Sleep training update! Since we sleep trained Riley when he was four months old, so many of you have either commented on my social posts, DM to me, or emailed me asking how it’s been going! So I thought today would be a good day to give you guys an update on how Riley sleeping and if I would still recommend sleep training.
To give you the short answer, I would absolutely, 100% recommend sleep training! It changed our lives! It was the best thing we ever did not only for our own sanity but for Riley’s sake. I said the exact same thing when we sleep trained Molly and I mean it. I’ve blogged all about how we sleep trained Molly and I blogged all about sleep training Riley. So you can go back and read those posts if you’re curious about why we did it and how we did. However, I want to focus of this post to be how Riley‘s been doing since sleep training.
1. NECKLACE | 2. WHITE TEE | 3. WIDE LEG LOUNGE PANT | 4. RILEY’S ONESIE
With Molly it was different because we didn’t sleep train her until she was nine months old. I, of course, thought I was being such an incredible parent to her by waking up with her every three hours – for so long. But the truth is, I was doing us both a huge disservice. Not only was I exhausted all day because I didn’t sleep for nine months, but she honestly was a very cranky baby because she wasn’t getting to sleep she needed either! So with Riley I made the decision to do it much earlier because I knew he would be better off for it. And so that was the case! Riley was sleep trained a lot earlier so I can’t really compare my experience with him to my experience with Molly. Plus every kid is different. Once we sleep trained Molly at nine months, she pretty much never woke up in the middle of the night again! And that’s the truth! Because Molly was an only child she never really got sick until she was one and a half and by that point she was easily sleeping through the night. But with Riley it’s been a little bit different. So let’s talk about that.
1. RILEY’S CRIB | 2. RILEY’S ONESIE | 3. MESH BUMPER
If you read my blog post about sleep training Riley, then you know that this time around we hired someone to come sleep train him in our home. It took her one night to get him sleeping through the night! But since then it’s been very different than our experience with Molly. Riley has woken up throughout the night, many times. But that’s not because the sleep training didn’t work this time, I think it’s because we did sleep training so much earlier than Molly and babies needs are just different when they’re younger.
Let me explain further. Since Riley is a second child he gets sick a lot more often. And that’s because Molly brings home germs from school and poor little Riley always catches what she brings home. Gotta love preschool! Anyway, when Riley is sick we got up multiple times throughout the night because his little body doesn’t know how to handle the sickness. He can’t blow his nose and he doesn’t understand what’s going on with him. So he’ll wake up crying. During this time I go in every single time he wakes up throughout the night. Sometimes it’s once in the middle of the night and sometimes three times. There’s no way this Momma is going to let her poor sick little baby figure out how to put himself back to sleep in those instances.
However, once he’s well again we reset the sleep training. And it’s really easy to do! It only takes a night or two. Basically what will happen is he will wake up and fuss a couple times throughout the night and we don’t go get him. We let him figure out how to put himself back to sleep. And here’s the thing. He’s not screaming or passionately crying! It’s really just some fussing because he’s learned that he doesn’t have to cry the middle of the night for us. He’s learned that he could put himself back to sleep, and sure enough within two nights he doesn’t even wake up anymore. Well, technically he does wake up. All babies and adults wake up multiple times throughout the night. But he opens his eyes realizes it still bedtime and puts himself right back to sleep.
1. NECKLACE | 2. WHITE TEE | 3. WIDE LEG LOUNGE PANT | 4. RILEY’S ONESIE
And look, when Riley’s sick it, is NOT the only time he wakes up before he should. In general, Riley likes to wake up once around 3 AM to nurse (when I was still nursing – he has since stop waking up since I stopped breastfeeding a week or so ago). Sometimes he will fuss for 30 seconds and go right back to bed, and sometimes he cries for five minutes, 10 minutes tops. And I shouldn’t even use the word cries. Really, it’s fussing. And honestly there was a time when I would go in and nurse him every time he woke up at 3 AM. For the month of January I pretty much went in and nursed him at 3 AM every morning. I think it’s because I didn’t really mind it. Work stuff was slow and I was enjoying the baby cuddles because I know they won’t last forever. But now that work has picked back up, I’m realizing that I need that extra sleep until 6 AM. These 3 AM to 4 AM nursing sessions just weren’t cutting it for me anymore. So we cut out those feeds. And it was easy!
