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?

@Goostacean haha I think there might be something in the 'not tired enough' theory though. I keep saying I will keep a sleep log for a week but turn never bother. But that might help to identify it

@honeybee9871 we are a bit stuck on the early risings too. If really early I try to re-settle... generally just get up though 😬

@Mamabear04 just two weeks in!

@Donut93 I have a 5 month old too. we were also feeding to sleep before this. Now I feed her downstairs, play and then bring her up - read a story etc.

That might sound impossible because I thought so too. First few nights I fed just before bed but stopped before she fell asleep. Then put her into the cot awake.

As we established the routine the feed somehow moved a bit earlier. I can't really say why as I don't know! But I'd focus on trying the intervals, keeping your little one awake enough for when you put them down.

We don't have a dummy so I can't comment on that bit.

But in its simplest form you put the baby down still awake, give them a little rub, cuddle etc, leave the room. Start timer from when they start to get upset (if just grunting a bit but not crying then leave them to see if they settle).
If crying go in and comfort for one minute as the intervals allow and build from there.
It has worked for us all on this thread so will work for you too I'm sure of it ☺️

Also agree with @Goostacean that naps will get longer. We had really short naps before too. As I understand it when you're feeding to sleep you are creating an association between sleep and feeding. So if the baby falls to sleep feeding then when they wake up the last thing they remember is that they were being fed in your arms but now they're by themselves in the cot. I don't know how true that is but makes sense to me.

Anyway length of naps - we are typically getting:

• nap 1 45 mins - an hour
• nap 2 1.5 - 2 hours
• nap 3 30-45 mins

Sometimes though nap 1 & 2 swap around... does this happen for anyone else and do you think it matters?

Oh glad that worked @honeybee9871 !!!

I'm concluding that basically my daughter is completely inconsistent 😂

Gave her a dream feed at 11am and she didn't wake for a night feed.
Woke at 5.45am. Stuck her in my bed until about 6.15 when I gave up!

I think I'm happier having no night feed even if that means an early start...

Today I will finally start logging and see if there's any particular trend on days she wakes up in the night and those when she doesn't!!!

I've skipped the dream feed a couple of times @honeybee9871 but then she wakes up in the night. I guess the ideal is I keep the DF and she drops the NF. But some nights she does both, she is very inconsistent 😂

At what age did your little one drop the feeds?

Hello! How’s everyone getting on? We’ve had a bit of a routine shift and baby now has a final nap around 5.30-6.30pm, which means he goes to bed at 8am instead of 7, but has been waking for only one night feed and sleeping til 8am or so! So that’s pretty good, no complaints.

8-8 is amazing @Goostacean ! Fab result

We are still having early rising but it seems to be 6am now rather than 5am so I can live with that for now. But the big development has been that for three nights in a row now DD hasn't woken up for a night feed (bed around 7pm, DF at 11pm, awake at 6am). I'm hoping this is the start of her dropping the night feed properly so fingers crossed this goes beyond 3 days!!

How's everyone else doing?

Morning! We’ve been having a mixed bag here in the last few days- baby has sometimes slept til 9am! So he’ll go to sleep around 7.30pm, feed at say 1 and 6.30am, and then go back to sleep til 9! Loving it. He’s going down nicely for his naps as well. Really pleased we did this. I calculated that I spent literally 8 weeks of my life sat in the dark holding my firstborn in his first year of life- as in the equivalent of 9-5 for two months.... madness.

Starting tonight! Just bathed now feeding her. These past few night she's been up every 2 hours, she's tired today aswell.
Hoping it goes well!

Good luck! I’m honestly surprised at how much better life is now, for everyone in the family. Keep us posted!

She's starting crying before I've even left the room. Horrible listening to her cry. Just have to try to stick to it!

Echo that!
Can't believe your calculation @Goostacean - what fools we were 😂

Oh cross post Donut. She will definitely cry but hopefully not for long. Sorry I know it's horrible. But it will be really really worth it. Which method are you doing?

I've done 1,3,5 minutes, now on the 7th. No show of her even stopping to take a breath at the minute!

I double checked my maths and it’s more like 9 weeks, with no lunch breaks... Hang in there Donut! As someone said upthread, if you go in and don’t follow through then she’s DEFINITELY be crying for no reason.

Something I read said to expect 40-150mins if crying on the first night, btw. Pour yourself a big ...

How’s it been with you @agteacht? Settled into a good routine? We still have more night wakings than I’d like...

Just watched her be sick through the baby monitor! In for a change of clothes!
This is a lot harder than I thought it would be and it's only the first night!

Oh no! First night is always the worst...

Hour and 15 minutes later and she's asleep! That was horrible, but happy with myself that I stuck to it. God knows how I only kept to drinking cups of tea throughout that!
If she wakes up throughout the night, how do I go about that?
Do I do the same, feed then put into cot drowsy and hope for the best?
Thanks all. Really helped me get through that! X

Well done! It’ll be easier and shorter tomorrow night- (almost) guaranteed!

At night I bf on demand, so any time he wakes I go to him, feed, pop back in the cot and he goes right back to sleep. There’s another school of thought which suggests you should only feed them when YOU wake them, and at any other time you resettle using the controlled crying. Then you wake them at eg 11pm and 3am for feeds, but they learn that they’re fed when you decide- not when they decide.

My LO is still waking 1-3 times a night with my method, so not sure it’s ideal but works for us! Ish...