Thursday, September 27, 2007

sleep training tips?

well ... we've been trying to get aidan to sleep through the night again. he used to ... and ever since the move he stopped. i think it coincided with him learning to crawl as well. regardless of the reason ... i'm tired (literally) of getting up every 3-4 hours when he used to sleep 8 hours straight.
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i tried the crying it out method, but it just made me way too sad. i tried the "keep on laying him down" method (who knows what its called) but if i'm standing up, he seems to think he needs to stand up as well. so to get him to lay down, i've been laying down next to the crib. he'll lay down next to me and want to hold my hand. it works ... but sometimes i have to lay there from anywere from 20 mins to 1hr 30 mins. i hoping to get to a point where i can lay there for like 5, and once he's calm leave. but so far, it hasn't been working too well. i just can't keep nursing him or rocking him to sleep.
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all you moms out there i need your advice on getting him to sleep. HELP! i cant keep working on no sleep.

6 comments:

Jennifer @ Fruit of My Hands said...

Try www.sleeptight.com

The guy who does this offers lifetime email support along with a video purchase. My friend had really good luck with this for all her kids.

Also, how old is Aidan? Between 8-10 months old, babies switch sleeping patterns.

Kimberly Bluestocking said...

Crying it out may be your best bet, but I know it would be really tough.

Nicole Shelby said...

Well...for you the best thing is emotional support. every mom out there struggles with this one - and it comes and goes and comes and goes.
When mine get in that phase (and they do...and then they don't) I just have something for me to do while I sit with them. I'll lay on the floor and read, or knit, of design scrap pages, or write in my journal. If crying it out doesn't work, and he's not hungry, or poopy, or cold...then sometimes you've just got to be nearby. And change how you feel about it. Consider it stolen personal time. Time to be alone and catch up on the always needed scripture study. Time to go over the day, and plan tommorrow. Drag in your computer and play your DAOC (with earpieces of course).
Love you chicka!

Pokeyann said...

I feel your pain, oh how I feel our pain. My little dude just really didn't/doesn't sleep all that great. I finally cracked after 9 months of intense sleep deprivation and told my husband he had to take over. Changing up the parent who got up with him helped, he sleeps better now. Now my dh usually gets up with him, and I help occassionally. And little dude sleeps most of the time through the night. I felt guilty because I'm a SAHM and dh works long hours, but it worked better for us and everyone is getting way more sleep. Mostly just do what feels right for you and your son and it will work out.

Unknown said...

My doctor told me to let my kids cry and go in there every five minutes the first night, 10 the second and 15 the third (and keep it at 15 minutes). And not to pick them up but to just rub their back for a few seconds and then leave.

Honestly, it didn't work. The more it went in there, the more upset they would get. I hate to say it but crying out is the only thing that ever worked with both of them. And it never took more than three nights to get them on track.

Jennifer @ Fruit of My Hands said...

You know, I never could do cry it out, it just feels mean. Good luck and lots of *hugs* being sent to what sounds like a very tired mama.