So...DS is STTN...(come in if you're struggling! kinda long)

Here's our story.

DS turned 6 months on Christmas. I had always resigned myself to thinking he would never STTN. Okay, not never but perhaps after a year or so.

I thought everything was going fine. DS would go to sleep without a problem. He would sleep for about 6 hours (down at 7 and up around 1ish) to feed and go right back down. Then he would wake 4 hours later, feed and go right back down. Up at 7 for the day. There were a handful of days were he would wake a bit later and eat only once overnight. I was truly okay with this. It was par for the course. I have a boy...a very hungry, active boy, and I believed he needed to eat.

At 6 months we started him on solids. I wanted to go slowly but he took to it very quickly, and he is eating A LOT. Everything was still going fine.

Then, he started giving me problems going down at night. He would play me like a fiddle. He would scream until I picked him up (he would instantly stop) and rocked him to sleep. He was fed, clean and tired. I was not going to play this game.

So I decided to CIO. He wasn't teething and he wasn't sick. It was my chance to do this. Before I tried it, it was never my thing. I am a firm believer in tending to your child when they cry. I was never planning to even attempt sleep training until he was 9 months old. However, three days in a row of him screaming and I knew this was not a healthy situation. I decided if I was going to let him CIO when putting him down for the night that I should perhaps let him CIO the other two times

So I did. The first night was horrible. He was screaming at the top of his lungs when I first put him down. It took about an hour. He woke a few more times in the night. DH and I had our game plan set. We were not going to go to him at all (mind you, he sleeps in our bedroom)...it was rough. We made it through the first night without feeding him and he woke up with his usual toothless grin He has now been STTN for about a week and wakes now and again for only a minute or two and soothes himself to sleep.

I just wanted to share my story because I didn't think it would work. Ferber wouldn't work because he works himself up every time you go near him. The circumstances for us were perfect. He was eating a lot more during the day because of the solids. That first night I thought he would NEVER go to sleep...but he did!!

I know there are some ladies with babies around the same age as DS. I just wanted to share my story in case it would help someone else.

Re: So...DS is STTN...(come in if you're struggling! kinda long)

thanks for the story! DS is 4 months, and wakes twice at night to eat. I was thinking of weaning him off the midnight bottle, but now am hoping maybe when he starts solids we can try cio (if DH can survive it)
your story gives me hope

Re: So...DS is STTN...(come in if you're struggling! kinda long)

CONGRATS on making it through the first few days, especially that first night. It seriously is THE WORST. I had a similar experience with Jack, where if you went near him, his crying would take on a newer, worse life of it's own. he cried for 45 mins that first night. 45 minutes of sheer torture. BUT, the best thing we ever did and he still (at 4) has GREAT sleep habits.

Ryan just kind of transitioned to the crib and STTN without much fuss. I'm still holding my breath

Re: So...DS is STTN...(come in if you're struggling! kinda long)

Posted by Mags1227

thanks for the story! DS is 4 months, and wakes twice at night to eat. I was thinking of weaning him off the midnight bottle, but now am hoping maybe when he starts solids we can try cio (if DH can survive it)
your story gives me hope

Re: So...DS is STTN...(come in if you're struggling! kinda long)

Re: So...DS is STTN...(come in if you're struggling! kinda long)

Oh, I am soo glad to hear it!!

We had a similar experience and my DS is also STTN now!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I never thought it would happen either but letting him cry a bit and making sure he went down drowsy not asleep has changed my baby! Also his naps during the day have gone from 30-40 minutes to 2 hours!

I am a new person, people have even been commenting that I am back to myself, lol. I was a zombie for 7 months!!

Anyway I am so happy things are going well and your sharing your experience.

Re: So...DS is STTN...(come in if you're struggling! kinda long)

Posted by azoodie

Oh boy, yes totally!!!! Now, he just even seems to sleep better overall. Why didn't you tell me to do this sooner?

Re: So...DS is STTN...(come in if you're struggling! kinda long)

Glad that it worked for you!

CIO STINKS when you are in the same room LOL DH and I literally hide under the covers! and I am not ashamed to admit that I have crawled to the bathroom!

(we are not in the same room, but DD can see our bed from her room)

Re: So...DS is STTN...(come in if you're struggling! kinda long)

Posted by Little-J-Mommy

Posted by azoodie

Oh boy, yes totally!!!! Now, he just even seems to sleep better overall. Why didn't you tell me to do this sooner?

You wouldn't have listened It's definitely something you have to do when you're comfortable

Re: So...DS is STTN...(come in if you're struggling! kinda long)

Posted by Tilde
DH and I literally hide under the covers! and I am not ashamed to admit that I have crawled to the bathroom!

Re: So...DS is STTN...(come in if you're struggling! kinda long)

thanks for sharing!

DS is 3 months right now & goes down around 9/10, is up around 3/4 & then up for the day around 7

i keep telling myself that he will STTN once we start cereal at 4months

Re: So...DS is STTN...(come in if you're struggling! kinda long)

Thanks for sharing.
We were trying this here and there but now she is sick AND teething so we are kind of sidetracked.
Once she gets better I want to start again.

Question for you- when he woke at night and he let him cry, how long did he cry for before going back to sleep?

Also- how many nights of this before he was STTN?

Message edited 1/3/2011 12:11:59 PM.

Re: So...DS is STTN...(come in if you're struggling! kinda long)

Re: So...DS is STTN...(come in if you're struggling! kinda long)

Posted by azoodie

Posted by NervousNell

Thanks for sharing.
We were trying this here and there but now she is sick AND teething so we are kind of sidetracked.
Once she gets better I want to start again.

Question for you- when he woke at night and he let him cry, how long did he cry for before going back to sleep?

Also- how many nights of this before he was STTN?

I was totally thinking of you when I posted this

The first night he was up about 45m or an hour. He woke several times. That was the longest and then he woke a couple of more times for 15-20 minutes or so.

It's been a bit over a week and he STILL wakes at night. Now, it is only for a minute or two. He is learning to soothe himself to sleep. I am hoping in a couple of more weeks he won't even cry that little bit. It is so minimal though I am able to sleep through it. Before I know it, he is back asleep.

GOOD LUCK!