Sleep Training: Good & Bad Days
For those on FB, you would have seen my updates. It's been almost a month since we started sleep training based on The Sleepeasy Solution; essentially a CIO / Ferber method. The book promises states that it would work for the majority in 7 days or less (average 5 days). Knowing our stubborn little ox bunny, there was no way we'd fall in the majority / average category.
We had originally started with both night sleep and nap training as suggested by the book but gave up on nap training on Day 3 (Monday morning) after she cried for the full hour of her first nap. Mr. P felt that nap wasn't too big of an issue plus he saw how stressful it was for me to deal with her cries 'on my own' (my helper is around but I can't throw a tantrum at her like I do to him) in the day. The first 3 nights were really tough, but we got through it; she averaged between 20-40 minutes of crying for the first 8 days. The following Monday through Thursday she barely cried (between 30s - 4 min). Just as I was patting myself on the back, it all came back with a vengence; 2nd Friday - 35 mins, 2nd Sat - 20 min and the longest ever on 2nd Sun - 53 min.
I nearly died that 2nd Sunday, it went against every grain of my being to let her cry wail. I was in a full stropp with Mr. P and wanting to kill myself / throw in the towel. We got through it eventually and in the last 2 weeks we are back to between 0-47min (3rd Sunday - what's with her crying so much on Sundays?).
I keep her routine - bath, cuddles, quiet time on the couch for her to crawl away her excess energy, quick suckle then put down - relatively consistent and put her down between 6.45-7pm everyday yet some nights are easier than others. The book advocates that I put her down wide awake, which doesn't quite work for me. I've adapted to reading her signs when she is drowsy and ready to drift off. I guess those tougher nights have proven that she is indeed our daughter; being so stubborn and putting up a big fight.
The best thing is that she has consistently getting quality sleep (knock on wood) of between 10-11 hours. I rouse her gently for a dream feed around 11.15pm and pop her straight back after a 15 minute suckle and on good days she wakes at 6am, bad around 5am.
All in, it is a VAST improvement on the previous sleeping arrangement we had before sleep training. At least now, I get to drink the occasional glass of wine with Mr. P or even just chill on the couch with him. We even managed a BBQ for 9 adults and 2 toddlers the other day while she slept!
Here's a big thanks to Stella for introducing the book!
P.S. If anyone wants Elizabeth Pantley's The No-Cry Sleep Solution (softly softly / gradual approach DOES NOT work for our little terror), you can have mine. Just buy me a coffee in return. I am heading back to SG Sep 4-9, let me know I'll bring it with.
P.P.S. For those people without sleep issues or with a child that "oh just drops off to sleep anytime anywhere" STFU and go gloat somewhere else.
We had originally started with both night sleep and nap training as suggested by the book but gave up on nap training on Day 3 (Monday morning) after she cried for the full hour of her first nap. Mr. P felt that nap wasn't too big of an issue plus he saw how stressful it was for me to deal with her cries 'on my own' (my helper is around but I can't throw a tantrum at her like I do to him) in the day. The first 3 nights were really tough, but we got through it; she averaged between 20-40 minutes of crying for the first 8 days. The following Monday through Thursday she barely cried (between 30s - 4 min). Just as I was patting myself on the back, it all came back with a vengence; 2nd Friday - 35 mins, 2nd Sat - 20 min and the longest ever on 2nd Sun - 53 min.
I nearly died that 2nd Sunday, it went against every grain of my being to let her cry wail. I was in a full stropp with Mr. P and wanting to kill myself / throw in the towel. We got through it eventually and in the last 2 weeks we are back to between 0-47min (3rd Sunday - what's with her crying so much on Sundays?).
I keep her routine - bath, cuddles, quiet time on the couch for her to crawl away her excess energy, quick suckle then put down - relatively consistent and put her down between 6.45-7pm everyday yet some nights are easier than others. The book advocates that I put her down wide awake, which doesn't quite work for me. I've adapted to reading her signs when she is drowsy and ready to drift off. I guess those tougher nights have proven that she is indeed our daughter; being so stubborn and putting up a big fight.
The best thing is that she has consistently getting quality sleep (knock on wood) of between 10-11 hours. I rouse her gently for a dream feed around 11.15pm and pop her straight back after a 15 minute suckle and on good days she wakes at 6am, bad around 5am.
All in, it is a VAST improvement on the previous sleeping arrangement we had before sleep training. At least now, I get to drink the occasional glass of wine with Mr. P or even just chill on the couch with him. We even managed a BBQ for 9 adults and 2 toddlers the other day while she slept!
Here's a big thanks to Stella for introducing the book!
P.S. If anyone wants Elizabeth Pantley's The No-Cry Sleep Solution (softly softly / gradual approach DOES NOT work for our little terror), you can have mine. Just buy me a coffee in return. I am heading back to SG Sep 4-9, let me know I'll bring it with.
P.P.S. For those people without sleep issues or with a child that "oh just drops off to sleep anytime anywhere" STFU and go gloat somewhere else.