Sleep Training: Progress

After a rough few weeks, which included an ear infection, a sinus infection, a stomach bug, and a trip to my grandparents, S's sleep was becoming difficult to deal with. On a good night, he would wake up 3 times, and wouldn't go back to sleep unless he nursed--largely because I wasn't willing to let him cry it out for more than 20 minutes. Then one night last week after he had nursed for over an hour and a half, C picked took S from me, walked downstairs, and a battle of wills ensued. I actually slept, although C and S slept downstairs. C and I had a long heart to heart the next day, and we both began doing some research on sleep training, since nothing we'd tried previously seemed to work (although now I would argue it didn't work for us, rather than it didn't work for S). I discovered the "console and retreat method." With this method, the parent puts the baby down drowsy yet awake (which I have to say is virtually impossible with my kid because as soon as he settles in for his final nursing session he is out, but he does wake up almost as soon as I put him in his crib), stays with the child for 5 minutes (if the child wakes up) and soothes without picking the child up, then the parent leaves for 5 minutes. If the baby isn't asleep in 5 minutes, the parent returns for another 5 minutes, and then leaves for 10. Each time the parent leaves s/he stays out for 5 minutes longer. The theory is that the baby will eventually realize that he isn't going to be picked up, and he will decide to go to sleep on his own.

C and I talked it over, and we felt like this was a method we could live with, although I wasn't sure I could go as long as 45 minutes of hearing S cry. I was, of course, imagining the worst possible scenario. So we put this plan into action on Monday night. I nursed as usual and when S was asleep, I took him upstairs and put him in his crib. He immediately woke up and cried. I stayed with him for 5 minutes, and he didn't cry as long as I was there. But at the end of the 5 minutes, he was still awake, so I walked out of his room and closed the door. He cried the entire 5 minutes; then C went in for his 5 minutes. S calmed down, but still cried and wouldn't sleep. C left, and we both braced ourselves for a long evening. Amazingly, S went silent after 7 minutes. We looked at each other without saying anything. I simply couldn't believe it! I waited 5 minutes, and then I slowly opened the door to S's room and crawled (literally on my hands and knees) far enough into the room to make sure he was ok. He was sound asleep, and he slept for 5 hours. He woke up twice that night, nursed for about 5 minutes each time, and then went right back to sleep in his crib. Last night was the best! He slept from 7:30 until 12:30, then C went in and soothed him for 5 minutes, after crying for 3 minutes he went back to sleep. He woke up at 4:15, and I nursed him for about 20 minutes. He was sound asleep when I put him back into his crib. I had to wake him up at 7 to get him ready for our day. He went without nursing from 7:30 until 4, which is the longest he's ever gone! I'm so proud of our entire family. With a little persistence and consistency, I think he may be sleeping from 7:30 until 4 or 5 without waking up to nurse, which is a schedule I can live with!