1. NECKLACE | 2. WHITE TEE | 3. WIDE LEG LOUNGE PANT | 4. RILEY’S ONESIE
So did sleep training work and would I recommend it? Absolutely! I can’t recommend it enough! You just have to understand kids aren’t robots. They’re going to wake up in the middle of the night and you’ll have to adjust here and there. Or if you’re lucky, they will sleep through the night every night since sleep training like Molly did! But again we sleep trained her much later than Riley so that makes a big difference. Some of my favorite resources for sleep training are with Sweetdreams LA and Weesleep. If you work with either of them it will be the BEST money you ever spent! Because really, you can’t put a price tag on your sanity. I hope this post and my past post on sleep training (I linked all my past posts on sleep training below) helps so many parents out there who are trying to decide if the training is right for them and their baby. Good luck my friend! Wishing you many restful nights ahead!
And real quick before you leave. My necklace in these pics is $16, my white tee is $19 and my lounge pants (soooo flattering and comfy) are only $13!!!!! Seriously the comfiest EVER! I’m wearing them today so I will showing you in insta story! The will sell out quick. And if you want details on all of Riley’s nursery read this post where I link everything!
Sleep well my friends! xoxo
I know nothing about kids but I’m glad to hear that sleep training has been working so well for you! 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Thank you!!
When you stopped breastfeeding did you just cut the feed cold turkey or go in with a bottle. I’m doing exactly what you have been doing but for me it’s 5am and then she goes back to sleep after the feed. But I’m headed back to work in 3 weeks and need to address this!
Also could you comment on your method of weaning and drying up your milk?
I’m actually working on an entire blog post about breastfeeding and weaning!!!
But to someone answer your question, I started pumping less and less. I cut out one session every other day pretty much. And since I was at 10 months, my body was just kind of ready to stop. That’s the short answer. But I’ll have a longer answer for you in my blog post! And in regards to cutting out the feed. I think you just need to do it if it’s going to be a problem for you when you go back to work. If you leave her to fuss for a bit she’ll eventually figure out how to put her self back to sleep. But again, I’m not a sleep expert so I would definitely ask consultant!
I’m excited to hear you have a post about breastfeeding coming up soon. I am just starting to wean my son (he will be a year old on 4/7). I am very curious to hear other people’s experiences and what worked for them!
We sleep trained our little one at 6 months. She is now 20 months & it was the best decision we ever made!!
That’s amazing!!!!
Sleep training is a great tool, but isn’t always a magic bullet. I have put so much effort into sleep training my girl (including hiring a sleep consultant and sticking to an incredibly strict sleep schedule) and she still wakes up nearly every night and usually can’t go back to sleep on her own – she is sometimes up for hours.
She is 16 months old and this has been her normal for months now. Some babies just will not be great sleepers no matter what – so just in case anyone else is in the same boat, you’re not alone! I’m in the trenches with you 🙂
This is a good point and can pertain to naps as well. One of my kids (I have three and they are now in their 30s and 40s) gave up her nap at age 2. She wasn’t cranky or fussy, she just really didn’t need the sleep and you cannot force a child to sleep. We transitioned her to a bed at that point because she was climbing out of her crib anyway, and her nap time became quiet time reading books or doing puzzles. Some kids are just going to wake up and stay awake, no matter what you do, and despite what all the ‘experts’ say, some kids simply do not require as much sleep. My daughter was healthy, smart and it did not hurt her to have less sleep than others her age. All kids have a different normal!
