Bah humbug! I hate sleep training, even though I know it should be done. Poor Martin.
I'm using the "Ferber" method. The book explains it this way. Every night you fall asleep with your pillow. Now imagine if in the middle of the night, your pillow fell off the bed. You'd pick it up and go back to sleep. But say, someone took it. You probably wouldn't be able to go back to sleep.
Now Martin has always fallen asleep being held or nursed (though we were good at the newborn stage, but naturally fell out of it). So when he has tiny night wakings, it's like his pillow is gone.
Now, you could learn to fall asleep with a pillow. But it would take a couple of nights, and you'd probably be fussy about it too. Well, that's what I have to teach Martin, how to sleep without his pillow.
The book says to put them in the ideal sleep situation (i.e. dark room, bed, etc), then leave. After 5 minutes if crying, go in for 2-3 minutes, don't pick up and then leave (whether still crying or not). Then go in after 10 minutes, then at 15 minute intervals for rest of the night.
We've been at this for 40 minutes now. Poor Martin. Luckily Oliver is a solid sleeper, as is Martin's neighbour who is already asleep (I went next door to warn them we were doing this).
I'm using the "Ferber" method. The book explains it this way. Every night you fall asleep with your pillow. Now imagine if in the middle of the night, your pillow fell off the bed. You'd pick it up and go back to sleep. But say, someone took it. You probably wouldn't be able to go back to sleep.
Now Martin has always fallen asleep being held or nursed (though we were good at the newborn stage, but naturally fell out of it). So when he has tiny night wakings, it's like his pillow is gone.
Now, you could learn to fall asleep with a pillow. But it would take a couple of nights, and you'd probably be fussy about it too. Well, that's what I have to teach Martin, how to sleep without his pillow.
The book says to put them in the ideal sleep situation (i.e. dark room, bed, etc), then leave. After 5 minutes if crying, go in for 2-3 minutes, don't pick up and then leave (whether still crying or not). Then go in after 10 minutes, then at 15 minute intervals for rest of the night.
We've been at this for 40 minutes now. Poor Martin. Luckily Oliver is a solid sleeper, as is Martin's neighbour who is already asleep (I went next door to warn them we were doing this).
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