I hate sleep training (or whatever you want to call it)

Up until last week, I had been laying down with Sabrina on my bed and then we would transition her. Well, last week every time we tried to move her, she woke up and cried. It was horrible. She ended up in our bed more than once. DH and I were angry and resentful and had no one to blame but ourselves.

So Sunday night came. She fell asleep on the bed and then woke up when I moved her. I got really frustrated and decided to leave her in the crib. She cried for a WHILE but eventually fell asleep after I convinced her the cats would come visit her in the crib if she slept in her crib.

Tonight is the fourth night and she is still resistant to getting her crib and cries and screams to go back on "Mommy Daddy bed." I feel so bad that I created this problem and now have to punish her. She doesn't know any better. She just knows that her security has been ripped away.

I HAVE been going in and patting her and singing to her, but I haven't taken her out.

Tonight I stood in and around her room singing for 45 minutes. It kept her calm and then she finally fell asleep.

How long before it becomes somewhat easy? Another week or so?

Re: I hate sleep training (or whatever you want to call it)

That's a tough monster you created, sorry My SIL is going through the same thing right now and her DD is about 4 months older than yours.

KEEP doing what you are doing now, even though it seems painful. My SIL keeps caving and gives in a lot because I think she likes having DD in her bed. Consequently, she is getting little or no sleep.

I think it will take up to two weeks at this age but you have to be CONSISTENT.

Hang in there

Re: I hate sleep training (or whatever you want to call it)

Thanks for the support. It IS happening. It just takes a while for her to settle down. She has NEVER been a baby who falls asleep in a matter of minutes. Even laying on the bed with me, she could take close to 45 minutes (sometimes more) to settle down and fall asleep. She is a lot like me in that way.

I have no intentions of backing down. I came to this conclusion because I knew she needed to learn how to fall asleep in her own crib. And DH and I needed to get our bed back.

I just hope that as the next few weeks pass, she won't cry as much when I put her in her crib. I feel so bad because I know it is my fault and no amount of stuffed animals in her crib can make her feel like she does when she is on my bed with me and DH.

Ugh.

Oh yeah, another thing. I went through a tough phase with her a few months ago and I would tell her if she didn't settle down and go to sleep, I would put her in her crib alone. Now I feel like the one thing that was sort of a punishment is now going to be the norm. How can I convince her that she is NOT bad? I am not doing this to be mean. I don't know how to undo the mess I made.

Re: I hate sleep training (or whatever you want to call it)

i know its hard but remember,
you are not punishing her - and her security has not been ripped away

you are being too hard on yourself
i know its hard and upsetting

Re: I hate sleep training (or whatever you want to call it)

I just long for the time I can put her in her crib and give her a kiss and she will talk to herself and then drift to sleep.

This is agonizing. I put her in and she is clinging to me and crying.

Funny thing is that we were at a friend's house and Sabrina went onto the little girl's converted toddler bed very easily. I wonder if two years old is old enough to convert her bed. I would rather have her like to get in bed and not cry.

Re: I hate sleep training (or whatever you want to call it)

Re: I hate sleep training (or whatever you want to call it)

We really don't have the space for a twin bed in her room but I am thinking of maybe converting her crib to a toddler bed soon.

I just want to get over this hump of her crying when I put her in. I want it to be fun for her to get in bed. Not traumatic.

Re: I hate sleep training (or whatever you want to call it)

Re: I hate sleep training (or whatever you want to call it)

Posted by XcalystaX

Posted by Juliet

We really don't have the space for a twin bed in her room but I am thinking of maybe converting her crib to a toddler bed soon.

I just want to get over this hump of her crying when I put her in. I want it to be fun for her to get in bed. Not traumatic.

I will probably be writing the same post in about a year since DD sleeps with us (she is 6 months). However I have two sets of friends who were only able to have their toddlers sleep alone by converting the cribs into toddler beds. One of the kids (almost 3) said he liked it better because he didn't feel it was like a cage and you can spin the whole "Wow your a big girl now and you get a bed just like mommy and daddy!".

BTW love your DDs name! My name is Sabrina as well.

Re: I hate sleep training (or whatever you want to call it)

What is your bedtime routine before you put her in the crib? At that age, and when you are sleep training, they need a very strict bedtime routine. I know how hard it is, and I can sympathize with you. For Ava, she ALWAYS went to bed no problem without help from us until recently when JT was laid off and our whole world kind of turned upside down. Her routine was all thrown off, etc. So we started a new routine and stuck with it, then we told her that if she went to bed without crying, screaming or calling for us, she could pick a special breakfast in the morning. Wouldn't you know, that did the trick! So hang in there. It'll get better, I promise.