Hi Jess + Jackie! Thank you for sharing your experiences! Agreed, every child is different!
Just wanted to tell you you’re not alone. We’re 12 months and 3 consultants deep. Hang in there mama – I know they eventually sleep but this season is tough on us. Sending energy. ❤️
I had a non-sleeper. We tried EVERYthing. I remember going into the pediatricians office for a regular checkup after a particularly rough night when she was 18 months old and bursting into tears when they asked “how’s she sleeping?” I explained all the different things we had done to try to sleep train her and her doctor laughed and said “Sounds like you got a lemon!” She encouraged me to hang in there and that it wouldn’t last forever. She finally started sleeping through the night at 2 years old and has slept great ever since (she’s almost 8). Hang in there because it DOES get better!
I have twin 2 yr old boys and it’s so hard to get them both to sleep through the night in the same room. Maybe one of these days it will get better, until then…#tiredmama.
You’ve got this, mama!!!
I have the exact same questions as Amanda posted at 9:07 am!
Hi Tracy!!!
Here is my response to her (and you!!):
I’m actually working on an entire blog post about breastfeeding and weaning!!!
But to someone answer your question, I started pumping less and less. I cut out one session every other day pretty much. And since I was at 10 months, my body was just kind of ready to stop. That’s the short answer. But I’ll have a longer answer for you in my blog post! And in regards to cutting out the feed. I think you just need to do it if it’s going to be a problem for you when you go back to work. If you leave her to fuss for a bit she’ll eventually figure out how to put her self back to sleep. But again, I’m not a sleep expert so I would definitely ask consultant!
Does Riley take formula now?
He does!! I am currently working on an entire blog post about my story as far as breastfeeding and weaning!
What size are the pants you’re wearing?
They are size medium!
Are these pajama pants or can I wear them out and about? 😆
Ha! Yes you can wear them out! They are kind of a summer lounge pant! 🙂
Sleep training was amazing for us. We do have the odd middle of the night wake every month or two when my son is cutting a tooth, but overall he sleeps fantastic. We sleep trained at 5 months and our son is now 17 months. I can probably count on my hands the number of times I have had to go in during the night. When my son is sick he still sleeps through luckily.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
So glad it worked for you!! Thanks for reading 🙂
Sleep training wasn’t a thing when I had my kids but somehow they all managed to be good sleepers on their own at some point, all three on their own time. My only question is, can you still cuddle, rock, and snuggle your kids before bed while you are sleep training? I loved cuddling my babes to sleep, and after #3 came along, I frequently had all of them in my lap, with one or more falling asleep. Is that considered a no-no with sleep training? Not a criticism, we all have different opinions, I’m just curious and I’ve never known anyone who has done it. None of my grandkids or great-grandson have had sleep training, so I don’t know much about it.
Thanks for reading! Yes, I do rock and snuggle Riley for a few minutes before bed, and read him a story!
Thanks for this information!! We sleep trained our son and he did great but nap training….that’s a whole other obstacle we can’t get over. Any suggestions?
Hi Lorraine! Sleeping training and nap training went hand in hand for us! But one suggestion I can give you is to wait for cues for when your baby is tired when sticking to your schedule. Eye rubbing, yawning etc. If you know he is supposed to go down around a certain time, watch for the cues for about 15-30 minutes in that window! Best of luck!
Would you ever do a blog post about naps and how your son naps during the day? That’s been the trickiest for us. Do you follow the same method for naps and let them fuss until they fall asleep or if they wake up after 30 minutes?
That’s a great idea for a post! Thanks for the suggestion! Yes, same method for naps! Sleeping training and nap training went pretty hand in hand for us.
We also sleep trained at four months! It was 100% the best decision for everyone in our family. My son was SO miserable all day long because he was just exhausted and he fought sleep so hard. He’s 15 months now and is such an amazing sleeper. I’m so thankful for our sleep consultant! We even took him to Asia with us when he was 11 months and he was a champion sleep. Glad your kiddos are doing well with their sleep! Best decision ever!
