sleep training :: week one & two

Sleepless nights are tough no matter how old or young, or pregnant or not that you may be. Sleep is bliss. Sleep is the perfect topping on a crazy day sundae. My swollen and achy body craves sleep and after our Tahoe adventure a few weekends ago I decided it was time to take back my sleep.

Quinn started out as an awesome sleeper. Once we figured out that he was a tummy guy he’s been sleeping through the night, in his own bed, in his own room since he was weeks old. Teething was hard, sickness is hard, but he’s always enjoyed sleeping in his room and we’ve certainly enjoyed having our bed to ourselves.

About 3 months ago Quinn caught a nasty cold/flu/something way too dramatic and funky to just leave him alone at night. And so began the bad sleep habits. Which turned into no sleep habits which spiraled entirely too out of control and resulted in a 2 year old kicking and punching and squirming all night smack dab in the middle of our bed. 

Right about here is where I started to really struggle. Which is why the sleeping became an issue. It started with a sick baby who needed mommy, who also needed sleep and ended with a guilt stricken mommy who wasn’t getting any sleep.

I’ve heard from a million different moms a million different times and ways that sometimes the best thing is to just let them cry it out. I seriously struggle with the cry it out method. It makes me feel all icky and neglectful to sit in another room and listen to my baby wail. I know the difference between his ‘I’m in pain’, ‘I’m lonely’, ‘I’m tired’ and ‘I’m just moody’ cries, but I still struggle with cry it out.

I don’t know why, when like I’ve said I’ve heard it from a million moms a million different ways, but there’s just something about reading it in a book and hearing it from a non-mom opinion that really clicked with me when I read this book.

And so began the sleep training. The first night was the night to top all nights. I put on my game face, sent an ‘I’m sorry for all the fuss’ text to my neighbor and went to work. Let me just say that I almost caved over a handful of times. I almost went running into his room to scoop him up and tell him I loved him. But I had to remind myself that setting boundaries is a form of love too. That showing them that they are NOT the center of the universe is a good life lesson. That sometimes life is hard, but that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

The second night was Eric’s. And boy oh boy was I green with envy when after only tens of minutes did that little screaming goober fall asleep while on daddy’s watch. I chocked it up to my hard work and effort the night before, but I did begin to notice a steady pattern.

On my nights he fought and he fought hard and dirty. With huge crocodile tears and begging to be rocked and begging for more baba. And while I had to adapt and do a little rocking, for my own sanity, I did not ‘give in’.

It has now been two weeks of steady sleep training. And successfully, two weeks of no baby in our bed and pretty much a full nights rest. After my assessment of the situation on my nights I struck up a deal with the Hubs. He does bed time. Period. I do baths & reading / drawing time just before. No fuss, just blissful, no-fight sleep.

A few things we’ve noticed since the switch:
-Quinn eats better. He’s eats more regularly and more consistently.
-Q’s speech is improving. He’s historically a little lagging in the vocabulary department, but since sleeping better he’s been doing a lot more parroting and phonetics with us.
-The hubs and I actually have time for us at the end of the day. Hooray!