Sleep Training

Last Monday we decided that it was time to try to teach Paige how to sleep through the night, without getting up to eat. (Well, it was mostly my decision and Neil kind of went along with it...he can't feed her even if he wanted to.) I had been so tired because Paige was waking up every 2-3 hours to eat (it was like she was a newborn again), and I was like...something has to change.

So, I got out my handy dandy book about sleep and was flabbergasted to read that she should be getting an average of 11 hours of uninterrupted sleep...ha! The longest Paige had slept the last two weeks was 5 hours. I just thought to myself...my poor baby, what have I done! It was my fault...she was waking up to eat so often because I had allowed it and hadn't taught her that nighttime is supposed to be for sleeping. Plus, I believe that she had a negative association, and she couldn't go back to sleep unless she ate...that is the only way she knew to get herself back to sleep! (Just like we need a blanket, she needed to eat).

Now, I knew that it wasn't going to be easy and I won't give all the details. So, here's the short version: for 2 nights I feed her less during the night and then I totally stopped. Then, it took another 5 nights for Paige to sleep all the way through, without waking up at all.

So, now we have had three nights of Paige sleeping uninterrupted, and it is just amazing. It was difficult but also easier than I thought...it was really hard to hear Paige cry, but I knew it would be better for her in the long run. She is a much better sleeper now, and that means she is more rested during the day, and will be healthier. She is even happier when she wakes up, and we didn't even know that was possible!!

Hopefully all of this hard work won't be lost when she starts teething...well, at least she won't be waking up to eat (if she does)...she'll just need comforting. We will have lots of that for her!

Great job learning how to sleep Paige...We are sorry you cried, but we love you a lot!!!