How did you get your baby to sleep on their own?

This has to be one of the most asked questions any new mum faces a few months after baby is born. When I was a new mum, I noticed that this was one of the most repeated questions that I got asked and the topic of "sleep" was very high on the list whenever I was speaking to other mums.

Below I share my experience with sleep training my two little ones. But first, a disclaimer...

I am not a doctor or a physician and am not professionally trained in matters such as these. I am a mum sharing my story and my experience. If you are having any troubles with your baby getting to sleep through the night, please consult your GP or Maternal Health Nurse.

My DD started sleeping on her own without being rocked when she was around 10 weeks old. My DS took a bit longer to train and he was around 12-14 weeks old when he started to self soothe and sleep on his own.

I used the same method of sleep training for both of them and as you have just read, it yielded two different results.

Here's how I did it...

At around 8 weeks old I decided to sleep train my DD. I read some books and several articles on how to train your baby to self soothe and sleep on their own and tried them but none were working. Tired and frustrated, I asked my mum what to do. She told me to forget about what I read and do these four things before it is time for my DD to have a nap or go to sleep in the evening:

1. Make sure baby is fed and not hungry

2. Make sure baby's nappy/diaper is clean

3. Make sure baby is warm

4. Let her cry

Once I had done the first three steps, then all there is left to do is put her down in her cot/bassinet and give her a little pat, sing a lullaby (if you want to) and leave her to sleep. She will cry. And when she does, let her cry for 5 minutes and if she is still crying, go back into her room, give her another little pat to let her know that you are still there and then leave again. Keep repeating this until she falls asleep.

To be honest, when my mum told me this I didn't think I could do it. As a new mum, every single time my baby cried I just wanted to cuddle and comfort her. I knew leaving her to cry would make me feel so guilty. But I thought I'd try it because nothing else was working.

***Side Note: I now know that there is a name for this method of sleep training and it is called "The Cry It Out" method. This method is controversial and from what I have read, you are either for it or against it. Do your own research on this method and if you think you want to try this method, then give it a try. And if you don't like the sound of it, then that's ok too. You need to do what is best for you and baby.***

The first time I tried this method, it was for one of her day naps and I knew it was time for bed so I followed the three steps above and then put DD down in her cot and left the room. As soon as I did so, she started crying. I stood outside her room and listened to her cry and it nearly made me cry! I waited the 5 minutes and she was still crying so I went back in, gave her a pat and she settled almost immediately. I knew then that all she wanted was me to pick her up. So after she settled, I left the room again and after a few seconds she started crying again.

I did this routine 3 times...and after the thrid time of me going in to soothe her, my little baby fell asleep. I was so happy and called my mum to let her know that her method worked. She encouraged me to keep at it and soon my baby will be sleeping on her own.

The Results Are In...

As each day went on, I could see that my little baby was learning how to fall asleep on her own. She didn't cry straight after I put her down and if she did, it was a few minutes after I put her down and she realized I wasn't there anymore and even then she would cry for a little while and when she knew I wasn't going to go back and pick her up, she just went to sleep.

I used this method every single time I put her down for a nap/sleep and after a week or so, my DD learnt how to self soothe and fall asleep on her own! She no longer needed to be rocked to sleep. I could put her down in her cot when she was wide awake and in a matter of minutes she will be asleep.

I mentioned above that I tried this method on my DS. I started to sleep train him when he was 6 weeks old but he didn't self soothe and fall asleep on his own until he was 12-14 weeks. I may have started him too early and this may be why it took longer for him to learn, but I think it all just boils down to the old saying that "not every baby is the same".

As I said earlier, this method of sleep training is controversial in this day and age so if you're not comfortable with using this method for your little one, then that's ok. I'm sharing my experience and it worked for me and my little ones when other methods didn't.

Teaching your baby to self soothe and fall asleep on their own before the baby is 12 weeks is something that I recommend to any new mum. For the simple reason that the sooner baby learns, the more sleep you will get because you will know that once you put them down to sleep, they will be asleep within minutes.

Self soothing is one thing but having your baby sleep through the night is another. Perhaps I'll do another post on that topic.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below. And if you found this helpful, please give it a like and share it with your friends - it would help me a lot.

Talk soon xo

Love,

B

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