About 6 weeks into my son's life, he started sleeping through the night. It was kind of amazing. Friends of mine kept complaining about their children's sleep habits, and about the pending agony of sleep training. My thoughts? Puuuhhhlease. My kid is naturally good at sleeping.
But I was wrong. So very, very wrong.
A few months ago, NJ started waking up in the middle of the night. Not frequently, but just enough for me to think, Hey. Kid. What's going on here? Mommy needs some sleep.
Then, March 10, 2013 came. I think I can speak for all parents of infants and young children when I say, "F--- you, daylight savings time." NJ began waking up 1, 2, and 3 times a night, every single night. Finally in the middle of a long, sleep deprived argument, my husband and I decided something needed to change. We had to start the ugly process of sleep training.
Let me just say, I had a really hard time deciding which method was best. I think something different works for every family, and you really have to pick something that caters to your kid. I know that for me, I really wanted to avoid the "Cry it Out" method. I hate hearing my kid cry. It's pretty unbearable. But after several attempts at different methods, we learned that A) I was going to have to suck it up a little, because NJ was going to cry a little no matter which method we stuck with, and B) Any method that involved picking him up and putting him back down just seemed to aggravate him more, unless I was planning to give in and nurse him.
We essentially decided on a sort of modified Cry it Out. Make my husband go in and let him know it was bedtime, turn on his mobile, and let him cry for 5 minutes tops. Repeat.
Yes, it felt harsh. But here I am 2 weeks later, with a baby sleeping through the night.
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| Look at this kid. Happy as a little clam in his stripey suit. |
Moral of the story? Sleep training sucks no matter how you look at it.
What are your experiences with sleep training?
Love this... My Emmy was the same way. Slept through the night since about 2 months old (and by that I mean slept from 6-8 hours straight). Then a little regression, then back to sleeping through the night and we even got a few 10 - 12 hours. THEN - more regression. In the thick of it now and the lack of napping is an even bigger issue. Not sure what we'll do but I love this story. Just goes to show you that you can't judge a situation until you are knee deep in it.
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