We were going through the 4month sleep regression until my Lo was 5.5months old so we decided to sleep train & it’s been great. The only thing is we travel a lot and it always throws her off even though we keep the same exact bedtime routine. Has Riley been thrown off when you guys travel? If so, what do you think would help them adjust?!
How long did you let riley cry the first night of sleep training?
Hi Vicki, how long did you let your 5 month old cry while sleep training?
I actually looked into hiring Kimberly (I think that was her name?) from sweet dreams LA but it was well well well beyond our budget so we did sleep training ourselves when our baby was 4 mos old using the Ferber method. It didn’t last long because she got RSV and that was the end of that. Since then we’ve tried numerous times but she’s gotten sick so many times this winter it’s been impossible to sleep train! She’s 9 mos old (yesterday!) and I’m happy to say she’s gone 4 nights now without nursing until 7 am! At this point I’m the training she is still waking once but my husband only has to go in to run her back once before she falls back asleep till the morning. Ferber method for the win! I’ve been the most exhausted human being these last 9 mos and I’m so happy we’re finally headed in the right direction! Woohoo! Thanks for posting an update, loved reading all about it, and I totally feel for little Riley! Here’s to hoping that he is done getting sick this winter!
How did Molly do while Riley was crying during sleep training? Did she distrub her sleep?
I want to sleep train my second baby (almost 4 months old) but I am terrified she will disturb our toddler (2 years old) in the room next door.
Hi Lisa,
I totally had the same worry very recently with my baby keeping up their older sibling with all the crying. I avoided sleep training for months because of this reason!! My older child is in kindergarten and I didn’t want her tired all day. My “solution” was to wait until she had a few days off (a holiday, or a long weekend) and tell her that the baby was going to cry a lot and that’s ok- stay in bed and mommy and daddy will deal with the baby. I think she slept in my bed that night (and I in hers) and I turned up the fan in the room so she wouldn’t hear too much. She’s a very light sleeper but she didn’t hear a thing! I was shocked.
Think of it this way – sleep training shouldn’t really take more than 2 nights. That’s not a lot. Worst case is that older sibling is a bit tired those days and gets a nap in the day!! It’s worth it to get your sleep back!
The sleep training website sweet dreams LA isnt working, is that just me?
I’m a mom of a 3 month old that feels hes ready to be trained but I need help. I never trained my 3 year old and he sleeps terribly still, not making same mistake twice.
We used a sleep trainer for my 4 year old son who would come get in bed with us every night and now he stays in his own bed. Sleep training is life changing. Best money I ever spent!
I just read your sleep training blog for Riley. Such a great blog and so informative! I read it while rocking my 2 month old for her first nap. With that being said, I see you sleep trained him at 4 months, does this mean he was already sleeping in his nursery by then?
Currently we are co-sleeping at night. My LO sleeps in our room in a bassinet. I plan to do this until she’s about 6 months (maybe later. Depends if I can muster up the courage by then) but I do this because it’s recommended to avoid SID’s, from what I’ve read. However, for her day naps (whenever she actually naps) I put her in her crib to get her accustomed to it. Im a first time mom and have no clue what I’m doing and am trying to learn as much about sleep training as I can!
I sleep trained my daughter at 6 months (she’s 2.5 now) and has slept like a complete champion ever since. My son is 4.5 months now and we JUST did our sleep training last week; he was up every hour, no joke, and I couldn’t take it anymore. I was trying to hold out until closer to 5-5.5 months but….nope. Took two nights of him fussing/waking up and after that he’s slept solid every night. I go in to dream feed him at 1am on my own (I set my alarm) to keep him satisfied and to keep my supply up. But, YES I’m SO with you on the sleep training. It’s a godsend and the best thing you can do as a parent.
