I'm not usually up this early (thank goodness), but when my cell phone battery is getting ready to die it makes the most horrible beeping sound. That is what I woke up to and then had to climb out of bed, walk downstairs, and plug my phone in before hearing it again. So I saw the laptop sitting there on my way downstairs and decided to get started on today's question. It's a good one.
Will my baby ever sleep through the night?
The simple answer is yes and depending on how old your baby is, it never comes soon enough. For various reasons such as ear infections, moving, and my level of tolerance for crying, Sara didn't sleep through the night until she was 13 months old (we waited WAY too long). I remember asking her doctor about it and he said his daughter didn't sleep through the night until she was 2 1/2. But then of course he reminded me that she is now 19 and sleeps through the night just fine. I thought to myself, if this doctor's kid didn't sleep through the night until she was 2 1/2 he is either a lousy doctor or that is one heck of a kid!
There are lots of sleep training books out there with methods and theories on sleep. Most say the baby could be sleeping through the night by 6-8 months. The truth is, it depends on you and depends on the baby. I know that sounds like a cop out, but let me explain it this way... Newborn babies wake up a lot during the night because they need to eat to grow. Of course, when they wake up every 3 hours and you feel like a total zombie it makes life seem impossible. When the laundry is piling up, you haven't washed your hair in 3 days, and you are trying to decide between taking a nap or eating a sandwich? Try to do both. It will be good for you and the baby.
We chose the 'cry it out' method for Sara after 13 months of getting up at least once, sometimes 3 times during the night. We chose Thanksgiving Break (so my husband would be at home and I could take a longer nap during the day). The first night she cried for 45 minutes 2 separate times. The second and third nights, she cried for about 30 minutes. By the fourth night, she was sleeping 7:30pm to 7:30am. I had to remind myself sleep was good for her and it was okay to let her cry. It was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be and after it was all over, I wondered to myself why I had waited so long to do it. Now, she is a great little sleeper and it is so amazing to know that when she goes to sleep she will stay asleep.
All those night when the baby wakes up and you have to get up AGAIN... just remember she/he WILL sleep through the night someday. Speaking of which... whoever said sleeping through the night meant 4 consecutive hours was clearly misinformed. Sleeping through the night to me means: you put them to sleep, go to sleep yourself, and wake up at least 8-10 hours later.
With whatever you decide to do remember you're the parent and sleep is essential for both of you. Good luck and happy sleeping!
I think the key is to start early and get them used to it, not used to waking up to eat as long as they are gaining weight. Great idea Karen to start a blog. We all felt the same way as new moms.
ReplyDeleteTalking sleep...I would be interested in hearing the advice from other moms who work and have children. I am an adjunct instructor for a university and will be expecting our first baby when the semester is in full swing. I do have the luxury of working mostly from home, but I like to know how others cope with sleep deprivation while juggling a career.
ReplyDeleteI think the key to getting them to sleep through the night is consistency..bottom line!! Stick with what your going to do and do not change it, other wise your baby will know you will eventually come in. It may seem HORRIBLE for a week or so but SOOOO worth it and then you have it down in less time and it wont linger for months and months!! GET EAR PLUGS! It helps and I used them often with my first.
ReplyDeleteYeah I think I need to start training Asher. He is old enuf, only now I think I want to wait till we move and get settled in. So more like a couple of months. I keep hoping I will have a child that will do it on their own but not yet. But I too do the cry it out way, and so far it has only taken a few days to set in. So I wonder what am I waiting for, but still I have to work myself up to it each time. I guess I slightly enjoy the late night/early morning/ both cuddle with my babies!
ReplyDeleteWe're going through it right now with Emmarie, she's 7 months old. My first child slept through the night starting at 8 weeks and pretty soon after that he was sleeping 10-12 hours, so I have been very confused this time around. I know she's not hungry but she does cry periodically throughout the night. I have yet to try the cry it out method, mainly bc I know I won't sleep at all if she's screaming. Right now I go in and soothe her and put her back down. I need to get the guts up to try it, but I just keep thinking she'll do it on her own. It doesn't look like that's going to happen though!
ReplyDeleteGet this book: "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child", by Marc Weissbluth. It's based on ACTUAL research with actual data performed by actual scholars using sound methodologies.
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