John and I have been really, really stessed with Brooke's sleeping issues lately. For the past two nights I have tried rocking, nursing, and singing her to sleep for at least an hour, only to have her wake up wanting to play. I could see using that long, annoying method if she actually stayed sleeping, but it seems like this whole system is accomplishing absolutely NOTHING. Seriously, in my opinion, my baby's sleeping issues shouldn't be causing tears, frustration, and anxiety.
I am not for the "Ferber Method," where you let your baby cry and scream for hours until they fall asleep. I think that that cruel and so completely unnatural. However, after talking to a few other moms (Tristyn and Lisa), I really feel like I have come to happy medium between what I'm currently doing and the "Ferber Method." Both of these ladies suggest that I put Brooke in her crib and let her cry for small intervals. Every couple of minutes I am to go in and rub her on the back and reassure her of my presence. Each night I am supposed to gradually allow her to cry for longer extended periods of time (such as every 5 minutes, 10 minutes, and so on). Both Tristyn and Lisa have reported that their babies are able to self soothe and put themselves back to sleep upon waking. In addition, they both said that it's VERY hard and sad to listen to a crying baby without going to their rescue, but the results are remarkable.
I really am not looking forward to this whole process because I love Brooke more then life itself and the thought of her being sad PAINS me. Lisa gave me great advice though and I told me to think of the long-term picture. Do I really want to have sleep problems with an older kid? I really need to nip this problem in the bud right now.
I have been studying online about this whole sleep issue. I have truly done my research and I really feel like this is the best thing for us. I just want to focus on being consistent with this. I'm extremely nervous and apprehensive. Wish me luck. I'm sure as heck that I'll need it!
1 comment:
Not a criticism, but do you think it would be best to sort out her sleeping issues after you come back from vacation? I can just imagine that it will be very confusing for her to deal with this now and then break from a routine when you're away. Just a thought! Hope you don't mind the question!
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