I love my children, all of them. Not one of my children learned to sleep through the night until about 1 year old, not one. I am sleep deprived for a year at a time, and it is aging me for sure. So, if you have a secret, please reveal...I must be doing something wrong. This is my third attempt, and it has proven the most difficult thus far. HOW DO YOU TEACH YOUR INFANTS TO SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT? I am not into cry-it-to-sleep techniques, maybe that is my problem. I am anxious for sleep!
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Number 3 was my worst too...I'm not sure why, but it makes me wonder about even consider a #4? They say it gets easier the more you have, but man that has not been the case for me! Good luck, and if someone has a good remedy let me know b/c I have yet to figure it out.
Does she fall asleep on her own when you put her down to sleep? "They" say this is one of the biggest things. Does she have a lovey? I think having a little blanket to sleep with has helped both of my kids...it kind of signals to them that it's time for night. I have let both of mine cry a little bit. When I'm teaching them to fall asleep on their own I will lay them down, let them fuss for one minute, go in calm them down, put them down let them fuss for one minute, go in. etc. etc. They eventually fall asleep and I don't think they're crying too much. I personally believe it's better for them in the long run to cry a little and learn to get a FULL, good nights rest. I've read several books on this and my favorite is "Sleeping through the night" by Jodi...I can't remember her last name. None of the books I've read want you to just stick your kid in a room and let them cry until they go to sleep. You're continually going in to reassure them things are okay but that they need to sleep. I am CERTAINLY not an expert, but I do have two good sleepers. Here's wishing you a good nights rest.
We've tried the let them cry it out way and it doesn't work for us. I can't handle hearing them cry so much. So I lay them down, let them cry for 5 minutes and go in and console them, then lay them back down. This usually takes me going in once or twice and then they are usually asleep. I've also found that if they have a nice full belly at bedtime that helps. At dinner Ben eats a veggie and then about half an hour before bed he gets a fruit and half of a jar of veggies, then I nurse him and sometimes give him a bottle of formula and he sleeps through the night. Good Luck! I've also been known to just lay them in bed with me and they go right back to sleep.
Oh Cami, I feel for you! My kids usually start sleeping through the night between 7 and 10 months and I think that is hard. My pediatrician was big into letting them fall asleep on their own and luckily my kids would only cry a few minutes and then zonk out if we started doing that early on - so that they weren't used to being rocked or nursed to sleep? But, with each child I seem to realize that these years of babies are going by too fast and I just want to cuddle them every minute! So,I was horrible with Kassi! Wish I had the answer for you - good luck!!!
A couple other tricks that you could try is background noise, I used to play music for Jaydon and with Deven I would run a fan since he was such a light sleeper. Good luck. It's no fun being a walking zombie for a year.
Every child is different and they have their techniques they like. For Quinn, I would bring him in bed and keep giving him the pacifier so his body would get used to sleeping and not waking up at intervals to eat. That helped a ton and he started to sleep through the night the next week (this is when he would settle down. If he couldn't I would feed him). He had a while of sleeping through the night and he would start doing some days here and there so one night I just walked around the room while holding him (the current way we have to get him to fall asleep for naps) and maybe 20 minutes later he was out and he slept that night and is waking up fewer nights throughout the week. They all can be so different. Adelle might need the feedings physically, I know Quinn or any of my other kids didn't at the ages I was ready for them to sleep through the night, they are big kids.
Cami! Good luck figuring out that one... Mason started sleeping through the night at 7weeks old... for three weeks. Then he stopped that. I can't stand the crying it out thing either, even going in in intervals is not something I'm willing to do. They say to go in after a few minutes of them crying and assure them that everything is okay, but how can they possibly comprehend that? I think Mason (9mo. now) would just be so confused as to why Mommy won't hold him. I find it easier on me and my emotions to just be sleep deprived! It was the pits with Tage, but Mason falls asleep in my arms really easy, and when he wakes up at night (once or twice) I just nurse him and he goes right back to sleep. I have come to accept that it is just what I do, and that it is just for a brief time in their lives. The real question is this: How do you control your toddler???
This has happened with all five for us. Once I stop nursing there's a definite improvement in how long they sleep. I don't think I've slept an entire night in almost 10 years. Between feeding,repositioning,or just lookin in on them to make myself feel better...there's not much time left to sleep. Oh how I miss it though! Hope you can get some soon!
Well, I've had one of three be my angel sleeper. Meanwhile, I was still having problems with her older brother waking up at least a couple times. Then my third has been worst out of all. Finally she's eighteen months and, finally, all three of them do sleep through the night at least at large chunks. So, your time will come...meanwhile, hang in there. I think one thing I've learned is not to jump at everything. They learn how to self sooth after a while. I let mine cry for five minutes at a time then go check on them to see if they really need something. Most of the time now, it's just whimpers from bad dreams or something, then they self soothe back to sleep. But we all go through hard, sleep deprived times. I think mine lasted about four years. I'm totally enjoying this non-sleep deprived time while I can. Amazing we young mother's even survive, and that our children survive with sleep deprived mommies much of the time! It will get better, i hope.
I think every child is unique, however the best advice I received that may have helped since Katelyn slept solidly through the night from eight weeks on was this...You need to teach them the difference between night and day and let them know that night time is for sleeping. When your baby wakes up to eat at night quietly feed him or her without turning on the lights or even talking to your child. It seems cold or harsh at first, but the baby learns I can eat when I need to, but this is not time to be up and play like during the day when you can sing or talk to the baby all you want! Hope this helps! Love, Aubrey
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