Adventures in Sleep Training #2

Asleep in an old 3-6 month onesie that Daddy put him in which, well, as you can see, is way too small!

I don't want to jinx it, but since my first sleep training post, things have been coming along nicely.

That first week or so was tough, especially when he would awaken at 2-3am and start howling. I needed DD there with me just to make sure that I didn't cave in and just feed him so that all of us could get some sleep. It was also harder to settle him at that time since, having previously been fed regularly at short intervals, the bub seemed genuinely hungry at that time and would keep throwing himself face-first into my chest, shoulder, arm, etc. and trying desperately to suckle. It was not fun trying to sleep with slobber all over! I love my son, by eewww...

After that I hit on the idea of just picking him up for a dream feed around midnight before I turn in for the night and whaddya know? The 2-3am disappeared and we're now only left with the 5am wake-up call. So yes (drumroll...) he's finally sleeping through the night!! From 8.30/9pm to 5am at least. Hurray!

Next up will be to tackle the 5am session and that I think will be a tough nut to crack since he's woken up for a feed at around 5am since FOREVER. Even when he was 2-3 months old and managing a 5-hour stretch (and fooling me into thinking he was a good sleeper), 5am was the time he would cry for a feed. I guess I wouldn't mind waking up at 5am just to pop him a feed and head straight back to sleep till 7am except that it will be reaffirming a bad habit. I've been trying to stretch it to 6am before I feed him to lengthen the interval but lately this has been backfiring and the writhing and crying has resulted in him becoming fully awake by the time I feed him. Ack! So after the feed he's up and about and on the go for the day at 6am but I feel like dying from all that wrestling and rolling around with him earlier. It's also messed with his nap schedule quite a bit and he fits in 3 shorter naps instead of 2 longer ones. Hmmm.

So yes, this is still a work in progress! More updates in a bit.