We have continued using J’s bedtime routine with the inclusion of putting her into her cot awake.  Half expecting the same as the night before, however this time it took her 10 minutes to settle.  It is nice to be able to have the evening to ourselves and not having to rush up when she cries.

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We have followed instructions to the letter, and J’s bedtime routine has only changed in the fact that we don’t put her in the cot asleep.  This resulted in her having a hissy fit and crying, so we followed the technique and went in after 10 mins, didn’t pick her up and said ’shh shh’ continuously whilst rubbing her.  We do have the problem that she likes to stand up in her cot so we were concerned that it was going to be a pain.  After 35mins the crying tappered off and by 40 minutes it had gone very quiet.

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All was quiet last night and I went to bed feeling upbeat about starting the Technique.  Surprisingly J slept till 3.45am to which I was woken with screams.  I didn’t go in straight away but when I did she was standing upright in her cot, dummy out and wailing like I’d neglected her for hours.  I quietly went over and without taking her out the cot I swooped her back to lying down.  (not sure if you are allowed to do this as it might be classed as picking up).

For 2 minutes I repeatidly said ‘Shhh Shhh’ and rubbed her belly as that is her usual cue when going to bed to go to sleep.  She went quiet but still eyes wide open.  After what i thought was 2 mins (not easy to count when your tired) I left her.  As soon as I took my hand off her she started crying again. 

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After months and months of being woken up every night (10 months to be precise), I’ve decided to do The Ferber Method starting tonight.  I just want to sleep and I know its going to be hard but I need to do something otherwise I’ll be ending up walking down the aisle with black bags under my eyes.

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• Milestones. Has he reached any developmental milestones recently, such as sitting, crawling, walking, talking, teething etc? These go hand in hand with a few sleepless nights I’m afraid! Teething problems can be strongly suspected by the appearance of a wet bed sheet under baby’s head, a drool rash on the cheeks and chin, swollen and tender gums, and a slight fever. Consult your doctor or pharmacist to find the right medication to ease the pain.

• Separation Anxiety. This deserves a post of its own.

• Temperature. Is he too hot or cold? Be careful not to overdress him and see the table at the end of this post for the right temperatures.

• Dressed for sleep. In the early months, many babies like to “sleep tight,” securely swaddled in a cotton baby blanket. Older infants like to sleep “loose,” and may sleep longer stretches with loose coverings that allow them more freedom of movement.

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Here are some common things to check when baby wakes during the night.   For information on how to help baby get to sleep please see the Baby Sleep Techniques section.

 
• Nappy. Does he need a change?

• Appetite. Does he genuinely need a feed? If so feed him. (Depending on what developmental stage he’s at, this may be merely an attention-seeking tactic).

• Clothing. Check his clothes for areas that may be causing discomfort- tags, button etc. Are the clothes 100 % cotton? If not, he may be sensitive or allergic to the synthetic fibres.

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