Two and a half months now, and we've begun sleep training Mui Mui. What is sleep training, you ask? Mommy learned it from a very thick book with lots of words in small print, called "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child." To sum up the book, sleep training is basically letting your baby cry until they fall asleep. Then they'll get used to not being picked up, and learn to fall asleep on their own. The book advises that sleep training begins after 4 months, but it says if you're a very busy parent, you can begin at two months. Since our toddler keeps us just the right amount of busy to qualify as "very," we began the training a week ago.
It sounds likes such a simple thing to do - let the baby cry until they fall asleep is much easier then pacing the house with her in your arms until she falls asleep. No pins and needles, sore wrists and elbows, back aches, or risking dropping the baby because it's 3 AM and you're falling asleep while standing up. (Just pretend that's in the book and not something I actually experienced.) But when you actually begin sleep training, and hearing your baby cry and scream and wail with more tears than would fill a baby sized sponge, it seems easier to just carry her for just one more hour until she turns into a limp log of pink fuzz and fat in your arms.
After a couple of nights already, she seems to be getting better. First she started falling asleep on her own, usually in an automated swing or vibrating bouncer. Now when she's in her crib, she can cry for ten minutes instead of twenty, but not consistently. But as we learned from sleep training the first one, he now sleeps almost on cue, with no fuss or resistance. The road is hard, but the reward is worth it.
Perhaps it's her holiday gift to us, but last night was the first night she slept for six straight hours. And as I write this entry this Christmas Eve, I would like to wish all you readers out there with our family's rendition of a Christmas classic.
It sounds likes such a simple thing to do - let the baby cry until they fall asleep is much easier then pacing the house with her in your arms until she falls asleep. No pins and needles, sore wrists and elbows, back aches, or risking dropping the baby because it's 3 AM and you're falling asleep while standing up. (Just pretend that's in the book and not something I actually experienced.) But when you actually begin sleep training, and hearing your baby cry and scream and wail with more tears than would fill a baby sized sponge, it seems easier to just carry her for just one more hour until she turns into a limp log of pink fuzz and fat in your arms.
After a couple of nights already, she seems to be getting better. First she started falling asleep on her own, usually in an automated swing or vibrating bouncer. Now when she's in her crib, she can cry for ten minutes instead of twenty, but not consistently. But as we learned from sleep training the first one, he now sleeps almost on cue, with no fuss or resistance. The road is hard, but the reward is worth it.
Perhaps it's her holiday gift to us, but last night was the first night she slept for six straight hours. And as I write this entry this Christmas Eve, I would like to wish all you readers out there with our family's rendition of a Christmas classic.
Happy Holidays, everyone!
1 comment:
haha, this is a way belated comment but i can't wait for a CD to come out :)
...yea that was lame :( lol ahh i swear i'll see you guys soon!
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