Anybody else try sleep training their kids?

[jte5013]

It (usually) gets better quickly. We had probably a bad week with my youngest. The hardest part was not paying attention.

And you're probably a ways away, but the time to wake clocks when they are older are great. Stops them from waking up at 4am and thinking its time to get up

 

[Mike Islander]

Like a new puppy.

So many times years of bad or inappropriate behavior can be prevented by minutes, hours, or a few days of correction. Kids, just like dogs, will do whatever you insist they do. They'll respond to the strength of your conviction.

A STORY (optional read)
This works with adults too. When I got out of the military I planned on collecting unemployment for a while, which is just what my buddies were doing. When I told my wife she put her hand on her hip and said in the most disdainful tone I'd ever heard from her, "No husband of mine is going to collect unemployment when he is healthy and can get a job!"

The strength of her conviction absolutely wilted me. I felt like the biggest piece of dog crap, essentially un-American and ashamed of myself. This was especially tough because I respect my wife more than any woman I've ever known. Took a week off and have been working steady ever since.

 

[Jskaanland]

Our doctor had us start at 3-4months. He had us do let them cry for 5 minutes, then sooth. Let them cry 10, then sooth. Let them cry 15, then sooth... We never had a kid go past 15 minutes and they picked it up pretty quick. When we soothed, we wouldn't pick them up. Just make sure they had their pacifier and their swaddle was tight. We would talk to them until they calmed down, then we would leave the room.

I will echo someone else, you have to have a consistent bed time. With our kids we started at 7pm and they were in bed by 7:30. Routine helps. Our kids are fairly scheduled and we often have people say that they're surprised on how well they go down, even in odd environments. Now that our kids are a bit older the oldest(11 and 9) 2 get to read in bed from 8:30-9 and the younger two(5 and 7) are lights out at 8:30.

 

[tdot]

It definitely works. Though at 9 months, it may take longer than what some others are reporting here. Don't lose faith, stick with it and you'll see results. Falter even once amd they'll have you sorted out.

I did most of the sleep training for our 2 kids. I'd ask my wife to leave the house in the early days; it was bad for me, but next level for her to just let the kids cry.

Now we have an 20mo and a 3year old who sleep from 7pm to 7:30am every day and a 3-4 hour nap in the middle of the day. It makes the sacrifice/hardships of the early days all worth while.

 

[Hunt_Jefferson]

I generally avoid offering parent advice except this: get the book "On Being Baby Wise" and follow it. Among our friends we noticed the happy ones did it, the unhappy ones didn't. Our kids slept through the night by 10-12 weeks. You're a little late but the physical and psychological principles should still be helpful. (Take the theological stuff however you want.)

Around 9 months they very often have the "witching hour " in the evenings. It's normal. Uncontrollable and inconsolable bawling, sometimes screaming, for an hour or more. Fed, dry, burped, all systems good to go. Parents everywhere at wits end. You're not alone. I went to my shop, put on ear muffs, and built something. I'd check in once in a while, but NOTHING could stop the fit. My wife was often gone in the evenings so luckily missed some of it. It all stopped after a couple months.

We used baby wise on both our kids, highly recommended even though it’s tough at first.

 

[Opah]

I just despise the word trained projected at any kid,
I know Its just a me thing

 

[zacattack]

yeah I’m about ready to send my wife out for this, it’s hard enough for me but she’s really struggling. Glad to hear it works, I was kinda worried I was doing this to my kid because some blogger said our kid should be sleep trained

 

[highside74]

We did it with both of our children. It is so nice when it starts to pay off. Bed time and nap time are so much easier and you will never regret the time you spent doing it.

 

[Glory]

We did it on our 3. Start em young and you won’t fight bedtime when they are older.

 

[Couescrazy33]

Get a white noise machine. Works amazing. Our started sleeping through thr night at 3 months old once we started using it

 

[Eltigreblanco]

yeah I’m about ready to send my wife out for this, it’s hard enough for me but she’s really struggling. Glad to hear it works, I was kinda worried I was doing this to my kid because some blogger said our kid should be sleep trained

Its hard man. One of you need to to tough. Luckily for me my wife was on top of it. I would have caved too early. Good luck. You will get through it and it will be great. My two go to bed at 7 and are up at 6:30. Even if we have people over they are both ready to go to bed at thier bed time.

 

[541hunter]

Our doctor had us start at 3-4months. He had us do let them cry for 5 minutes, then sooth. Let them cry 10, then sooth. Let them cry 15, then sooth... We never had a kid go past 15 minutes and they picked it up pretty quick. When we soothed, we wouldn't pick them up. Just make sure they had their pacifier and their swaddle was tight. We would talk to them until they calmed down, then we would leave the room.

Pretty much the same thing we did. For our son it was vitally important not to pick him up, only pat or run his back a little bit. I think it really helped us to set a timer between cries. 5 minutes of screaming can feel like an eternity especially in the middle of the night.


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[Glory]

If you ever think about caving on the sleep training, go hang out with some parents that didn’t sleep train and can’t get the kids to go to bed. It will really motivate you to sleep train. Nothing worse than bedtime battles.

 

[notradame]

The end justifies the meaning. I felt the same way the first time but thank God i married a patient woman.

 

[Lostandfrozen]

For us it really depended on the kid. Our oldest trained real easy, but our middle child really struggled with it. They are 3 and 4.5 now and share a room which helps them with going to bed. But our 3 year old still comes to our room about 2 or 3 in the morning. We never let her sleep in our bed, but some nights it can be really hard to get out of bed to carry her back to her room in the middle of the night.

Our youngest is only 5 months old and still gets up 1 or 2 times a night for a feeding but will hopefully start sleeping longer soon.

 

[jmez]

Works great. Stick with it.

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[Kbhillhunter]

We just started and I feel like some sort of sadistic asshole to just sit here and listen to my son cry. Does this work? Man parenting is hard.

It took us 3 nights and we never looked back. After 8 months of not sleeping my son has slept from 7pm-8am through the night ever since. Stick with it, be strong!

 

[RS3579]

All the advice here is very good. Just stick with it. Good luck!

 

[timberplains]

Like many have said, it is worth it, stick with it.

Had to do it with all three of our kids. They were not natural sleepers, we started each of them at about six months. First few days were hard, but actually had an impact relatively quickly and benefits have lasted for years.

Lots of methods out there that are similar. “Healthy Sleep Habit, Happy Child” was the book we developed our approach from.

Good luck!


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[butcherboy]

I wish this thread was here 9 years ago, then 6, finally 3. Lol my wife gave in way too easy when we tried it. All 3 had to be rocked to sleep every night. All 3 want someone to lay beside them when they go to bed. All 3 have snuck into our bed every night. It’s miserable. Our 3 year old sleeps in our bed pretty much every night. When my wife complains about it I say it started when they were babies. She usually responds with an exasperated “I know!” When the 3 yo comes in I’m usually the one to take her back to her bed then the crying fit starts and she has a set of lungs!

Bedtime is a nightmare and a fight most nights. 9 yo goes to bed pretty easily. 6 yo usually goes to bed but has her red headed tantrums at times. 3 yo refuses to go to bed unless it’s in our bed or her mom lays beside her in her bed.

STICK WITH IT!