Ever since Madisyn was born she has been a pretty good sleeper. She started sleeping through the night at about 1 month old. She still sleeps well once she's actually asleep, but it's the "getting her to go to sleep" that has been a struggle for the past couple weeks. We had a good routine of bath, pjs, and feeding. After she ate she'd want to be held and rocked and suck on her binkie till she was asleep, but as soon as I put her in bed, she'd start crying. David or I would stand by her, rub her, keep putting her binkie in her mouth to try and calm her down. By the time she was asleep we were all stressed out, especially me. It just wasn't working. I didn't want her last memory of me all stressed out and frustrated before she goes to bed every time. I know all about making sure there's a routine and putting baby in bed while drowsy, but awake so baby can learn to put herself to sleep. It's just that every time I put her down she'd cry and I'd stay right there to comfort her.
I read some advice from a few medical professionals and others and they all had one thing in common. Once you do the bedtime routine (bath, pjs, feeding, cuddles), then you put baby in bed, make sure she's warm and has some kind of comfort that has yours and her scent on it (blanket, burp rag, etc). Then you look at her and say "goodnight I love you and it's time to go to sleep". You then leave the room. If baby is still crying after 10-15 minutes, go in and reassure her you love her and it's time for bed. Make it very brief. Don't touch her or pick her up. You continue this every 15 minutes till she goes to sleep.
I was a little sceptical at first because, 1 I don't like hearing her cry, and 2 I thought she'd scream for a long time and not go to sleep till she wore herself out. The thought of that made me sad. Madi wakes up around 8 or 9 am and takes two naps, usually very short, then goes to bed around 7 or 8pm. I decided to put the plan in action yesterday, and here's what happened. It was time for her 11 am nap, so I fed her, cuddled with her for just a minute (I didn't want to make it longer than that cus she'd think I was going to rock her to sleep), then I put her in her crib, gave her a soft little bunny to hold, told her I loved her and it's time to sleep and left the room. Of course she started crying, but amazingly she was asleep in FIVE MINUTES, and she stayed asleep for an hour! No binkie, no rocking forever, no getting so upset when she wakes herself up and can't put herself back to sleep. It was amazing! She did the same thing at her 4 pm nap and at bedtime she cryed a for about 20 minutes, but I went in there after 15 minutes and told her I loved her again and about 5 minutes after that she was asleep! She didn't wake up till the morning!
I don't know if this works for all babies, but it's sure worth a try. I'm so excited!
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