Mommy Tip on Sleep Training

Mommy Tip on Sleep Training

Hello lovely people! I hope your having a wonderful weekend full of love with the holiday. I just thought I would share some of my tips on getting Madden to sleep through the night. Up until he was about 5 months old he was still getting up twice at night for a feeding. I started believing that he was only getting up out of habit to eat because he would never finish his full bottle at both feedings. So, we ended up cutting his last feeding out and ended up doing the cry it out method. Some people may feel this is mean way to go about it and that your neglecting your baby but it sure worked for our little guy. At first I started doing the Feber method which, worked really well and we ended up going down from 2 feedings at night to one. After about a month of doing 1 night feeding still, I came to a point where I was so desperate to get a full night of sleep and knew I had to make a change, especially since he wasn't drinking his full bottle. So this time I decided to go about it a little different way than doing Feber method. I did the cry it out method full on and after about 15 minutes of fussing the first night he fell asleep on his own and every since then the only time I've ever had to go in his room is to put his binky back in. He hasn't figured out where it is and usually it end up underneath his head which makes it hard for him to get. Don't get me wrong, it was really hard doing the Feber method and the cry it out method and I felt so guilty not helping my baby when he was crying but it sure paid off in the end. Now I get my full nights sleep and feel like have so much more energy everyday! Here is what the ferber method is and how it worked for madden and the cry it out method!

Feber Method:

Step 1
Put your baby in his crib when he's sleepy but still awake.
Step 2
Say goodnight to your child and leave the room. If he cries when you leave, let him cry for a predetermined amount of time.
Step 3
Go back into the room for no more than a minute or two to pat and reassure your baby. Leave the light off and keep your voice quiet and soothing. Don't pick him up. Leave again while he's still awake, even if he's crying.
Step 4
Stay out of the room for a little bit longer than the first time and follow the same routine, staying out of the room for gradually longer intervals, each time returning for only a minute or two to pat and reassure him, and leaving while he's still awake.
Step 5
Follow this routine until your child falls asleep when you're out of the room.
Step 6
If your child wakes up again later, follow the same routine, beginning with the minimum waiting time for that night and gradually increasing the intervals between visits until you reach the maximum for that night.
Step 7
Increase the amount of time between visits to the nursery each night. In most cases, according to Ferber, your baby will be going to sleep on his own by the third or fourth night – a week at the most. If your child is very resistant after several nights of trying, wait a few weeks and then try again.

Ferber Method with Madden

Note: 

We normally put madden to bed between 7:45-8pm but we were at an event this night and bedtime was late.

-Also I started sleep training the day after he got his shots which probably wasn't the best time to start (but like I said I was desperate for sleep) so I gave him some Motrin a couple nights to help with his sore legs. Poor Guy!

*First Night 

Check in time intervals were 5,10,15 minutes

9:40pm  Bed Time (started crying)

9:45        Check in

9:55        Check in

10:05      Check in

10:15      Check in (still crying)

10:25      Stop Crying/ Asleep

1:50am    Start fussing

1:55         Check in/ gave binky

1:56         Asleep

3:30am    Start Fussing/ talking

3:35          Check in

3:45          Check in/ gave binky/ Asleep

4:45am    Start Fussing

4:50          Check in

5                Asleep

8am          Wake up

*Second Night

Check in time Intervals were 10,15,20 minutes

7:40pm  Bedtime (started crying)

7:45        Check in/ Offer rest of bottle & drank 1oz

8pm        Asleep

2:30am   Talking/whiny

2:35         Asleep

4:08        Fussing

4:16        Check in / Give Motrin & binky then asleep

8am        Wake up

*Third Night

Check in time intervals were 15,20,25

-This will remain the same for the following nights

7:55pm    Bedtime

8:10          Asleep

3:15am    Start fussing

3:25          Gave binky/ Asleep

5am         Started fussing

5:10         Give binky

5:25         Give binky

5:40         Give Motrin

6               Check in/ give binky

6:20         Asleep

*Fourth Night

7:50pm    Bedtime

4:10am    Wake up

4:25         Check in/ give binky

4:55         Quite

5:07         Fussy again

5:15         Change poopy diaper/ give binky

5:30         Eat 6oz

8am        Wake up

*Fifth Night

8pm     Bedtime

2:40am   Wake up

2:50         Give binky

3:30        Eat 3 1/2 oz

3:40        Fussing

3:51        Asleep

8am       Wake up

*Sixth Night

8pm        Bedtime

1am        Give Binky

2:30        Eat 3oz

8am        Wake up

Notes:

- You will see every night he cried less and got up less which is good. 

- After a few nights I decided to slowly take away each night time feeding. He was at 2 night time feeding so I decided to cut him down to 1 night time feeding for a while then take it away once I felt it wasn't needed anymore

- I did not strictly stick with the Ferber method and the interval times but I did what I felt was needed at the time.

Tips for Mommy's who want to try this method for your child:

-I would say do what you feel is right for you and your child.

-Once you start sleep training stick to it until you've accomplished your goal

-Set a steady bedtime routine each night

-If your baby isn't drinking their full bottle, then they are most likely waking up out of habit and don't need to eat.

-Putting Madden to bed awake helped so much for him to soothe himself to sleep.

-Be PATIENT! 

It was the hardest thing for me to hear my baby cry and so hard to not just get up and comfort him but I felt like this was the best thing to do for Madden and myself. After a couple months of cutting his 2nd feeding out I decided since he wasn't drinking his full bottle and I needed my sleep desperately I decided to cut his last night time feeding out and went with the cry it out method.  No going in and checking on him every 5, 10 and 15 minutes just purely letting him cry it out till he found a way to soothe himself back to sleep.

I was dreading this day because of course I thought Madden would cry for hours but he surprised me and he cried the first night for 15 minutes then soothed himself back to sleep. The second night no fussing at all when I put him down. Now I got by how I feel and sometimes Madden will wake up and lose his binky so I will go in their put it back in and he falls right back to sleep. 

I admit it was really hard to hear Madden cry when we first did the Ferber method and then the cry it out method but it was so worth it all. Madden and Mommy now get a good nights sleep and are ready and feel energized for the day! I hope this will help those of you who are wanting to try these methods out. I believe every baby is different and what works for some may not work for others but this I believe was the perfect method for Madden.

Love to All!!!!

I was looking at pictures of when Madden was a newborn and just had to share this one. Can't believe he is 9 months already! Love you infinity little boy!