*Mhairi's Sleep Training Thread*

[LaineyG]

Right,
I am now back at work full time, and Mhairi is STILL not sleeping through the night.

I've taken this advice from girls at work, so sorry if I'm nicking ideas from any guru's, I'm just putting together the advice I've been given.

I have two weeks off starting next week, and I'm going to try and put the following into practice. If anyone feels like joining me, feel free!

I've started this thread so that I can see a difference (hopefully ). I've also started it this early so that I can try to "track" her wakening times.

So, my plan is as follows -

I want Mhairi to sleep 7 - 7.

* No naps before 12 noon.

* For afternoon nap (which can be up to 2 hours) she goes into her cot.

* She goes down at 7.

* If she doesn't settle after 5 minutes, I go in, reinstate the dummy and leave. If she still doesn't settle I wait 10 minutes, then 20, then 30 until she is asleep. I think this might be controlled crying, but haven't read up on it enough to know!

* No matter what, I lift her from her cot at 7am every day, even at the weekends.

* We do the "Controlled Crying" as above for naps and if she wakens during the night.


Please feel free to add any suggestions!

You can see why I'm waiting till my fortnight off, as I don't relish doing the controlled crying when I have to work the next day!

It's going to be really hard, especially the controlled crying, but I have to be strong, because a happy mummy maketh a happy baby!

So I'll start tracking her wakening times tonight and let you know how I get on!

 

[NIE]

I am really looking forward to reading this and seeing how things go for you.

Good luck. xxx

 

[lfc_sarah]

Me too.

Callum sleeps through the night already
But would still be an intersting read

Good luck xx

 

[Jade&Evie]

Lainey; this is pretty much what I do and Evie has been sleeping thrpugh for almost a month now! Good Luck!

 

[Lis32]

I am also experiencing difficulties with my little man and sleep. I am quite scared about how I will cope if things don't improve before I go back to work in October. SO, I'm REALLY interested to see how you get on. Well done for surviving the sleep deprivation!!

Sending you sooooo much GOOD LUCK!

Really hope it works for you and I can steal your plan! Be strong and keep us updated with LOTS of detail...

Lisa xxx

 

[Squiglet]

be brave...

 

[newmum]

* We do the "Controlled Crying" as above for naps and if she wakens during the night.

Let me know what happens when she wakes early morning, 4am, 5am etc. If it takes her 30mins to 1 hour to get back to sleep at 5am, then she only sleeps one hour more etc. I'm stuck there so just wondering if you have any ideas.

Hope she settles quickly for you.

 

[KJ]

Asher is a pretty good sleeper so I don't have the same problem. I just had a comment on what you'd written.

I've always thought that it's ok to let them have their morning nap if they want to. We get Ash up at 7am, but he usually has a 2 hour nap at around 9.30-10am. He then has a short nap in the afternoon, that way, he's always very sleepy by bedtime.

If you do it the other way around then they'll be nice and rested by the time bedtime comes around, which isn't what you want happening!!

K.xx

 

[chickadee1976]

Good luck, i used controlled crying with Cammy, wasnt much fun but it worked in a couple of days.

 

[mamichuli]

Asher is a pretty good sleeper so I don't have the same problem. I just had a comment on what you'd written.

I've always thought that it's ok to let them have their morning nap if they want to. We get Ash up at 7am, but he usually has a 2 hour nap at around 9.30-10am. He then has a short nap in the afternoon, that way, he's always very sleepy by bedtime.

If you do it the other way around then they'll be nice and rested by the time bedtime comes around, which isn't what you want happening!!

K.xx

Funny, i was reading through and when I got to KJ's comments it reminded me of something my Mum did with me; she eliminated the afternoon nap quite early when I was a baby, as if I slept in the afternoon, I couldnt get to sleep at night. I continued with the morning nap for quite a long time, apparently. Maybe totally doing away with the afternoon nap is a bit harsh, but making it shorter? Waking after one hour, not two?

Hope this helps... good luck with it all



Lisa

 

[LaineyG]

Right, I haven't posted in this with an update as there hasn't been an update!

Mhairi got the German Measles, then I got a stinking cold, which went to my chest (when asthma is added to that mix it REALLY isn't a good idea to add sleepless nights too!).

Sooooo, tonight is the night!

I'm NOT bringing her in with me, I'm going to do controlled crying EVERY time she wakens.

