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Original poster

Sleep training help

44 replies

Scotabroad24 · 15/05/2021 09:32

I know this subject has probably been done to death so sorry in advance.

My 5 month old DS used to be a great sleeper, slept through the night from 8-7 from around 6 weeks old. Went down into his next2me drowsy but awake and got himself off to sleep.
Fast forward to around 4 months, suddenly he couldn't get himself to sleep, and I started rocking him to sleep in my arms, putting him down fast asleep. Now he is waking 6/7 times a night, at the end of each sleep cycle it seems and can't get back to sleep so either me or DH are having to go in and rock him, replace dummy etc. its taking longer and longer each time.
If it makes any difference he isn't a great napper either, he has one nap in his cot where again I rock him to sleep, then the rest are usually in his pram whilst we are out and about so the movement gets him to sleep (he only naps about 20/30 mins 3 times a day usually)

DH will soon be going onto nightshift and we really need to try and get his sleep sorted before I lose my mind with exhaustion.
Has anyone tried sleep training? Any advice for a FTM? Different methods? I really am against the cry it out method but could maybe deal with controlled crying... I think

OP posts:

BlueGoblin · 16/05/2021 10:36

I did Ferber too and it worked very quickly. My babies became so much happier as they were well rested and I was a much better mum with more sleep. I would definitely recommend it, OP.

Original poster

Scotabroad24 · 16/05/2021 10:44

Thank you everyone for your advice. Very grateful for the responses and looks like I have a couple of methods to look into. Fingers crossed in a week or so we have a happier sleeping baby!

OP posts:

Original poster

Scotabroad24 · 16/05/2021 10:45

@BlueGoblin

I did Ferber too and it worked very quickly. My babies became so much happier as they were well rested and I was a much better mum with more sleep. I would definitely recommend it, OP.

Excellent, glad it worked well for you. That's a few responses now saying the ferber method worked well and quickly. Thank you

OP posts:

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

3-6 months old Babies & sleep Children's sleep Families

Original poster

Scotabroad24 · 16/05/2021 10:46

@BuffaloCauliflower

Why is it irrelevant? Both are ways to better understand sleep and work with babies biology to get more sleep for everyone, without trying to train them into something unnatural? The OP is tired and wants a way to feel less tired, I have a 6mo I get it, but the answer doesn’t have to be sleep training.

I appreciate your input but as a pp said, sleep training one way or another is the answer for us.

OP posts:

bleachblondemom · 16/05/2021 11:28

@Scotabroad24 oh hello I didn’t realise it was you!
The first day I started with his day time naps and literally he did so well that day with his naps that I just did the same thing at bed time and I never heard a peep out of him all night, he used his own hand to sleep soothe rather than crying for a dummy. I was shocked at how fast he got it.
He was already sleeping through the night but he had started waking up every two hours for his dummy and after three nights of that I thought right I’m sorting this out before it becomes a habit 😂 but his daytime naps were the main problem. I’ve only every had to go back to him twice at the most, but usually just the once and now I don’t have to go back at all, he falls asleep instantly or he might whinge for 5 minutes and then go to sleep.

bleachblondemom · 16/05/2021 11:45

@Scotabroad24 also this is exactly what happened when I posted a thread asking a question about Ferber- not about whether I should do it or not, or asking other people’s opinions, I just had a specific question about the method I wanted an answer to. And someone just had to come along and start criticising me for it, and they were much ruder than the person on this thread, in fact they were downright unkind. I just laughed them off. Some people just can’t read something they don’t agree with and move on without butting in.

Original poster

Scotabroad24 · 16/05/2021 15:17

@beachblondemom well he's just had his first ever nap that lasted almost 2 hours so I would say it's definitely going to work!!
Yes it's a shame people feel the need to criticise, surely every mother knows that every family and every baby is different, and need different styles of parenting. Never mind, the bad are few and far between. I'm so glad I asked, hoping tonight follows suit and he gets a good sleep! Hope you and DS are well

OP posts:

ManicPixie · 16/05/2021 15:17

@BuffaloCauliflower

My advice was learn about normal baby sleep instead of pathologising it, and Possums sleep programme to optimise normal baby sleep patterns. Cry it out and sleep training methods are not an essential part of parenting, any more than smacking a child to discipline them is essential.

Your advice amounts to: continue to have your life and your child’s sleep disrupted for possibly years because sleep training is ‘mean’.

So glad I didn’t heed this sentiment when we were desperate, and I dread to think how many others on this forum it’s unnecessarily scared off over the years.

OP: research what various methods and do what you feel comfortable with. For some babies/toddlers sled-soothing is a learned skill.

becca3210 · 16/05/2021 17:48

Fab news!!

bleachblondemom · 16/05/2021 18:11

@Scotabroad24 brilliant! Well done baby and you as well. Hope it continues! We are very well thank you :) x

Original poster

Scotabroad24 · 19/05/2021 20:34

Just wanted to do a thread update - hoping it might help someone in future as I know these threads are often searched for.

We are on day 4 of the ferber method, started on Sunday morning with his first nap. I have to say the first time was hard, DS cried for over an hour, but we stuck to the 3 minute intervals and moving up to 10, and when he fell asleep he napped for 2 hours which compared to his usual 20 minutes was brilliant. Apart from that first nap the longest it's taken him to fall asleep independently is 15 minutes. Today for every nap and bed time he's gone down without a squeak and is sleeping all night, and naps averaging an hour. The biggest benefit however has to be that he is now the happiest content little boy as he is getting the sleep he needs! He's no longer miserable and whiny when he wakes up as he's actually refreshed.

So for anyone who is considering sleep training I'd definitely recommend it! We no longer dread bed time and have the loveliest happy baby all day

OP posts:

bleachblondemom · 19/05/2021 22:32

@Scotabroad24 that’s amazing! So glad things have worked out well for you. Sounds exactly like what happened with my DS, he got the hang of it so quickly, and the longer naps and independent sleep are making him so much more content and happy.

BelgianWaffles · 19/05/2021 23:43

@Scotabroad24 You’re describing our experience too, I’m so glad it worked for you too and everyone is happier as a result.

MaMaD1990 · 20/05/2021 06:14

That's fantastic news! Glad you're all getting sleep and your little boy is happy and rested!

becca3210 · 20/05/2021 12:53

That's fantastic! Glad you are both happier and getting more sleep

Lilo08 · 27/07/2021 08:37

@Scotabroad24 did you ditch the dummy?

Original poster

Scotabroad24 · 28/07/2021 08:37

[quote Lilo08]@Scotabroad24 did you ditch the dummy?[/quote]

No we didn't. He isn't too attached to his dummy to be honest, sometimes he'll fall asleep without it. We do put about 3 or 4 dummies in his cot though and he can find them and put them back in if he wants.

OP posts:

Lilo08 · 28/07/2021 09:03

Ds is almost 6 months and goes down almost immediately with his dummy sometimes without but what we’re finding is he wakes every 1-2hours. As soon as we give him the dummy he’s instantly back to sleep. Recently I have put extra dummies in his crib but he doesn’t look for them.
I really don’t want to ditch the dummy as it gives him comfort at times he needs it

When I’m awake it takes me ages to get back to sleep but by then he’s crying for his dummy. I can’t cope :(

IonaLeg · 28/07/2021 11:55

I feel like I’m going to be accused of being a paid marketer because I recommend it so often, but Lucy Wolfe’s book really helped me. I couldn’t bear any crying (controlled or otherwise), and her method has you staying with them and soothing them instead. It has really helped is. My baby now mostly sleeps through from 7 til 4:30. Still an unpleasantly early start, but like yours he was waking literally every hour before.

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