Such a great post Ali! I’m a first time mom to a 2 month old daughter and have been obsessed with researching baby sleep since she was only a couple days old. I’m not a happy person when I’m exhausted and it made me feel so terrible for being cranky and miserable with my brand new baby—I wanted to be present and truly enjoy these first few months because I’d never get them back. It’s comforting to read your experience and that it worked out so well for you. I’m only curious why you started at 4 months? Is that what Kimberly or your pediatrician recommended? Thanks!!
I sleep trained my son around 6 months . We did the sleep lady shuffle and we changed it a little but that worked out so good that he was sleeping fully though the night around 7ish months . Once in awhile wanted nurse middle of the night but not very often. I nursed my son till he was 14 months . I took baby steps to get there but in the end he doesn’t wake up unless he’s sick!
Take few weeks to stick to your plan , be patient and have glass of wine when baby is sleeping as reward!
Hi Ali,
Thanks so much for the sleep training update. I really enjoy reading your blog as I am a mom of two (just recently 2 year old and now a 4 month old). So life is BUSY!!
Ive started sleep training my youngest as I did for my oldest and it is definitely life changing. However, when you let Riley figure it out how did Molly do? That’s my biggest struggle right now. I want to let my youngest cry it out but I feel terrible for my 2 year old and do the want to interrupt her sleep as well. They sleep next door to each other. So I’ve been going in and putting her soother in each time so that I dont wake my oldest.
Any suggestions?
Thanks 🙂
When you were breastfeeding, would you still wake up to pump when Riley would sleep through the night? That’s my biggest annoyance! My baby sleeps through the night, but I still need to pump at 3AM to keep my supply up!
I want to sleep train my daughter. She will be 6 months next week. Did you nap train too or did that just fall into place? My daughter only sleeps for 30-45 min tops. Every single nap.
Hi Ali!
Love everything you post. This will be the first time I comment.
Lots of people have told me how amazing sleep training your kids is. But I have chosen not to. And I do have a little bit of regret.
My daughter is 7 now, but the nights were a real nightmare when she was a baby. She probably didnt sleep well until she was 2, so that means I didnt sleep either.
Now I have a 16 month old baby who wakes up at least three times each night to nurse. By the third time he wakes up, I prefer to take him with me to my bed, and that is where he sleeps perfectly. I do enjoy this as I know I wont be having any more children. But there are days in which I hope I would be able to get a good night sleep 😊
Thank you for sharing your tips and a bit of your life with us. You have a beautiful family. I live in Ecuador and I enjoy following your stories.
I was SUPER nervous to sleep train my little man (our first babe) but I knew he and I were both ready at 5 months once I read your post over and over! It took us one night! I am so happy you did an update because I was curious about sickness! My Miles had a week long cold so I was going in 3-5 times a night to help him out and snuggle up – worried I would ruin what we accomplished – but once he was better and only two nights of a couple fussy moments (5-15min light crying) he got right back to sleeping like a champ!!! He is now 7 months and loves going to bed! Thank you for all of your lengthy posts that help us first time moms!! Keep them comin!!!
You do your family a service to sleep train! Everyone works better when they are rested! When they are sick, all bets are off, but when not…babies and children thrive on routine. Both my boys were sleeping through the night at 10 weeks. There is NO way I could go to work and be up 2-3x per night. Now at 22 and 19, they still sleep through the night – LOL!
p.s. it’s also ok to stop breastfeeding…do what is right for YOU and don’t listen to anyone else. Your babies want a happy Mom, not a stressed out one with no milk. 🙂 Personally I hated breastfeeding. Only lasted 6 weeks, my kids were hardly ever sick and they both are in college, so all the myths out there are just that…myths! 🙂
So glad you added the links to sleep training Molly as well. It made me laugh because your original routine is sort of like mine which probably explains why it hasnt been working (turning white noise on, turning off lights then nursing til drowsy). Then the part of the random 8 hour night stretches where you think it finally has happened only for the every 3 hour wake ups to begin again ha. Lord, tired!
