So, Owen is now 7 months old (!) and we are sleep training him......and it's awful. I've read 3 books on baby schedules and sleep and tried vast methods of getting him to sleep. Nothing has worked. At about 6 weeks old, Owen started waking up once a night to eat, not bad I'd say. Around 3 months he went through a growth spurt and started waking up every 3 hours again, UGH! I brought him in bed with me at night because I was too exhausted to get up that often. Well, at 5 months old he started waking up every hour for a nibble so to say and by 6 months he wouldn't sleep unless I was near him. That means I went to bed at 7 and he woke up at 5:30 with me and took 2 naps a day! Sound nice? It's not when you have two other children, a husband, and a house that needs taking care of.
So I read The No-Cry Sleep Solution. The basic premise? Don't nurse your baby to sleep. Check, I've stopped nursing Owen to sleep for 2 weeks. Um, he's still waking up 8-10 times a night...and crying loudly. So in goes the pacifier. He continues to wake up every 8-10 times a night for the pacifier. I read Secrets of the Baby Whisperer which tells me how to take care of a newborn...great...Oh, just pick your baby up and soothe him, and set him back down. Well, picking up a 20 lb determined 7 month old every time he cries? I tried and figured out I physically can't do it all night.
So, I ask myself, what's the big deal? Why can't he sleep with me and wake up 8-10 times a night. If's affecting my whole family. One wall separates our room from the girl's room and Owen is waking up the entire family every time he wakes up. Jozlyn had to stay home from school yesterday because she was so tired.
So, we are crying it out. Last night was the first night and I feel like I'm going to lose it. He cried for 3 1/2 hours before sleeping 2. Then cried for an hour, sleep for 2, then cried for an hour and we are up for the day at 4:30! I just can't help but feel like he's thinking I abandoned him. My darling baby boy who loves me so much he can't even sleep without me, and I'm just leaving him to feel helpless. Is that what I'm doing? Am I changing him? Will he forever be distrustful? Will our bond be the same? WILL I EVER SLEEP AGAIN?
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Cry it Out-1st night
Posted by Katie at 4:51 AM
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2 comments:
Oh Katie- I'm so sorry! I have to agree that sleep training is awful. I felt so horrible when I let Sadie cry it out. But, the good news is that after a few nights, the crying gradually diminished until she would not cry at all. She learned to soothe herself. When she was crying, I would go in after five minutes and talk to her, but not pick her up. Then I would go in again after ten minutes, then fifteen minutes, and so forth. That was just to let her know that I wasn't abandoning her, but I also didn't want to teach her that if she cried, I would pick her up. Anyways-- those are my thoughts on the matter. Of course you have to find what works for you. Hang in there. In a month or two, I'll be letting Brooklyn cry it out.
We are rooting for you...good luck!
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