toto
December 19th 06, 02:49 AM
Sleep Training...from the other point of view
OK, here's my situation. My Mommy has had me for almost
7 months. The first few months were great-- I cried, she
picked me up and fed me, anytime, day or night. Then
something happened. Over the last few weeks, she has
been trying to STTN (sleep thru the night).
At first, I thought it was just a phase, but it is only getting
worse. I've talked to other babies, and it seems like it's
pretty common after Mommies have had us for around
6 months.
Here's the thing: these Mommies don't really need to
sleep. It's just a habit. Many of them have had some
30 years to sleep--they just don't need it anymore. So
I am implementing a plan. I call it the Crybaby Shuffle.
It goes like this:
Night 1--cry every 3 hours until you get fed. I know, it's
hard. It's hard to see your Mommy upset over your crying.
Just keep reminding yourself, it's for her own good.
Night 2--cry every 2 hours until you get fed.
Night 3--every hour.
Most Mommies will start to respond more quickly after
about 3 nights. Some Mommies are more alert, and may
resist the change longer. These Mommies may stand in
your doorway for hours, shhhh-ing. Don't give in. I cannot
stress this enough: CONSISTENCY IS KEY!!
If you let her STTN (sleep through the night), just once,
she will expect it every night. I KNOW IT'S HARD!
But she really does not need the sleep, she is just
resisting the change.
If you have an especially alert Mommy, you can stop
crying for about 10 minutes, just long enough for her
to go back to bed and start to fall asleep. Then cry again.
It WILL eventually work. My Mommy once stayed awake
for 10 hours straight, so I know she can do it.
Last night, I cried every hour. You just have to decide to
stick to it and just go for it. BE CONSISTENT! I cried for
any reason I could come up with. My sleep sack tickled
my foot. I felt a wrinkle under the sheet. My mobile made
a shadow on the wall. I burped, and it tasted like pears.
I hadn't eaten pears since lunch, what's up with that?
The cat said "meow". I should know. My Mommy reminds
me of this about 20 times a day. LOL. Once I cried just
because I liked how it sounded when it echoed on the
monitor in the other room. Too hot, too cold, just right--
doesn't matter! Keep crying!!
It took awhile, but it worked. She fed me at 4am.
Tomorrow night, my goal is 3:30am. You need to slowly
shorten the interval between feedings in order to reset
your Mommies' internal clocks.
P.S. Don't let those rubber things fool you, no matter
how long you suck on them, no milk will come out.
Trust me.
--
Dorothy
There is no sound, no cry in all the world
that can be heard unless someone listens ..
The Outer Limits
OK, here's my situation. My Mommy has had me for almost
7 months. The first few months were great-- I cried, she
picked me up and fed me, anytime, day or night. Then
something happened. Over the last few weeks, she has
been trying to STTN (sleep thru the night).
At first, I thought it was just a phase, but it is only getting
worse. I've talked to other babies, and it seems like it's
pretty common after Mommies have had us for around
6 months.
Here's the thing: these Mommies don't really need to
sleep. It's just a habit. Many of them have had some
30 years to sleep--they just don't need it anymore. So
I am implementing a plan. I call it the Crybaby Shuffle.
It goes like this:
Night 1--cry every 3 hours until you get fed. I know, it's
hard. It's hard to see your Mommy upset over your crying.
Just keep reminding yourself, it's for her own good.
Night 2--cry every 2 hours until you get fed.
Night 3--every hour.
Most Mommies will start to respond more quickly after
about 3 nights. Some Mommies are more alert, and may
resist the change longer. These Mommies may stand in
your doorway for hours, shhhh-ing. Don't give in. I cannot
stress this enough: CONSISTENCY IS KEY!!
If you let her STTN (sleep through the night), just once,
she will expect it every night. I KNOW IT'S HARD!
But she really does not need the sleep, she is just
resisting the change.
If you have an especially alert Mommy, you can stop
crying for about 10 minutes, just long enough for her
to go back to bed and start to fall asleep. Then cry again.
It WILL eventually work. My Mommy once stayed awake
for 10 hours straight, so I know she can do it.
Last night, I cried every hour. You just have to decide to
stick to it and just go for it. BE CONSISTENT! I cried for
any reason I could come up with. My sleep sack tickled
my foot. I felt a wrinkle under the sheet. My mobile made
a shadow on the wall. I burped, and it tasted like pears.
I hadn't eaten pears since lunch, what's up with that?
The cat said "meow". I should know. My Mommy reminds
me of this about 20 times a day. LOL. Once I cried just
because I liked how it sounded when it echoed on the
monitor in the other room. Too hot, too cold, just right--
doesn't matter! Keep crying!!
It took awhile, but it worked. She fed me at 4am.
Tomorrow night, my goal is 3:30am. You need to slowly
shorten the interval between feedings in order to reset
your Mommies' internal clocks.
P.S. Don't let those rubber things fool you, no matter
how long you suck on them, no milk will come out.
Trust me.
--
Dorothy
There is no sound, no cry in all the world
that can be heard unless someone listens ..
The Outer Limits