I'll update you tomorrow with how I get on. I'll hopefully not be telling you that I caved at midnight!!

I'm away to my bed now . Wish me luck!

 

[nikkif]

Good luck!

 

[Squiglet]

right... I'm joining you... if thats OK... I'm back at work full time as well as still completely bfing lil miss. So I'm exhausted considering she still wakes up to 4 times a night.

Lil miss only has naps at 10/2/5..and they are for a max of 20/30 mins... always have been... I am going to put her down at 7:30pm every night (have been doing so for the past week) and making sure she is up from bed by 8am every morning without fail including weekends... (so far its not working)

The side on her cot has gone on so she can't be booby fed in bed till she falls asleep.

I go into a dark room, bf'd her on our bed till shes dozing off and then pop her into her bed... Then go in every 10 minutes and not pick her up.... (she screamed and screamed tonight and DH picked her up ) so we will try again tomorrow... I felt strong today too..

I will bring her into bed with me at night to have a quick feed, but DH will then put her back into her cot when she is finished, so she gets the idea... but we shall see....

I hope we can trade notes so to speak LaineyG...

 

[newmum]

How did you get on ladies?

 

[LaineyG]

Morning!!!

Glad your joining me Squig, so I won't feel like Evil Mummy all by myself!

Well.....I didn't give in! She slept in her own cot in her own room all night!

Ok, so that's about the only good thing about last night!

I was up every hour from about midnight. Putting the dummy in was enough to send her back over until about 3:30ish. She decided she was a bit too awake and therefore wanted Mummy to come and get her. So I started the controlled crying. It worked after the first 5 minute wait!

So, next wakening was 5, and I seriously thought we were to be beaten. She refused to take the dummy and screamed and screamed and screamed and screamed (you get the picture!). So I tried a sleep seperation technique. I sat on the floor, about 4 foot away from the cot, sideways on, so she could only see my profile, dipped my head and sat there quietly. AND SHE LAY QUIETLY!!!!! So quietly in fact, that she went back over to sleep until 7!!

No way is this perfect, I'm still up and down like a yo-yo, but this is the first night since she was about 3 weeks old that I haven't brought her in with me!!

So, she's going to nursery this afternoon and I'm going to my bed!

I'll update you all again tomorrow, but I'm on a mission now!

If anyone has any suggestions as to how to stop the waking for a dummy I would be delighted to hear them!

Good luck everyone!

 

[newmum]

Morning!!!
If anyone has any suggestions as to how to stop the waking for a dummy I would be delighted to hear them!

Good luck everyone!

no but i read that you can train them to put it back in by themselves. Put the dummy on a dummy chain and when she wakes for it, take her hand and run it down the chain to find the dummy and put it in her mouth. Do this everytime she wakes up for it and she will get the hang of it herself. Apparently. Haven't tried it myself yet though.

 

[LaineyG]

no but i read that you can train them to put it back in by themselves. Put the dummy on a dummy chain and when she wakes for it, take her hand and run it down the chain to find the dummy and put it in her mouth. Do this everytime she wakes up for it and she will get the hang of it herself. Apparently. Haven't tried it myself yet though.

Ooooo good idea....thanks luv!

I've got a couple of the Lisa&Alex ones....I'll start that tonight!

 

[newmum]

Have you got some more ideas? I think I'll try some too. I want to get her off her dummy by the time she is 1 and I have cut it down to night times and naps. I guess I could do the cold turkey idea but if there is something more gentle I would also be happy.

 

[LaineyG]

I think what I'm going to do is, once the sleep training is finished, bannish the dummy for all naps apart from night time. See how we get on with that then try at night time!

Got a feeling that a LOT of controlled crying will be needed!

Likewise, if you have anymore ideas I'd be really interested!

 

[Squiglet]

Yea Lainey so glad it went well...

Lil miss finally went down around 9ish last night and slept till 3 which is about normal... She had a drink at 3 and was popped back in her cot where she screamed and fussed until 5 am when she had another feed... she went back into her cot, fussed some more until 6 and then the alarm went off...amazingly the alarm goes off and between 6 and 8 when I got her up she slept on her own in the cot... I swear she does it on purpose..

For me just getting her to go down in her cot on her own and fall asleep at the beginning of the night will be half the battle won... its roasting here and even I wake up for a drink half way through the night so I can't expect any different of lil miss...but to get her trained to just get herself off to sleep...my gods...that would be worth its weight in gold..