sleep training

Friends, I'm tired. Very tired. And I'm tired of feeling tired. My reserves are being depleted faster than they are being built. Friday night, I decided it was high time to teach my (not so) tiny baby to sleep. With our first baby, we were co-sleepers. Not on purpose, but by accident. And out of necessity. She had us so trained. But a body can only run on fumes for so long. So, I bought a book. "Sleeping Through the night." (It had me at "Sleeping.")

The process laid out in the book involves a bit of crying. Both by the baby and the mommy. But the end result is sleep for all....so by cost analysis, and the greater good of the apartment complex we were living in, we went for it.

The plan was simple. You put your baby to bed. Baby cries. You go in every minute, then two, then five, then ten....whatever works for you...you say a calming word, touch a loving touch, then you leave. And crying ensues, and you do it all over again. (In a nutshell.)

(THIS APPROACH IS NOT FOR NEWBORNS.)

It goes against every fiber of your being to listen to your baby cry. You will cry. Your husband will be crabby. You might need to buy some cookies, chips and peanut M & Ms to get you through.

The book says that the first night is rough. The second night is rougher. The third night gets better, and the subsequent nights even more so. With our first, she cried for 45 minutes on night one. The second night, she cried for an hour and a half. The third night, she cried for over an hour. She kept this up for almost two weeks. BUT, Amazing Grace, she finally started sleeping.

Our second baby slept with us until he was about 6 or 7 months. Then he slept (poorly) in his crib for another 4 or 5 months. Then we started sleep training. And the first night he cried for about 30 minutes, the second night 60....by the third he had it down, and was sleeping almost through the night. I am just fine with almost.

This third baby....he slept next to me in his bassinet until he was 6 months old, and 5 pounds over the weight limit. (I know. I know! But, he wasn't pulling himself up yet or anything...just a big chub of unmotivated snuggle bunny.) I moved him to his crib, and things have been going pretty well. And by pretty well, I mean that he wakes up about 6 times every night. So, not so well.

On Friday last, my parent's took my older two to their place for the weekend. We seized the opportunity to train. The first night went okay. Last night was craptacular. But I am not discouraged. Tonight is another night.....he'll either catch on, or give me a serious run for my money.

I'll keep you posted.