It's Great Moms Think Alike Wednesday again over at The Unexpected Mother. Today we're talking about the Cry It Out method and sleeping.
Oh, sleep how I have missed it!
When C was born I was an attachment parent from the start, or as much as I could be from the outside of a box in the NICU. When C came home we had a co-sleeper attached to the bed but most of the time he was actually in the bed with us. I was so afraid that he would stop breathing I just needed him next to me. But, when he started growing and squirming around in the bed and FINALLY slept through the night around 5-6 months it was time for him to go to his own room.
One thing that was in our favor was that he was already sleeping through the night. He wasn't waking up for feedings or changing which was nice. We started putting him down for naps in his crib around 4 months and the first time it happened he cried like crazy. My mom was there and she told me he would just cry himself out. It was so hard but, I let him do it and he only cried for 10 minutes. The next day he cried for 5-10 minutes and after that he would go down easy. So, when we transitioned him to the crib it was actually no problem. I was so happy I almost through myself a party! Now, every now and then we do have some crying at bed time and if it persists more than half an hour I make sure to check and make sure there isn't something wrong.
K is 7 months and a totally different story. I've been co-sleeping with her since she came home as well. Around 4 months I started putting her to bed in the co-sleeper by herself a little while after C went to bed. I have been so ready for her to move into her room because I am just so tired. But, the kids share a room so, I have been super reluctant to transition her to the crib using the cry it out method. I think the cry it out method does work but, not when you have two kids in the same room.
During K's morning nap she sleeps in her crib but, during her afternoon nap she still sleeps in the co-sleeper. In the last week I've actually been able to put her down in the crib for the night without her crying but, she still wakes up crying at 2 am. Ugh! I guess the whole point of the cry it out method is to let her actually cry it out. But, what do you do when there's another child in the room?? Right now, C is the only one in the house getting a full night's sleep!
Be sure to stop by The Unexpected Mother for Great Moms Think Alike Wednesday!
I remember those nights! My youngest is now 5 so its been a while. I don't know how to let them cry it out & not have it wake up the other.I always ran in there & soothed her before I ended up with both of them awake :) But I can say it won't be long until you get a good nights sleep. (thats hard to believe @ 2am though)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog and following. My twins sleep in the same room and I let them cry it out. They learned to sleep through their siblings' cries very quickly as did my oldest in the next room. We have pretty thin walls so being in another room didn't make much of a difference. I think it takes time, but eventually they will all sleep, and you too!
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