Anyway, do you ever look at the leaps that babies go through (wonder weeks) and if so, do you remember with Riley or Molly if after you did the sleep training, did their sleep ever get thrown off when they were going through a leap?
Thank you for this post Ali! Timing is perfect since just last night I was in tears and made my husband come home from work (he works nights) b/c I was just too exhausted to handle one more sleepless night with my little one. He’s only 2 months, but we have definitely decided to sleep train when he gets a little older. I so appreciate your motherhood stories & tips. You are a great help & support to this new mom.
Your blog about sleep training Riley is what lit the fire under me to do the same with my girl (5 months old at the time). She is our second, and we had a very similar approach as you did with your first-meaning we didn’t sleep train him until much later. Doing this earlier was the best thing we’ve ever done. Looking back on it, I wish I had done so with my son earlier, but I was a new mom and didn’t know any better. Our little girl seems so much happier and well rested than our boy did at this point in his life. Luckily, he is a great sleeper now, and doesn’t seem to be too badly impacted by our unwillingness to let him cry it out!!
Always love your posts! Our little man started sleep training early as well and he’s doing great sleeping 12 hours, but with that same 3am wake up to feed that Riley was doing. I feel the same (don’t mind going in 1x a night) but how did you end up cutting it out?!
Glad you said kids aren’t robots! Your approach matches mine exactly with sleep training 🙂
Would you be willing to share your bedtime routine for Riley like you did for Molly? I found that SO helpful! Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us other mamas.
We waited until our son was 7 months old to sleep train because I was so nervous to do it. After two weeks of training I said I wish we had done it sooner!!! We’re now able to put our son in his crib at night and he doesn’t fuss or cry, just goes right to sleep. It’s incredible !! I honestly had no hope he’d ever sleep in his crib because when we first started sleep training he hated being in it. We would do interval checking on him to help calm him, but sometimes it would take up to a good hour for him to actually fall asleep. I always had a negative connotation with sleep training, but not anymore!!! It really saved my sanity too. Before we trained him he was waking every hour just to comfort nurse. Talk about exhausting! Some times he’ll wake once maybe twice and fuss a little, then go right back to bed. He has been waking at 5am to nurse and I wanna cut that out because mama needs to sleep later. But if I go in and nurse him he gets upset because he wants to be with me. So we’re trying to figure that part out… maybe have daddy give him a bottle and put him back down? 🤔
We did sleep training and it was amazing! We followed a simple book called “On Becoming Babywise” and she started sleeping through the night (11 hours) at 7 weeks old with two 2 hour naps. She just turned 3 and still sleeps 10-11 hours overnight with one 2 hour nap. We never felt like we lost sleep. So worth it!!
7 weeks is way too young to sleep train! Babies still need night time feeds at that age!! Of course they will eventually fall asleep from crying and getting all worked up, but that doesn’t make it right!
Thanks for your concern but in our case 7 weeks was just right. We talked with our pediatrician and followed all necessary steps we needed to with the Babywise method. Even as a newborn we never had our daughter fall asleep from crying and getting worked up. Everything worked out great for our child!
Please keep in mind that every family does what is right for them and it doesn’t make it wrong. It may not be something you would do but please be kind in your comments to others.
I wasn’t trying to be unkind. As a pediatric nurse, I’m concerned that any pediatrician would suggest stopping night time feeds at 7 weeks old! It isn’t until they are older that they can go without feeds through the night. That being said, I’m not suggesting you would wake a baby to eat, just don’t agree with the baby wise method at such a young age. Sleep training, as most experts will agree should start between 4-6 months, not 7 weeks old. I find it hard to believe a 7 week old willingly sleeps through the night without their little belly being hungry and without crying! I would go so much as to call the baby wise method parental laziness.
So I’m pregnant with my 1st & I love your blogs! They help me so much!
There’s a lot of talk about how long a baby should sleep in the parents room. What is your approach to this? Not co-sleeping but in a bassinet, just in the same room. Our nursery is on the other side of the house & im wondering what will work for us.
