Yes, I can’t believe it myself, but the baby that doesn’t sleep has changed her mind and has decided it is time to sleep through again – it only took her about 11 months to make this decision, but who am I to complain? I am just happy that we have finally turned a corner.
Amy used to wake up 2-3 times in a good night and up to 10 times, if we had a bad night. People kept telling me that “she should sleep through”, that “it’s not normal to wake this much at her age” and that I “have to get the book out and do controlled crying”. I was at my wits end, because I knew she can sleep through. She had done it for the first 5 months of her life. I was tired. I was sick of people telling me to do things that I didn’t believe in and I ranted in a blog post explaining why controlled crying simply isn’t for us. It all didn’t help, of course, but her sleeping was getting more and more ridiculous and I was just constantly tired, grumpy and not my usual happy self.
At the beginning of this week, Ben and I decided that we have to do something to help Amy sleep. She was relying on me feeding her to sleep at bedtime and she did the same whenever she woke up at night. If I tried offering her a bottle of water, she got aggressive and started throwing a tantrum that would keep her awake for at least 2 hours. On Tuesday, we bit the bullet and decided that it might be best, if Amy goes to sleep with Ben and without milk. I was feeling horrible when I gave her a good night kiss and closed the bedroom door behind me. It was the first night ever that I was not with my baby girl and I might have even shed a little tear, but I knew that we had to do something – in Amy’s and my interest. While I sat down in the living room waiting for hell to break lose, Amy cuddled up with her daddy and fell asleep – without tears, without tantrums, without milk and without me. I slept downstairs that night to make sure that Amy wouldn’t be tempted by my boobs, but she only woke up once and went straight back to sleep after a couple of minutes. I was gob smacked!
The next evening, she went to sleep even quicker and didn’t wake once. The same happened during night 3 and 4. I can’t really believe it and I can’t really explain why she suddenly sleeps through again, but I know two things: I feel like a new person and I hope that I haven’t jinxed it now by writing this post.
How do you help your baby sleep and when did they start sleeping through properly?
themummyadventure says
September 1, 2012 at 10:33 pmDylan was 7 months when he started sleeping through reliably and it was just after we dropped a bedtime feed. I realised he would nap without milk for daddy so he didn't need it and luckily didn't protest even when I put him down without milk. He always has last milk just before dinner now and sleeps beautifully!
Really hope it stays this way for you! x
Carolin says
September 2, 2012 at 7:52 pmThanks, lovely. As you said last night, I think they do it when they're ready for it x
Circus Queen says
September 2, 2012 at 4:47 amWoohoo! So glad you're finally getting some good sleep. Long may it continue! They don't wake forever. My bro kept waking til 3, which does seem forever though! Good for Amy to be fathered to sleep at least some of the time. I'm so glad we took turns from the start, even though Talitha was VERY fathering-to-sleep resistant!
Carolin says
September 2, 2012 at 7:50 pmI know, I am stupidly excited about the fact that she's finally sleeping, but what a little monkey 😉
Frances Fox says
September 16, 2013 at 7:53 pmI now take being able to sleep for granted as my youngest didn’t sleep at all between 10pm and 6am until he was 4 months old, when he suddenly began to slept 12 hours!
Becky says
September 24, 2013 at 8:56 amHi there,
Thanks for post. It’s good that you find your way and you can get some rest now! Good luck in future though! 🙂