*Mhairi's Sleep Training Thread*

[newmum]

Squiglet - just read your post. Does lil miss usually sleep between 9 and 3? My LO could only manage about 6 hours max and usually between those hours too. (For ages she only slept 4 hours then bottle then 3 hours) If we put her to bed earlier she could still only do 6 hours, 8-2, 9-3, 10-4 etc I tried everything under the sun to try and get her to sleep longer but nothing worked and she only stopped feeding in the night at 10 months. But she stopped by herself and I didn't have to try any tricks.

At 10 months she suddenly started sleeping longer and staying awake less in between -but she still struggles from 2am and sometimes wakes up two or three times before morning. One time I tried letting her cry at 5am to see if she would sleep. She cried for about an hour with me going in every 5 minutes and then only slept for 20 minutes extra. Great!

It seems like she is gradually adding hours together, we've gone from 2, 3, 4 (stuck at that for months) 5, 6 (also stuck here) 7, and if we are really lucky, 8 (but that includes having to get up and settle her for different things.)

 

[Squiglet]

she doesn't sleep as such... although last night she had cried on and off for 2 hours... so I think she was knackered... usually she wakes at 12am then 3/4 then 6 then up at 8... she sleeps an hour and a half during the day....so in total around 12/13 hours a day she sleeps... I don't expect her to sleep longer than 6 hours... I'm happy to be boob during the night...just getting her to go down without screaming and settle herself is what I'm aiming for...

 

[LaineyG]

Okay, so how guilty do I feel?!?!?!?!

Bedtime routine tonight -

"Right, thats you bathed, lets get your toothbrush and.........Mhairi where is your toothbrush?"

*Much hunting and searching* *Through laundry basket* *Under changing table*

"Hmmmm ok, looks like we're shopping for a toothbrush tomorrow!"

A little later

"I'll sort your bed for sleepy time!" *Picks up Gro-Bag* *Turns round to put Mhairi in Gro-Bag*

*Toothbrush falls out of Gro-Bag*



My poor wee lamb slept with her toothbrush in her Gro-Bag alllllllllllll night!

Hmmmmm, maybe that's why she was throwing me daggers at 5 this morning?

 

[Squiglet]

poor mhairi

Well I put lil miss down at 7:30 tonight and at 8:30 she was still crying.. The whole going in ever 10 minutes doesn't work... she just gets even more upset... so I went in and sat next to her cot... put my pillow in there... It was heart breaking because she kept rooting for a boob, but there wasn't one... I also put my hand on her side heavily so she knew I was there... Eventually she calmed down and fell asleep around 9pm... Took over an hour of tears though... dunno if she fell asleep because she is learning or she fell asleep through exhaustion. I never left her side though for the last half hour though...she still screamed to be picked up... kept doing the sign to pick her up and everything... She just wants a booby to fall asleep on and use as a dummy and really she can't keep doing that as I am not always around and it means only I can put her to bed... and DH wants to start to do it.

 

[newmum]

oh no It must be really hard when she signs what she wants to you. It's hard enough when you have to guess but when the little thing tells you I think I'd nearly cave every time!

I just wondered if it was worth trying the crying and going in at 9pm when she seems to fall asleep more easily. She might cry a bit but probably not as long and then you might be able to bring it forward 15 mins, half and hour each time until it is 7.30pm. I have no idea really, just wondering too

I can't leave it 10 mins she gets too worked up and it is too long for her to cry when she doesn't normally do that. I just went it after 5 and laid her down. Was less time for her to wait and she didn't get as worked up. But she was older too and I only had to do it 3 nights. It didn't work for us before 9 months. But I don't think I could have done it without a dummy though

 

[Squiglet]

Well today she didn't have her afternoon nap... We did try... but she was having none of it... so come 7pm she passed out on papás shoulder... He put her down and she slept till now... Now she won't go back off... I just don't get it Since she woke this morning at 7, she has only had a maximum of 40 minutes sleep... So now she won't go off till 9 that means she will have slept less than 12 hours... and a tired lil miss makes for a grumpy lil mare bag..

 

[LaineyG]

Squig, have you heard of the "Sleep Breeds Sleep" train of thought?

I'm not sure it works for Mhairi, but the thought is that if a baby has a good morning nap (1hr to 1 and a half hrs) and the same in the afternoon that they will sleep better at night. I'm not sure about it myself, but I'm taking everything on board and trying things out!

Anyway, sorry I didn't update this morning!

We had another night of "No in with Mummy!"

And, I can't remember exact times, but it didn't feel as bad as the night before. Controlled crying worked after the first session this morning at 5ish. Before that she was happy with just the dummy being put back in!

So now I need to train her to put her own dummy back in!

 

[jennywren]

not an active member orgy uking it innit

 

[LaineyG]

Ah, so it works for you Jennywren? I might see how we go with a couple of good naps one day then!

Squig, hope you had a good night!

We had another improving night. Up at 11 & 12 for Dummy. Then at 1 we had to do CC, but yet again it worked after the first session. Then she slept until 6.20

I'm in shock! Can three nights of this really have made such a difference?!?!?

Time will tell!

 

[newmum]

I think 3 nights can make a difference if the baby is at the right stage for a routine. For ages mine wasn't and she slept at completely different times and for different lengths no matter how identical each day was. She just couldn't do it. The nights were awful. But at about 9-10 months I saw that she could understand loads of instructions and realised that she could then understand about bed time.

So I made sure I put her to bed only when she was tired (which after 10 months of hard work was 8pm ) and then when she started to fight sleep and get hyper I told her I was leaving and left her to stand up and cry. I went in after 5 mins may because I didn't like it!!! but I laid her down and only had to repeat it about 3 times and she slept. After 3 nights she stopped fighting and MOST nights she goes down and stays down and sleeps.