Hi Britt,
Congrats on your pregnancy. Co-sleeping is actually considered sleeping in close proximity but not necessarily the same same bed (bed-sharing). Room-sharing is recommended for newborns because it has be shown to decrease the risk of SIDS and if you are planning to breastfeed, it actually helps milk production to have the baby nearby.
The AAP recommends infants share a parents’ room, but not a bed, “ideally for a year, but at least for six months”
Many parents choose to have baby in their own room from Day 1, but it’s a personal decision with many factors. Keep in mind for a while after childbirth you may not want to walk to the other side of the house 🙂
So my little one is 4 1/2 months and wakes up around 3 every morning to breastfeed. I feel if I don’t get up he will just wake up for good at 5 am, which he will! After sleep training how often did you feed him before bed to insure he was full? Is his baby bed in another room? Currently he sleeps in a bassinet next to my bed and his crib is next to the bed too which I am in the process of transferring him over to crib when I don’t have to wake up so much! Lol! Glad it went to well with you!! I’m hoping to start sleep training by 6 months
We did it around 6 months after your success with Riley, seriously best decision ever!! He falls asleep within 10 minutes without any fussing and sleeps 9-10 hours consistently. Once he started this I dropped the early morning feeding. So thank you, it gave me the chance to try it also. I’m a first time mom.
Apart from labor & delivery (HA!!), sleep training has been of the hardest and yet most rewarding tasks that my husband & I have taken on as parents. There is nothing more agonizing than waiting those 15 minutes (or even 3, let’s be honest!) hearing your baby cry. But regaining sleep & sanity make it all worth it. It literally is training them to self-soothe, just as any adult needs to do to go back to sleep. And I love what you said that Riley needs the sleep just as much as y’all.. We are on baby #3, and let me just say, sleep training helps the entire family get sleep. My older kids regain the sleep that THEY need as well, because we all have school and work the next mornings. Sleep & rest are so important especially for developing kiddos. Love your precious family!! Thanks for being so open & honest with everything! You’re amazing!! 💜
Hey ali!
Excited about your breastfeeding blog- can you talk about sleep training while EBF? Sometimes I feel like he may not be getting enough during the day, so I feel like I need to feed him when he wakes at night, since I have so much milk?? He’s 6.5 months, waking every 3 hours.. give or take.
Thanks lady! Love your stuff…
Hi Abbie,
Hoping to be of some assistance as I am an Infant Sleep Educator (slightly different than sleep trainer). At 6.5 months, have you introduced solids yet? That can be a game changer with sleep when it comes to EBF babies (please consult your pediatrician advice). If you are uncomfortable with “sleep training”, pick a soothing activity for your child i.e: a song, rocking, etc. and as opposed to nursing every 3 hours, try that activity. Eventually many babies get the “hint” that mama is no longer going to feed them in the middle of the night and will simultaneously begin to sleep at night and eat more during the day.
Ali, I have loved reading all of your motherhood blogs! Our son and daughter-in-law just had their first baby two days ago, a precious little girl who decided to make her entry 3 1/2 weeks early! She is our first grandchild, too! I’m definitely going to encourage them to read all of your blogs regarding sleep training both Molly and Riley! I wish I’d had a sleep consultant for our first son! I did use the Farber method, but our son fought it every step of the way and it was so exhausting! Our second son, the new daddy, from day one, loved his sleep and schedule and is still that way, so no sleep training was necessary for him. Looove the pictures of Molly and Riley! They are sooo darling!❤️
Congratulations on your new granddaughter! Thank you so much!
P.S. The pictures of you and Riley are absolutely darling! He is such a gorgeous, happy looking little one! I think he looks so much like his mama and Molly looks like Kevin and you!❤️
I totally agree about Riley looking like me and Molly like Kevin! And thank you!
