As you could tell from the earlier post, sleep training didn't go so well the first night.
The boys finally fell asleep around 2 AM and then woke up at 3, 5, and 7. Usually, they are incredibly happy during the day (despite their lack of sleep), but today they were sluggish and not so smiley. I could tell they were exhausted. They went down easily for their naps and then Nathan put them to bed while I read to Eliza. Rather than me nursing them to sleep, he fed them each a bottle, sang to them, and left the room.
And....it has been three hours now, and they haven't made a peep!
We are going to continue to be consistent with the routine and perhaps Nathan just needs to put them to bed for a while. I really don't mind nursing them at least once during the night, but them waking up constantly is not okay for anyone. I thrilled to see any results whatsoever. That is progress!
Something really clicked in my mind earlier this week and I kept thinking, "Why is this happening AGAIN to us!? Why are the twins having the same sleeping problems Eliza had?" And then, after hearing all the input from my friends, I realized it is because I ALLOW it to happen! They are babies, and I need to teach them that they cannot nurse all night and fight sleep. If I fail to do that, then everyone in the household has to deal with the consequences, which is especially unfair to Eliza and my in-laws. By trying to coddle them and save them from crying, I am doing everyone a huge disservice.
I still think co-sleeping is wonderful, but that is co-sleeping--not "co-staying up all night." Hopefully, Ezra and Elliott will be champion sleepers in the near future!
London: A Year in Review
10 months ago
It's tough teaching your kid to sleep... we had to do it too. But, it's been great to be able to put our kiddo down for both naps and nighttime without having to rock, feed or otherwise him to sleep for 45 minutes. Glad you're seeing results :-) Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad it went better. You know that saying about people having to hit rock bottom before they make a change? I think maybe, sometimes, the same goes for babies having to learn new habits. It's just frustrating that you have to be taken down along with it. I hope that it continues to go better and that you can all get a good night's sleep.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you guys are figuring it out! Kids get away with whatever you let them get away with. You can't blame them for wanting to hang out with you 24 hours a day! But you're the mom and you have to be the one to say, "Sorry, no, now it's sleep time."
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, I am SO glad things went better. Seriously, stick with it! They will learn how to sleep and it will be so good for them. Babies need lots of sleep to develop and grow and be happy, and sometimes they need help to figure out how to do it. I'm so happy for you guys! You can do it! One thing I suggest is if they go through a crying spell again for a bit, turn on music or a fan or something so you can't hear it, and just set an alarm so you know how often you need to go in and check on them. But there's no need to sit around and have to hear them cry, because it's too sad to hear and it will break your heart. Just know that after a few tough days, it will be SO much better and they'll be happy that they will become big kids that know how to sleep well, and adults too. Love you guys! You can do it!!! :)
ReplyDelete