never say that CIO is good for everyone, I don't think there's one-size-fits-all for any child on anything but we, as parents, have to do what we think is best for our children (whatever that may be). It seems like lots of people are too afraid to use CIO (or similar) on their babies because they are afraid to be judged by others but as parents we can never do anything right anyway. Whatever you do someone will think you're a terrible mother/father and should be reported.

Instead of judging each other we should be supporting each other. Breastfeeding/bottle feeding, CIO or feeding on demand, co sleeping or however we go about it, they're all just methods that will get us to the same place, happy healthy little people. If you think bottlefeeding is wrong, don't do it, if you think CIO is wrong, don't let anyone bully you into it but at the same time we don't have the right to go telling other people what they should be doing in an effort to score points and to be perceived as a wonderful perfect parent.

Thanks for posting and sharing your experience

Saludos,

Caro

[Nessa 23]

never sleep trained him. One day he just started to sleep all night. All I do is around 9 I put him in bed, sometimes he cries for a bit, if it's like more than 2 minutes I know he's not ready to sleep, so it's usually because I put him in bed too early, like 815 or he's hungry, so I make him a bottle, but usually I know when it's time and I take him to the crib and he sleeps after a while.

[DanielParul 50]

N/A other. We did not try any method per say. Adi was really good about sleeping all night from the beginning. He did have bad nights and for a couple of months slept in our bed too while he was teething a lot. We both just let him decide and be comfortable. One night he just pointed at the crib and told us to put him in there and thats where he's been sleeping and napping ever since.

[TBoneTX 45,266]

The Unfairness of Life: Naps are wasted on babies when we need them, zzz man.