is anyone going to watch the sleep "experts" programme on C4 tonight?

[choufleur]

I'm getting ready to write a letter complaining about it before I've even seen it. Apparently it helps people whose babies don't sleep through at night

did you notice that while the twin parents had to do rapid return 30 times, the children were still asleep by 9??

and loved the BB style "Alison, the family I have picked for you to work with....IS....."

Oh for goodness sake! How were those methods really any different from each other? I can't believe that sitting in the room ignoring them is any different from sitting outside!

Thanks to those who mentioned hunger BTW! Struggling with getting DD (age 7) to go to sleep at the moment and she is having HUGE breakfasts so might be worth a try - if it really does cure it I shall be kicking myself for not trying it earlier!!!

tbh I think it's almost worse to be ignoring them whilst in the room - very unnatural and confusing for the child. Either comfort them or say night night and leave (coming back to check every so often)
£600 please.

well said mrsjuan

as long as like you say pop in to check they ok and reassure them you havent vanished of the face of the earth then they r fine!

yes the father sitting like a statue in the room refusing to 'engage with' or touch the child must have been awful I preferred the stricter woman's "Back to bed now, it's sleep time". That to me seems a lot less confusing and more natural.

Seriously, is there anything I can do to get my 10mo to sleep? Obviously all those techniques were aimed at toddlers.

What sort of qualifications have these ladies got? I read that Alison was a nurse up until 2 years ago and then did a 'Maternity Nurse' course!!Another Claire Verity??
She seems to be into strict controlled crying etc .Cherelle's method I thought was too drawn out.I agree!
My 7 month didn't sleep and I got Jo Tantum in she was great ,explained ,reassured and best of all not much crying (from either of us) and he slept through for the first time after 48 hours! He now sleeps 6.45pm - 6.30am ! I can now function like a human being and not a zombie!(smile)

actually alison wasn't as bad as I imagined
I did at her removing all their comfort objects including their bedtime milk and putting them in big beds on night one, but then the 'soft' one got rid of bottles of milk too I think. Her actual method was just rapid return, which i think for a 2yo is really not that bad.

but if you're doing rapid return, surely a comfort object helps?? I don't get that

I did rapid return with DS1. It took 6 weeks and nearly killed me.

With DS2 it took one night.

6 weeks
they 'returned' 30 times that first night (had twins) but it was all before 9pm! then the twins slept well & did from then on, with the odd blip (which you're going to get, surely!)

stealth, with a 10 month old the best method would be to let them cry for like a minute then go in and pat them and walk out again, do this leaving it a extra minute each time but no longer than 10 minutes!

i did with dd at 8 months and within 2 nights she was sleeping through

only do it if your sure it not down to hunger!

Thank you, I'll think about it - I'm a big softy. OTOH would rather do something now than do something else later down the line in sheer desperation.
DH has just cuddled her to sleep and then as usual she woke when he put her down so he told her sternly it was time for sleep and then when she stopped crying her read to her. Seems to have worked.
My problem is I can't bear to hear them crying for more than about 5 minutes Don't mind if it's my toddler and I can tell it's the annoyed/grumpy cry but when they're so little it all just sounds like a baby's cry.

stealth - we're having issues with DS and sleep (also 10 months). normally he's up at least twice, more often 4 times, nd getting him down for the night is virtually impossible, and ends up with him doing circuits of the cot screaming within seconds of me putting him down (asleep). last night, thought we were going to have a bad night as usual, but he slept through

think it may have something to do with the ENORMOUS dinner he ate (haggis, neeps, tatties, a banana, a yoghurt (adult sized one), a fruit pouch, 5 cherry tomatoes, a piece of cheese, and 2 rice cakes. then he had a feed before bed. Slept 8.30-5!! so we're going down the foie gras force-feeding vast quantities of carbs before bed route again tonight, see if that works...

I can't deal with the crying either - don't see why I should leave him to cry, I wouldn't do it to DP

Also, re that programme - wasn't the softly softly approach baby only 20 months as opposed to over 2 years for the twins? wouldn't they have been better pitting babies/toddlers of the same age against eachother?

These were children and not babies. I don't think either method is unreasonable for a two year old. Unlike a baby They understand object permamenance. (Ie. they know that Mummy and Daddy still exist even if they are out of sight.)

I think the logic behind chirelle's method of having the parent in the room was that child may well be angry, but doesn't feel deserted. There is a difference between angry tears (Ie. I don't like the new routine) and tears because of seperation anxiety and I am scared I will be eaten by a lion.

I do see your point rt, but I'd find my parent sitting there mute and unmoving quite creepy tbh. I would have no problem with keeping touching to a minimum (lift back into bed, quick kiss) and saying "It's sleep time" but nothing at all - must have taken some willpower as well!!

oooh it was difficult to pick .I think Alison Scott -Wright was very scarey.Was it me or was there a comp on piercings?? Cherelle - nose Alison- nose and tongue -eeww
I think if it was done with younger babies I would have preferred the nicer one .