Sleep Training Plans?

Question

Hi ladies!
I am a FTM due in May, trying to be proactive with educating myself about the various sleep training methods. I know sleep training isn't advised to begin before 3 months, but I'm sure I'll have very little time to read in those months.

Has anyone read up on or used a certain sleep training method successfully? Or is there a method you're planning on trying with your LO?
I'm trying to get the gist of Babywise, Ferber, and Weissbluth, but my head is spinning! I feel like for every success story online, there's a story of traumatizing, horrific failure.

I'd love to hear your input. Thanks! 😊

Answer

I never put my babies down much and I have zero regrets. They are only that little for such a short time. I started putting them down around 4 months for naps, drowsy but not sleeping, and let them fall asleep on their own. We bedshared at night for 15 months, until they were done nursing, and then they went to their cribs. It took a few nights (I followed sleep lady shuffle) but they got it fairly quickly and painlessly. They are 6.5 and 4.5 now and have always been the best sleepers. Everyone said I'd regret it, they'd be in my bed forever, blah blah. Not the case. I think it gave them the security and confidence that we were there.
To each their own, but it worked well for us. I could never sleep train a baby so early.

Answer

I didn't do sleep "training" in that way. Babies just biologically need to wake up and eat during the night. Check out "the no-cry baby sleep solutions". Expect that your baby is going to get up during the night, it's the nature of babies.

If you're dealing with colic that's another story and I highly recommend the book "happiest baby on the block" I read that while pregnant with my daughter, utilized it's methods and never dealt with colic at all. That may just be coincidence, but I'll be reading it again for this baby just as a refresher.

Answer

The best thing i can recomend and its not sleep training as such but just a really good way of teaching them to sleep independantly is from day one do not cuddle to sleep or rock to sleep or humm them to sleep which is always hard with a baby because they are just so cute you never want to put them down but i learnt from my sister in law who now has 5 kids and she learnt the hard way lol she couldnt put my nephew down for five minutes in his basket without him screaming and even now he is 3 and she still had to lay in bed with him at night for him to sleeep and if he wakes up she has to get back in bed with him .. so with my first i gave him a bottle burped him swaddle him and put him straight into his moses basket even if he was still awake and he wouldnt cry atall he would just lye and fall asleep and even now hes 2 i can put him in bed at bed time wide awake and he will fall asleep by himself because he is used to it... there will be nights especially during teething that they just want mummy cuddles but if they are used to getting themselves to sleep from being newborn then it will stay with them 😊 and be really strict on visitors keeping to these rules my mother and mother in law used to come and try pick him up while he was sleeping and they thought i was mean for not letting them wake him up ahhaa but in the long run they can now see when they have him overnight how easy bedtime is compared to my nephew 😊

Answer

My SILs both used the book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby" and highly recommended using the methods the book discusses. They had their kids on pretty strict schedules & they were all great sleepers (6 kids between them). I'm going to start reading it asap!

Answer

Generally the rule is no "sleep training" before 4 months. But there is definitely a lot to do from day 1 that will help them established good sleep habits. I read Happy Baby, Healthy Sleep Habits with my first and used the methods at 5.5 months. This time I'm hoping to go more gentle and I just got done reading Sleepeasy Method. Stay in top of age appropriate wake times, and sleep cues, avoid overtired, avoid nursing or rocking to sleep, etc. With my first, I had no idea it was so COMPLICATED. lol. Good luck!

Answer

No cry sleep solution

Answer

It depends on your baby.  I didn't sleep train, I let my babies do all the "bad" habits like nursing to sleep, sleeping on me for naps. I did this for 2 years with both my kids and they were able to sleep through the night at age 2 and have not had trouble sleeping at all.  They are now 3 and 6 and only wake if they need to pee at night.  
I know this is not for everyone, im not saying you shouldn't try to sleep train but you don't have to sleep train if its not working or you don't want to.  Not every baby keeps those "bad" habits.

Sleep Training Plans?

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