Sleep.
Before I became a mother, I used to hate napping during the day. I always felt like life was passing me by when I napped. So I did it rarely - usually if I had the flu or something. As the Boogster still wakes up at least twice every night, I nap when and where I can.
The Boogster, like I mentioned before, needs to be rocked or breastfed in order to fall asleep. I read that this is what is called a "sleeping-crutch" and that he needs to find a way to fall asleep on his own. I had only been told of the "Crying It Out" (CIO) method where you just let your baby cry himself to sleep. I tried it once, and NEVER again. I always thought it was either that or just suffer the backaches and sleep deprivation rocking Boogster back to sleep until he learnt to sleep on his own.
There seems to be light at the end of the tunnel though. I've come across "The No Cry Sleep Solution", a book by Elizabeth Pantley which I have just ordered from Amazon. I'm hoping it will help! I also came across Baby Center which has an article on the No Tears Method which has given me hope.
Must dash. Boogster is awake and dancing at me from the confines of his cot, with a big smile on his face. Now tell me, how can I let him cry himself to sleep?
How is the No Cry book? I agree with you, CIO is just odd and strange to me. My son is 16 months old now. Friends, collegaues and family all tried to tell me that his tender little self would have to cry it out at 2 months! I just refused to do it, and he learned to sleep and soothe himself. When he was about 7 months old, he bagn sleeping through the night and wouldnt cry when I placed him in the crib. Now is a different story. He never wants to go in the crib, and constantly wants to be in our bed. He wakes up in the middle of the night howling. I dont know where he got this idea from). For the past month this has been going on and we are suffering from lack of sleep ( we both hold f/t jobs opposite shifts). Anywho, out of desperation, we let him CIO the other night at 4am. I never thought I would do it but we were desperate. It killed me and felt unnatural. I would never put a small infant through it (< 1 yr old), but it worked and now he knows we mean business when we put him down. While Im glad the outcome was positive, I feel terribly guilty. I wish it hadnt come to this.
ReplyDeletePS I checked out the link for the book, the author is very good. I use "THE BABY BOOK" that he co-authored with his wife....it is a very useful resource that i check frequently!
ReplyDeleteI'll check the book out. I haven't got to the bit about different strategies yet. Just started back at work but when I do I'll let you know. So far so good though. It's so reassuring to know there are others out there who feel the same way I do about the CIO method. My little one is 10 months now and still doesn't know how to fall asleep on his own. Last night might have been a bit of a breakthrough as he tossed and turned in bed between his dad and myself and then eventually settled to sleep upside down - his feet where his head should be!
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