We decided to bite the bullet and start Ferber just a few days earlier than planned. Originally we wanted to wait until Tuesday night because she's been fighting a cold, but it seems to have cleared up pretty much and we would like to sleep again (I'm sure it can't hurt Eva's overall wellness either to get good sleep).
How we did it- The Set Up:
It was a little tricky trying to figure out how to do this with Will and Eva sharing a room but this is what we came up with. Eva is going to be sleeping in the pack 'n play until Will is ready for a big boy bed (maybe sometime this summer?) so we set it up in their room (which has been Will's room up until now) with Eva alone in there until she's sleeping well. Will is in a borrowed pack 'n play in the living room for nighttime sleep and in our room for naps. We put him in the livingroom so he wouldn't be disturbed by us getting up frequently to reassure Eva of our presence during crying jags. Also, the dining room and living room can be closed off from the rest of the house by a door thereby giving him more quietude. Every sleeper has a fan too (it could be argued that this is an unecessary crutch that should be gotten rid of as well, but we are fan sleepers in this house and there's no reason in my mind that it shouldn't continue).
Ferber-Night 1, Day 1:
Will went down easily in the living room due to a skipped nap and a little later bedtime. Eva went down easily as well due to the same circumstances. Will stayed asleep through the night (phew) and Eva woke every single sleep cycle (just about every hour). During the day Eva has taken 2 short naps and is only happy during waking hours when being held. I am trying not to hold her too much as it is a.) exhausting and b.) not aiding in the forming of the self-soothing techniques that Ferber instills. Will went down for his nap but not without a fight. It's been a hard 16 hours.
I am looking forward to the positive report that I will be giving in a day or two. Until then, I'm trying to hang in there.
4 comments:
We are all fan sleepers too. We take them even on vacations. Hope you get some sleep soon. I'll never forget all those sleepless nights! yuck!look56652
Oh Gina...every hour? Wow... you must be exhausted! Just think, it will soon be over! Hang in there!
Good luck, G! :) Hang in there. Rowan still isn't sleeping through the night, despite our efforts at "Ferberizing" him... He's a very stubborn kid when it comes to sleep, although we've noticed that he sleeps better when he goes down really early in the evening. I think he's going through bad dreams or something. He wakes up really upset... I've resigned myself to the fact that I may never sleep again... :) Andrew's mom says that he didn't sleep till he was in the 4th grade! Shew! Oh well!
Hopefully, it will be quick and relatively painless for you with Eva! Love you...
Lizzie
We're all fan sleepers here too, I am addicted to white noise.
Micah just turned 5 and he still wakes up and climbs in bed with us almost every night. Isaac (21 months old next week) does pretty good, he gets up maybe once every 2 weeks or so. Every child is different, but for your sake I hope Eva gets the hang of it!
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