I was surprised that it didn't take long too. Sometimes she has a night when she plays up and she has to cry again but it usually only takes once and then she realises it hasn't changed and lays down by herself but needs me to stroke her and hold her side or just be there until she goes off.

LAst night she woke at 1.30 and started bouncing around and I thought oh nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo so I did the same thing, told her I was going and left her. 4 mins later she stopped and she went to sleep.

sorry for the long post.
to Mhairi
to Lil miss and squiglet
to Jennywren

 

[Squiglet]

Lil miss has never been able to have a day time nap longer than hour, even as a newborn... no you are lucky to get her to 30 mins... Today she has had three naps 2 of 15 minutes and one of 30 minutes... so an hour in total... Don't know what it is but there is too much going on for her to sit still. But tbh shes doing really well... She passed out on Papa last night because she missed her nap (her own choice) and woke up 30 mins or so later... she cried for 30 mins and then just sort of gave up... Then she did really well... slept till 1, had a boob...then another at 5 and then we had to wake her up at 8am. So that was good going for someone who generally can't be bothered to sleep... she hasn't fussed so much either... She fell asleep on the 1am boob as normal... and she sucks on and off till 5 when she started fussing... I switched boobs and she passed out after a long drink... Its not perfect but I'm going for one goal post at a time... first going down without a problem... then only feeding once at night then not feeding at all... but thats months away yet I feel.

 

[LaineyG]

Your doing really well Squig!

And Mhairi was a cat napper too. I really feel that what newmum said is right, any time before now and Mhairi wouldn't have been ready to try this. So I'm sure you'll know when lil miss is ready!

As long as you're a happy mummy and lil miss is a happy baby that's all that matters!

 

[jennywren]

not an active member orgy uking it innit

 

[newmum]

Squiglet - I did that with the goal posts too.

First aimed for down to sleep without fighting, crying, climbing up in the cot etc.
That worked with the crying thing for 3 nights. Now she just lays there and holds my arm so I can't leave her But it didn't work until 9-10 months.

Next was dropping her night time bottle. Tried before 10 months and it didn't work AT ALL. For some reason she needed it. I tried substituting with water etc but she just stayed awake for hours until I caved and gave milk. Decided to give it until I saw she was drinking less and less. Finally she stopped wanting it at around 10 months. But even now she sometimes wakes up and can't sleep without it. Usually if she only had milk in the evening rather than food.

We are still on this bit. When she wakes in the night, to sleep again without bottle, crying, jumping etc.

But every day and night it different. She naps at different times, for different lengths, and sometimes can go for hours in the evening and other times crashes way too early so then stays up until 10 !

Did you get the link about the sugar free cereal for babies?

 

[LaineyG]

Well last night was ok. She was up at 1, 3 and then 6ish, but at 6ish she was happy to babble away to herself in her cot, so I just left her, went to the loo, and got her up at 6.30.

I fear for tonight though. She's a fussy eater at the best of times, but today she has refused lunch so I fear we might be in for a sleepless one tonight!

 

[Squiglet]

Well last night was ok. She was up at 1, 3 and then 6ish, but at 6ish she was happy to babble away to herself in her cot, so I just left her, went to the loo, and got her up at 6.30.

I fear for tonight though. She's a fussy eater at the best of times, but today she has refused lunch so I fear we might be in for a sleepless one tonight!

awww I hope not hun...

 

[LaineyG]

Hey girls, can't do a big update (see off-topic )). Just wanted to log that Mhairi (although not eating much yesterday) slept ok. It's now down to just putting the dummy back in if she wakens, no controlled crying needed last night and she woke at about 6.30 this morning.

So fingers crossed we're getting somewhere.......and hoping after today I don't relapse and bring my girl in for purely selfish mummy cuddles tonight!

 

[newmum]

Hope you are ok LaineyG. Mhairi is doing so well. Hope you have a good night tonight. Is she teething again, refusing lunch etc?

Last night LO woke up at 4am -5am. No idea why but thought there is NO chance that we are getting up for the day now! So she stayed in her cot, she cried on and off but more of a winge, and I went in every 5 mins or so and she went back to sleep at 5am til 7am. She usually only does it for 10 minutes so don't know what was bothering her last night.

But it seems that we have got passed the 5-10 times a night waking with teething this time round.

Jennywren - I don't let her sleep after 4pm either unless she doesn't sleep long earlier in the day and then she crashes at 5pm and then she is usually down to sleep at 8 (or 9 if she is on a high!!) Sounds similar.

 

[Squiglet]

Well lil miss is doing really well.... But shes started to take a dummy to go to sleep Boobs not there so a dummy has now become a new best friend. She doesn't have it during the day but she does when she goes into her bed. I have to admit she has used boob as a dummy in bed for a LONG time...Its really making the transition better.

She went down at 7 today with only a few moments of sobbing... the night before it was 10 minutes...the night before that it was around 30 minutes... so she is finally getting the idea that I am not going to pick her up but I do say with her till she falls asleep.... Well I pretend I'm sleeping next to her....

The next stage is to put her down and walk away without her crying ... ooo thats going to be fun..

 

[newmum]

I stay with her until she is asleep too. At first I wanted to put her down and then be able to leave while she put herself to sleep. But now I can't! I really like sitting near until she is asleep then leaving. But that is just for bedtime. In the night I can leave her and she usually goes back by herself if she isn't wide awake or has had a little cry.

Glad the dummy is helping Squiglet. Does she spit it out when she is fast asleep? It takes me forever to find the dummy in the night when she spits it out. Gets really far!