Ugh. Sleep training an older kid is way way harder than sleep-training a 6 month old. They are bigger, stronger, louder, and waaaaayyyy more persistent. We decided we are done. D.O.N.E. with co-sleeping with L no matter what the hour or situation. When he was smaller and snugglier, it was doable...we all cuddled up and slept fairly well together, and it was way easier than listening to him scream for hours. Now, not so much. It became less about simply comforting him with our nearby presence and gentle touch, and more, being a human lovey that he grabbed and scratched and teethed on and pulled at constantly. Neither of us are able to sleep anymore when he's with us.
So for the eleventy-billionth time we decided to let L cry-it-out (if you recall, we originally sleep-trained him, successfully, at 5 months...he needed a refresher after every illness & vacation and he initially did fine but after about 10 months he just WOULD NOT STOP with the night-waking). As usual, he went to bed easily at 7:30. At 10:30 he woke up crying, but stopped after 10 minutes. Same around 12:30 (this early waking started last weekend with an illness, before he was only waking once, around 3:30-4AM). Then at 3:30 he was crying, stopped after 15 minute, slept for about 5-10 minutes, and then cried again for 10 minutes, slept again for about 5 minutes....repeat until 5:15 AM whereby he fell asleep for 45 minutes and I just got him up for the day at 6.
I am wrecked. I've basically been up since 3:30 AM, because by the time I fell sleep again, he was up again. A few times throughout this nightmare, I did go downstairs and pat him so that he knew we hadn't completely abandoned him.
I had already decided to take today off, just a little break that I'd promised myself for months and finally had nothing scheduled and could do it. I'd planned all manner of activites, but I think I'll just take a nap since it begins again tonight.
Be strong Ana!
ReplyDeleteBe consistent over the next few days, and it's going to get better. Some friends of ours just went through this with their 16 month old, and three weeks later they report that they are sleeping so much better.
Just imagine how much harder this would be if he weren't still in the crib....
Oh -- also enjoy your day off!
DeleteOh, I totally feel you! I feel like my daughter's sleep has deteriorated steadily since she turned two. Hers is also destroyed by sickness and now that she's in "school" she is sick all the time so she never really recovers. It's just really hard and I wish I had some advice but I don't except: STAY STRONG. (sadly I don't know how to manage that either). :-/
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
OH MY GOD that sounds so awful, but so completely necessary. There's absolutely zero chance I would not sleep train Bunlet, but after reading this there's a negative 100% chance. Hoping it goes quickly and you are sleeping well by next week!
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