Your very first post, about sleep-training Molly, saved my life! I followed all your tips, and everything helped so much. It is very generous of you to continue to share all of this information, (that you paid so much money for!) with all of us for free. So much appreciated!
SO glad that I was able to help on your journey, mama!!
How did you get Molly to love books? And looks like Riley does too!!
She always has! Since she was an infant (and now with Riley too) we have read a book before bed. Riley is beginning to love them as well!
We sleep trained our little guy around 6 months and he does great at night (he’s now 16 mo). Usually goes down around 8pm and up at 6am. What he is terrible at is napping in a crib! He will not sleep anywhere but a car or with us (currently pregnant with #2 so loving the extra naps I get, but know we have to get him napping in his crib before baby comes). Any advice on nap sleep training, if that’s even a thing?
For us, sleep training and “nap training” went hand in hand!
I’m a few days late on this but is Riley on two naps per day? I’m beginning to transition my 8 month old to two naps instead of three and just trying to figure it all out. Just curious if you had any tips on how to successfully do this. Thanks in advance!
Hi Ali,
I am about to start to sleep training at 12 weeks, and we’ll be on a 2 week plan. I would like to know how you manage being flexible while trying to stick to your planned nap times. I am excited to start sleep training as it lays such a great foundation, but I am stressed that I will not want to leave the house during a “planned nap” as I won’t know how it’ll affect the rest of the day/night. And of course, any travelling or babysitting from others has me a bit concerned.
What is your experience? Were you able to still run errands, go on vacation (with or without the babe(s)) and still have your baby sleep well?
An anxious mama,
K
My daughter will be 5 months tomorrow and we are about to move her to her own room and start sleep training! She’s already able to put herself to sleep pretty well since 8 weeks, it’s the staying asleep through the night that needs work! I’m excited and nervous, but can I just say without sounding like an awful mother – I’m a little ready to have my bedroom back!
Don’t rush to her side at every sound or wine, they go threw sleep cycles and wake up a few times a night. They need to learn how to soothe themselves and fall back asleep, if she starts screaming bloody murder for sure go to her lol but a whimper here and there is normal as they wake and realize their still tired
Can you link the climbing blocks that I have been seeing in your living room? Love them! We are having a harsh winter so inside a lot. I think they would be a life saver for getting energy out!!!
I have an almost 3 year old and almost 6 month old and not gonna lie it’s been rough! My second dosnt sleep nearly as much as her sister did at that age! But she’s finally sleeping the night and giving me about 30-40 min naps twice a day. My first slept all the time !! But seeing your posts and blogs help me know I’m not alone and also makes me not feel guilty about enjoying a glass of wine at the end of the day 🍷 thank you can’t wait to see the bachelorette special ! You’ll always be my fav ! Can’t wait to see Hannah’s journey ❤️
6 Hidden Myths Behind Baby Sleep Training Advocacy
Ignorance about baby needs fuel adult mistreatment of them, with ramifications on their health and wellbeing, social and moral capacities for the long term. Such ignorance lead to myths that adults believe and apply, in part because they don’t have their own experience and they’ve been taught not to follow their instincts. Ignoring baby needs perpetuates the cycle because the babies become adults who don’t have well-shaped emotions and instincts to guide their behavior. They have to rely on experts to “know” anything. And much of that knowledge is unwise, small-picture, based on misconstrued studies…
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/moral-landscapes/201408/6-hidden-myths-behind-baby-sleep-training-advocacy
But this article is all about cio based methods. If you’re using more gentle way like the Hold With Love (parental-love.com/baby-sleep-training) is nothing less than swaddling and soothing…
But this article is all about cio based mathods, not others, more gentle one like Hold With Love (parental-lovecom/baby-sleep-training) which are just only the proper swaddling and soothing,…
Hi Ali!
Can you give an update on how Riley’s nap situation is going? Either here or on your stories (as I’m probably not the only one wondering ;)). My daughter is going through some similar sleep schedule changes and it helps to hear others stories! Much love ❤️