Sleep Training 1 month later (thank you r/sleeptrain!)

[erikaleanne]

Hi all,

I just wanted to give an update to hopefully encourage anyone who is starting on their sleep training journey. Our baby was nursing every 45 mins all night and I had hit breaking point- as he is breastfed it was all on me.

We started sleep training when our son was 4 months old, using SLIP extinction from Precious Little sleep- it took nearly an hour for him to fall asleep the first night and really tested us but wow what a difference:

-Our son no longer nurses to sleep. Since setting out on our sleep train journey we have a new bedtime routine, with a feed more than half an hour before bedtime.

-He sleeps 6-7 hours before his first feed every night, then another 4 fairly consistently. He falls asleep within ten minutes of being put down.

-We moved him to his own room with minimal fuss- just kept the routine the same with a different bed. We even had to take him away from home for a night and he fell asleep with no more fuss than usual.

I can’t do justice to what a life changer this has been for us. I’m actually getting enough sleep to function. I want to thank this sub and all the people who supported me and my ridiculous questions, and to let other parents know that it’s all worth it in the end. Thanks r/sleeptrain, you folk are awesome!

 

[bknight006]

@erikaleanne I could never figure out how people could keep their babies awake feeding a half hour or even an hour before bed!! Mine just falls asleep. Always. There’s no keeping her up if it’s anywhere close to bedtime.

 

[ninjasaurus]

@bknight006 Yes mine is the same! He fights naps in the day but come bedtime and he's knocked out the second he's had a bath and eaten.

 

[erikaleanne]

@bknight006 Let’s swap babies for a week and you’ll find out... Is your baby also a mythical creature??

 

[bknight006]

@erikaleanne Lol!

 

[conbagui]

@bknight006 Some babies fight sleep as much as yours embraces it.

 

[ekklesian]

@bknight006 In the nicest and most loving supporting way, Congratulations and fuck you

 

[bknight006]

@ekklesian Lol!!! What I’m saying is I could never sleep train her in the traditional way. She’s over 1 now and ONLY My boobs can put her down without shrieking. I’ve pretty much never left her at bedtime.

If I tried to nurse her early, she’d just fall asleep early (and then be up again on a few hours, or super early the next morning).

We still did sleep train to teach her to let me transfer her. She would fall asleep nursing, then scream when I put her in the pack and play. So we let her cry it out at about 5.5 months, and repeated that 5-6 times over the course of the year because sometimes suddenly it was like she forgot.

For us I religiously tracked her naps and sleep trained her the best I could while still nursing to sleep (but then she would often wake up when transferred to the bed). I also got her on one nap per day at 11 months which really helps because she’s tired af at nap and bedtime!

 

[marvelousmarvelyn]

@erikaleanne That's so awesome that you instituted such great practices. Great work, and happy that you are getting some more rest.

 

[kingdomkings]

@erikaleanne I’m so happy for you!

 

[hmt002]

@erikaleanne Can you tell in detail how you did that method?
I’m trying to find a gentle method here

 

[erikaleanne]

@hmt002 Cyclemam (apologies edited for right user) has given some good tips for a gentle method, and in precious little sleep there are gentler methods called SWAPs- as another user has pointed out our sleep training was a form of cry it out .

whilst this worked for us an our baby I totally get that it isn’t for everyone- we had a massive nurse-to-sleep problem that no amount of white noise was going to break without a few tears, and if we tried interval checks he just go more and more upset. Whatever you choose to do this sub is super supportive and has great advice!

 

[cindyfernandez]

@hmt002 I'm writing a post at the moment about our gentle method, a diy combo of a few ideas.

==Gentle Sleep training methods:==

https://misunderstoodmotherhood.sub..._campaign=post&utm_medium=web&utm_source=copy Give baby a chance method

There's https://sleeplady.com/baby-sleep-problems/the-gentle-sleep-coaching-process/ sleep lady shuffle.

And although it has cry methods, I really recommend Precious Little Sleep, the ebook is really reasonably priced. There are a range of options explored.

This is stage 1 of what we did:

https://www.reddit.com/r/sleeptrain/comments/kaqr7f/car_inspired_gentleish_method

 

[hmt002]

@cindyfernandez Your detailed post is here on Reddit? May I ask you to share it?
I’m reading the book those days before starting out ST

 

[cindyfernandez]

@hmt002

https://www.reddit.com/r/sleeptrain/comments/nahpbg/progress_report_diy_gentle_method

Here it is!

 

[cindyfernandez]

@hmt002 It's still in draft stage, I'll post it to sleeptrain soon.

 

[angelicwind]

@hmt002 Check out Precious Little Sleep. SLIP extinction is essentially CIO