Support thread for sleep training in lockdown

[Goostacean]

Hi all, I was on a similar thread for potty training (for my toddler) in lockdown and it was great to have some support and encouragement from those going through the same thing.

From tomorrow night we’re going to try sleep training our 5.5mo as he currently nurses/bounces to sleep and wakes multiple times a night.

Anyone else in a similar position, regardless of your child’s age?

Glad to hear some success. We had a great night dream feed at 10.15 and then woke at 7! I'm really hoping this isn't a fluke. Although like I said he's always been pretty good overnight

@NC2605 Hope overnight was more peaceful than your evening

@2018isanewyear glad your night was good! How was everyone elses? @agteacht DS is 7 months.

Ours was.. I guess an improvement but I was too tired to appreciate it! After he settled at 10.45 he slept till 1 then back asleep at 1.40 then slept till 4.45 all of which isn't too bad really I guess compared to many more wake ups a night previously... but then I was so tired I fed him laid down on my daughter's toddler bed for an hour whilst I dozed till 5.45 (she had come into our bed at that point) then DH took him at 6.. so feel I mucked it up a bit at the end there but I was just so tired.

Must try harder tonight. I have just woken up from catching up some sleep so hoping that will help.

That’s amazing! We also had a good night- woke at 1 and 6.15 for feeds, but resettled himself both times and slept overall 7.30pm-8.40am!

Us too... slept from 7.30pm to 6am with a dream feed at 11.30pm! She didn't wake for a night feed!

6am did feel early though but maybe I can find a way to push her to 7am eventually

This morning she only did a 30 min nap. Settled within 5 mins but woke up after 30 mins wide awake. I'm putting it down to her epic night sleep for now and let's see how nap 2 goes later.

So pleased everyone else had good nights! @NC2605 that is an improvement and also if you can catch up on some sleep yourself (easier said than done) it will feel easier to tackle.

I need to go to bed early myself tonight rather than midnight!

DS has an early nap; was clearly exhausted only an hour after waking. Took 15mins to settle but I feel like we’re starting to get into a good routine. Still umming and ahhing about doing a dream feed, so glad to hear you’ve had success with it! The 6.15 wake up felt early so I decided to just feed him and pop him down again to see what happened... and he did drop off, for which I was grateful as I also stayed up far too late last night!

How's everyone's days been? We have had a really good evening, put in cot at 6.45 sleepy but awake and not a single tear... he's still asleep I can't quite believe it , trying not to get my hopes up as I know to expect good and bad nights but this alone feels like such an achievement!

We're still just doing night times though no naps attempted yet and I don't think it's really effecting night although it has only been 3 nights. Think if we keep as we are then I'll give it a couple of weeks and then start to introduce naps in the same way.

We’ve had a good day! He’s napping for longer now too, I’d say... He went down in 5mins this morning, then 30mins at lunchtime (I put him down too early, I think, but didn’t want to “reward” the crying by bringing him out of his room, so just reassured at intervals), then 5mins again in the afternoon and he slept for 90mins from 5pm- I had to wake him! So just about to do the night settling now, am writing this whilst he listens to his musical bear and chats away in his cot with the light on. Fingers crossed!

Great news @Goostacean! Hope you have a successful night!

I feel like put our ds to bed quite early but I suppose if it suits him it doesn't really matter

Thanks, you too! I’ve found he settles much better with the white noise on, so am using that- think it helps to drown out the toddler too. It’s been about 7 mins and I can’t hear creaking and grumbling, but he hasn’t actually cried. I can highly recommend doing it for naps too, as long as you time them correctly- I’ve regained literally 1.5hs of my life today, from not having to settle him each time!

That's good news, I'm hoping with naps in the cot I can do all the boring stuff while he sleeps meaning more quality time when he's awake so better for us both I think. At the moment dh is working from home so can help here and there but would be nice to have it sorted before he goes back so I get get stuff done during nap time.

We also have white noise in his room but he doesn't seem to need it overnight

I know - I actually have TIME for once!! 😂
What is this??

We had a good day too. Up at 6am, nap for 30 mins this morning, then 1.5 hours around lunchtime and even managed a third nap this afternoon for 45 mins. The afternoon one was more of a struggle to settle her but it worked in the end. From what I've read of all the naps the afternoon one is the most difficult to land and some sleep trainers say that you should try to do the first two in the cot but don't worry too much if the afternoon one is in the buggy or sling. I think I'll take her for a walk for that one tomorrow.

Bed at 6.30pm, settled by 7pm. I really can't believe it's working. Surely we will all get this really well established over the next fortnight and then our lives will officially be calmer and more chilled again !

I just can’t believe I never gave this a go with my firstborn. I lost the equivalent of days of my life- weeks probably!- sat in a dark room holding him, rocking him, feeding him to sleep. Never again. Hoping for a good stretch overnight, but let’s see. Good luck to you all!

Good luck tonight 🥰

A good night here- only one wake up, a 10min feed at 4.30am. He woke up for the day 10mins ago, so just over 11hs in total.

How was everyone’s night?

Slept 7pm to 6am, dream feed at 11.30pm and night feed at 4am. Pretty good!

She was back in bed by 7.30am though for a 90 min nap! Think somehow I have to push her to wake up later than 6am so her first nap isn't before most people wake up 😂

Great night here too 7pm-7am zero tears in his hot I can't quite believe it did dream feed at 11 and he just went straight back down not a peep!

Everyone's nights sound so good! Well done!

Ours was better again but still seems a long way from sleeping through and I'm still struggling with being tired myself. DS did 7.30 -8.15 then awake and doing CC till 9.15 then he slept till 1.05 then CC till 1.40 then slept till 4.45 then fed him then he slept 5 till 5.45 then I was tired and let him in next to me until 7... so that last bit wasn't good. Will see how tonight goes.

@NC2605 at least it's improving. With our ds he was already sleeping through so although it seems like a long way off but we haven't had to achieve as much of that makes sense? My aim was to get him in bed at bedtime rather than after dream feed.

It's boiling here today so back to panicking what to put him in to sleep. I really think he knows when his sleeping bag goes on it's bed time so maybe just minimal clothing underneath?

We're also not doing naps which I've been told are harder so we have that challenge next

Glad it's going so well. Yes our little one too was already sleeping through just waking for a couple of feeds when hungry. My main issue was getting her to sleep to start with. So if your little one was already waking frequently then it's a more difficult situation to start with.

The naps I've found are just the same as bedtime - no real difference at all.

Oh meant to say, I use a sleeping bag because I fjnd she turns over less in it! But it's a very light one, only 0.5 tog and I just put her in a vest and nappy underneath. I find this pic helpful if I'm not sure what to do

Our lowest is 1tog so I'll go for best and sleeping bag and keep the windows open for some freeze until bedtime. Thankyou

Hmm, I’ve already settled DS (took 15ish mins) but now worried he’s overdressed... it’s very warm in his room... Obviously don’t want to wake him to change him though. Grr. Now I’m going to be worrying about it all night.