Page 3 | Sleep training/night weaning?

Helena1993 · 2022-11-16T13:06:22+00:00

Hi. My babies a little over 6 months old and doesn't sleep well at night. She constantly wakes up and I have to put the pacifier back in. She only really drinks 1-2 times a night (4oz each) aside from waking up to be settled. Should I sleep train? I'm very tired all the time and wish I could be a better, less moody mum. Is night weaning and sleep training the same thing or do I have to night wean and then sleep train?

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Original poster

Helena1993 · 24/11/2022 03:57

CraneBoysMysteries · 21/11/2022 12:35

I'm so pleased your DH is onboard and gave you a break

I know when you're in such a state it's easy to overthink things

Often those against sleep training will quote a study by Dr Wendy Hall which is I believe the only gold standard study on sleep training. This found that those babies who had been sleep trained woke just as often as those who hadn't.

However, she said this is exactly what she expected to find as those babies who had been sleep trained were able to put themselves calmly back to sleep without needing help.

This video is of a lecture where she talks through her experiences of sleep problems in children. Skip to about 30 mins in she talks about self soothing and the importance of it.

I share this only because you seem to be reading a lot about potential harm and this is worrying you so I wanted to share what I had read

I also posted upthread the method we used which is gentle and didn't involve very much upset

Good luck Op

That video is awesome. I'm still struggling and it will be another 5 days or so until I can start sleep training. I'm so so desperate for some sleep.

OP posts:

ExcitingTimes2021 · 24/11/2022 04:42

Hi OP

its sounds like you are set on the sleep training. There are always going to be two trains on thought when it comes to sleep training. Those that think sleep can be fraught and those who think it’s developmental.

my girl has always been an awful sleeper and it has really effected me. I’m a shadow of who I used to be and it makes me really dislike being a mum. Coz I’m soooo tired. All the time. We sleep trained at 6 months. It took 4 weeks to see any results. And even with sleep training she still woke 2/3 times a night! That ‘good sleep’ lasted a month. Then her sleep went back to the way it was and Iv never been able to improve it. she is now almost 16 months. Iv never slept more than 2/3 hours at a time. I’m depressed coz of it, but sleep training just hasn’t been this magical solution for us and I have just given up at the moment coz I don’t have the energy anymore.

Good luck. You have to do what is best for you. People will always be there to criticise they way you chose to parent. But as long as baby is safe and loves there options really don’t matter x

Original poster

Helena1993 · 24/11/2022 07:07

ExcitingTimes2021 · 24/11/2022 04:42

Hi OP

its sounds like you are set on the sleep training. There are always going to be two trains on thought when it comes to sleep training. Those that think sleep can be fraught and those who think it’s developmental.

my girl has always been an awful sleeper and it has really effected me. I’m a shadow of who I used to be and it makes me really dislike being a mum. Coz I’m soooo tired. All the time. We sleep trained at 6 months. It took 4 weeks to see any results. And even with sleep training she still woke 2/3 times a night! That ‘good sleep’ lasted a month. Then her sleep went back to the way it was and Iv never been able to improve it. she is now almost 16 months. Iv never slept more than 2/3 hours at a time. I’m depressed coz of it, but sleep training just hasn’t been this magical solution for us and I have just given up at the moment coz I don’t have the energy anymore.

Good luck. You have to do what is best for you. People will always be there to criticise they way you chose to parent. But as long as baby is safe and loves there options really don’t matter x

I asked the doc and he said it's okay to sleep train. Why would I listen to some internet randos instead who don't have any evidence that it's harming the baby. I've been researching the topic for months and haven't found a single study that proves it's bad. The doc said they need to learn to fall asleep without help.

I can say for sure it is harming my mental health and my relationship with my baby when I'm depressed from lack of sleep. When I wake up in the morning and don't know how to survive the day. When I can't give my baby a sincere smile because I can't remember why I wanted her.

Thanks for reminding me that other people will always criticize me and that I have to make my own decisions. When I became a mum I was surprised at how much other mums judged me for my decisions. I felt like I did everything wrong and it made everything much more stressful.

Hope things get better for you.

OP posts: