Sunday, July 29, 2007

Ferber progressive waiting

http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/parenting_tips/sleep/index.html

Sorry if you don't agree with this or think I'm a bad Mom for doing it. Trust me it was a hard thing to do. Colby developed some bad sleeping habite. With the tooth he got at 12 weeks. Then him gettin gthe ear infection, he got in the habit of waking up too often at night. I'd put him down at 9:00 and he'd be up at 9:45. This went on for several weeks. One night, he never went to sleep. It was not a problem that had anything to do with what he does at daycare either. Something needed to be done. I decided that after he finished his antibiotic that I'd work on it. See the link above for Ferber's method. Here is how it went for us. I will post updates later.

Thursday 7-26- Bed 9:00, woke up at 9:45. Waited 3 min then 5 min then at 10 min he wasn't crying. When I went to see if he was asleep, he was smiling and playing. I was gonna go back in bed but he started crying again. His cries definitely got lower as time passed. Sometimes he would just play. He did have quiet moments. I don't know if he ever fell back asleep. I'm not sure, I may have even dozed off a few times. I told him I wasn't picking him up till midnight. Well, I got him at 11:45 and fed him . He ate for the whole 10 min before falling asleep. Lately he'd only do 5 minutes in the middle of the night. He was back in bed by midnight and woke up at about 4:45.

Friday- Tonight is worse than last night. He didn't fall asleep while nursing so I put him in bed awake. He was OK for awhile. I'd go in and he'd start smiling at me. As soon as I'm out of sight, he screams. I don't mind rocking him to asleep. But, I guess he won't learn to soothe himself that way. At the 10 min span, Rowdy said he thinks this is BS. That he hopes this isn't still going on when he has to get up at 4 to go to work. He finally feel asleep about 11:00. He woke up at almost 3:00 and I fed him. Then he got up at about 5:30 and I fed him. He fell asleep on the boppy but when I stood up with him, he woke up. Rowdy stayed up with him while I went back in bed. Now it is almost 8:00 and I got up. Rowdy asked me if he woke up again after 11:00.

Saturday- I didn't nurse him till 9:00. He was drowsy but didn't fall asleep. He had fallen asleep in the car. But, I decided to rock him after. He fell asleep before 10:00. He woke up when I put him in the bed. He stayed quiet for awhile. Then he cried for 10 minutes. I didn't hear a peep out of him till about 3. I went to the bathroom then I was gonna feed him. I went look in and his eyes were closed. He didn't wake up till about 6:30! I'm not getting my hopes up. But, I sure hope this continues. You know last weekend he slept like 6 hours straight for 2 nights. Then he got back off track.

Sunday- I nursed him and he fell asleep. I put him in bed by 9:00. Like clockwork, he was up at 9:45. I went in at 10:05. He smiled some and cried some. I left and he cried till 10:25. Then he got up a little after 2:00 and I nursed him. He fell asleep on one side which is normally all I do. Then he woke up so I switched sides. He kept wanting to smile and play. He was done and still awake so I rocked him. Again, he kept wanting to play. Finally he looked drowsy enough so I put him in bed by 3:00. I don't know how long before he fell asleep. But, he was quiet. We woke him up at 5:15 to get ready for work. So, that wasn't too bad for him. My problem is that we took a long nap around noon. It was either that or the fact that I'm not used to sleeping for a long time. But, It was hard for me to fall asleep. Plus I kept looking at the clock and thinking he's wake up. Plus kicking Rowdy to stop snoring. So, now I've got to work on my sleep disorder too.


Monday- I put him in bed at 10 till 9 and he was up at 9. I was like hey it's not 9:45 yet. I fed him some more and his eyes kept getting heavy. Like he was nibbling and not eating. But, he cried every time I unlatched him. So, I rocked him. He was drowsy but then wasn't asleep when I put him back in bed at like 9:30. I went in at 20 and then 25 minutes. Again, he held my hand and smiled with his eyes all big. Then once I got out of sight, he screamed. Rowdy got out of bed and watched TV. He came in at 10 till 11 and said he was sleeping. That is a long time to cry. He said poor thing and I agree. I'm wondering if this is really working. Anyway he didn't wake up after that until 5:15 when he was supposed to.


Tuesday- I actually had to ask Rowdy how long he cried for. I put him down at 9:00. He was very sleepy. He cried at 9:15. Rowdy came to bed at 10:00 and I asked him if he was sleeping. He told me he only cried for like 20 minutes. Also that it was more like whining and not hard crying. I had fallen back asleep and didn't check on him. He woke up at 2 and I fed him. Then he woke up at 4 for the day.


Wednesday- He woke up at 9:45 last night. He didn't cry for long. I guess 15-20 minutes again. Started off loud then got quieter. I fell asleep again. Then he woke up at about 3:00 and I fed him. He was wide awake. I rocked him for a little while then but him in bed with the mobile on. Rowdy got out of bed around 4:00. He wasn't crying, just playing. He never went back to sleep. I fed him at 6:00 and he fell asleep. I was gonna just let him play in bed but Rowdy got up. He was really wide awake. I didn't want to push the middle of the night wakings. I figure I'd concentrate on the not getting him up before midnight thing. I wish we didn't have to start his day so early (5:15). If we didn't, he may sleep later sometimes.


Thursday- He was too tired to even eat his cereal. Rowdy was playing with him a lot to wear him out. He was fine and playing taking a bath. Then after I held him while Rowdy fixed his cereal. He started screaming. He loves his cereal and would not eat it. So, I nursed him and he fell asleep by 8:45. He woke up at 9:45 and cried for like 20 minutes. Then he woke up at 11:00 and I nursed him. Just because I thought he may have been hungry because he didn't eat much. Then he was up at 2:00 and cried for like 20 minutes. Then we got him up at 5:10.


Friday- He fussed for a little while when I put him down at 9:00. Then I heard him around 2 or 3 for a couple of minutes. Then the alarm woke him up at 5:00.


Saturday- We went shopping and got home late. We didn't bathe him till after 8:30 and I didn't nurse him till about 9:00. He didn't fall asleep. I rocked him and sang him for a little while and he was dozing off. I put him in bed with his mobile on at 9:30. I went take a bathe and I looked at him and I saw his legs up. I came check this site around 10:00 and checked on him before I got in bed. He was smiling with his eyes closed. I really don't think I heard him at all last night. He didn't wake up till about 8:00!

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