Sleep training

[OctoberMarch]

Hi,

I'm a first time mum to a very nearly 6 month old DD and I'm looking for some advice about sleep.

My DH and I haven't started any kind of sleep training yet, and we're not keen on using the cry it out method.

DDs sleep used to be really good, and at one point we were only having one waking at night. Now, she's waking about every 2 hrs and it's pretty hard to cope.

We rock her to sleep, which I know we really shouldn't because now she struggles to settle herself back to sleep at night and I can spend absolutely ages trying to get her back to sleep. She's fine when she's being cuddled and rocked but wakes up almost the instant she's put into her cot. I was awake for 3 hours the other night trying to settle her.

So, I think we need to do some form of sleep training. Has anybody got any tips? We've looked at the pick up, put down method - has anybody had any success with this?

Sorry for the long post!

Hi I was exactly where you were with my DS, rocked to sleep and he co slept with me till 7 months. We are now transitioning him to his own room and wanting him to fall asleep by himself. We are doing the sit in the room method as I did not want him to feel abandoned.

Get a comfy chair and your phone!! Sit it next to the cot. When he gets upset soothe him with your voice and by patting him but don't pick him up, repeat as necessary for as long as it takes.

Do the same if he wakes and cries in the night but don't rush in give him a few mins to see if he settles.

After a few nights move the chair a few feet away and continue doing this till you are sitting outside the door, should take up to 10 days.

Day 1 DS yelled / cried for approx 2 hours then miraculously fell asleep. I was shushing/ stroking his back and singing to him. I heard him wake and grumble a few times in the night but he settled himself before I went in to him!!! I was amazed.

Night two he did not cry just grumbled and tossed and turned. I stroked his back a bit and he fell asleep after approximately 30 mins! Same night 3.

Try and do same for day naps.
Obviously all babies differ and the key is they need to be ready but it sounds like yours is as she is waking more, taking longer for you to rock to sleep etc. They say when your current routine is not working then it's time to change.

Good luck (oh and get wine!)

Thank you so much for your reply!

We've actually had some success - she's begun to roll right over onto her tummy to sleep. We had a 6 hour straight sleep!

We've gone from waking every 2 hours for feeds to one feed a night and to all naps in her cot

I just hope this lasts

Ah well done! Yes mine rolls onto his tummy to sleep now too. Fingers crossed it lasts for you