The trials and tribulations of sleep

When Corbin was only 5 weeks old he started sleeping through the night, or at least 5-7 hours. Then it was 7-9 hours. I felt like I had the best sleeper in the world! I remember calling my mom and asking, "is it ok if he slept for 12 hours straight?" I didn't want to boast or brag, especially when some friends were having major sleep deprivation. Then we hit about 3 1/2 months- 4 months. He started changing his signals, was a little fussier, I thought he was teething (that is what we blame for everything), he grew out of his co-sleeper and was busting out of the swaddle. Everything seemed to happen at once and along with it, began the night waking. The transition to the crib was hard. He often ended up in our bed after he woke up the first time. We went back to swaddling him. I had always known that I would most likely let him cry it out at some point, but I imagined that it wouldn't be until 6-9 months. I can remember letting a baby that I was babysitting cry it out when he was 9 months. It was hard but he wasn't my kid and I was only babysitting. I had planned on reading a bunch about different methods for sleep, waiting until he was at least 6 months and then trying something. I would sit there nursing him thinking about what I might try. I tried letting him fuss for a few seconds before nursing him but then decided I didnt' want to be inconsitant and needed a plan instead of just trying a bunch of things. But this last month has been really hard. He began waking up every 3 hours again. He hasn't done that since he was a little baby. And not only was he waking up a bunch but then he would fall asleep nursing and as I set him down he would pop back up and cry. I would pick him back up and start all over again. One night it took over 2 hours! And then he would do it again in another 3 hours! I was getting tired. Over Thanksgiving he did it again... the first night he eneded up squeezed into the full sized bed with us and I hardly slept. Granted, it was a different bed but I was just getting so frustrated! Adn then I found myself getting mad at him. I felt horrible. He wasn't doing it on purpose. I would set him down in his crib and he would wake up and I would just let out this groannnn!! CORBIN!!! So last week I just decided to do it. I did a quick check with Becky (who has read ALL the books on sleep), my mom, and Adam and I talked and we decided to let him cry it out. I know a lot of people are against Cry it Out and go for more no cry solutions. I thought I might do a moderation of the two, and was going to do more reading, but I deciced to just go for it, I had reached my limit. I had also been watching him and he goes to sleep fairly quickly at night and for naps. I was worried that if I went in and comforted him, he would just get mad and want to be nursed. He is a pretty smart guy! And he gets to nurse throughout the day any time he likes, so he is getting enough milk. Like Becky I said I would give it 4 nights, if there was no improvement after 4 nights then we would try something else out. Also, I wasn't going to let him cry for more than an hour. I had never even made it past 2 minutes how was I going to let him cry for an hour! Becky suggested taking a shower, doing something where you couldn't hear him cry. Making sure you knew nothing was wrong, he wasn't sick, he wasn't teething, not too hot, not too cold, ect. I was all prepared for him to cry when I set him down. I had decided what I wanted to do in the middle of the night was take his 3 feedings down to 1. I know he can go all night but I decided to just take out the first one and the last one before morning. He was sometimes waking up around 11-12 then at 2-3 and then again at 5 am. So I would still feed him at 2-3 but not the other two. So that first night, he went down with no problem. No crying. No waking up before we went to bed. Then at 12 am he woke up. We heard him, he fussed. We didnt' do anything. He fussed. He cried. Then he stopped. Then he started again... it was hard! I couldnt' go and take a shower, I couldn't go listen to music, it was the middle of the night. He cried hard. I wanted SOOO badly to go in and let him know I hadn't abandoned him. But I knew if I went in, it would just make it worse and I would want to comfort him which would mean picking him up which would mean nursing. None of which in themselves are bad, but I want him to learn how to go to sleep on his own. Not always nursing. Then he stopped. It only lasted 30 minutes. A LONG 30 mintues for me but only 30 minutes. Then it was quiet. He woke up an hour later but it was around 2 am, which was when I said I would feed him. So I went in and nursed him. Hugged him. Kissed him. Told him I loved him. He ate. He feel asleep. He went down. Then he woke up again around 5 am. I let him cry. This time it only lasted 10 minutes. Oh what a night! His naps that day were LONG! The second night he sleep till 4:30 so I got up and fed him. He woke up at 5:30 am so close to when it was ok to get up, he cried for a little while but Gryffin, the cat, was going crazy. He was scratching at his door, meowing at us, saying, "he's crying, go get him." Cats are so inutitive. I was trying to tell Gryffin it was ok that we knew he was crying. Corbin stopped crying but Gryffin kept meowing. So I thought, maybe something is wrong. Maybe he can sense something I can't. So I went in. Corbin was sleeping but his blanket was all twisted up around him. I tried to remove it, but he woke up! So I just brought him into bed with me and it was time to get up anyway. So each night has gotten better. We started using the sleep sack blanket so he can't get all wound up. One morning, he was facing the other direction. We also set up the video monitor that our relator gave us. Now I can watch him. One night he was crying and I was watching him. He lost his blue soft blanket bear thing (lovey) it was on the other side of him and he was reaching the wrong direction. As soon as he found it, he stopped crying and went to sleep. So I am now putting two blue softy's in with him, one on each side! And if I can see he has lost them, I will go in and give it back to him. He is not waking up 3 times any more, or at least if he is, he is going back to sleep. Last night was the first time I had to put him down without hime being really tired and let him cry putting him to bed. I took a shower. Adam said it lasted 10 minutes. I am still nursing him to sleep for naps but if he pops back up, I am letting him fuss and walking out. He doesn't even cry for a mintue and is asleep! I would always go back in right away and get him but now I don't need too! At some point I am hoping to be able to set him down for naps without nursing. But I always want to nurse him before bed. I like that time in our routine. It's been hard, but not as hard as I thought it would be. I am glad he can't yell at me, or stand up in his crib, that he is learning how to put himself back to sleep before either of those things could occur. It will be interesting to see how the holidays go, when he is sleeping in other beds and the same room as us. Hopefully he will just sleep the whole night through! I love him. I think it's the best thing for all of us. But it's definitely hard. So that is what we have been going through with sleep.

This is from a while ago, but I dont' want to risk sneaking in during his nap for a photo... so just imagine him sleeping away all night long :-)