Baby sleep training - which books worked for you?

[Lanie]

pupp -- I'm just the opposite! Anderson sleeps really well at night, but during the day he takes a bunch of catnaps, which are about 45 minutes long and it's so frustrating bc he's so tired when he does! I have one book called the Sleep Lady something or other, and that one is pretty good. All of the books and advice I've read about is always about night sleeping, and not really naps (which is what I need!)

Here's the gist of the Cliff Notes version. Obviously, this is the opinion of the authors of Baby 411:

She gives a brief summary of each of these, and then grades them from A to F

Ferber -- Solve your Child's Sleep Problems, A (progressive waiting...i.e. not really CIO)
Weissbluth -- HSHHC, A (rapid extinction....i.e. put your baby down to bed, say goodnight, and don't return until the next morning!)
Mindell -- Sleeping through the night, A (she says it's like the Ferber method with a dash more reality and is thus her favorite book)
Hogg -- Secrets of the Baby Whisperer, B (EASY method)
Sears -- The Baby Book, B- (attachment parenting, cosleeping)
Pantley -- The No Cry Sleep Solution, C (comfort baby until he's almost asleep -- sounds good, but she gives reasons why this is bad)
Ezzo/Bucknam -- On Becoming Babywise, F (parent-directed feeding -- this was under some severe criticism, but I think there's newer editions that are better)

 

[nfowife]

I've got a 6 month old (and 2 older kids). I have done sleep training and with this baby so far I haven't had to do much. What has helped me IMMENSELY has been really being strict about limiting wake times which helps eliminate overtiredness that makes it so hard for baby to get to sleep. I started being very careful with this around 2.5-3 months and it has made a major difference. My baby is so happy when awake and goes to sleep/naps very easily. I don't agree with limiting naps to 45 minutes- I usually let my LO sleep/nap as long as she wants unless I have to work her schedule for going somewhere with the other 2 kids.
Here is a great chart:
http://community.babycenter.com/post/a22536533/dear_hosts...made_a_chart_what_do_you_think
The max wake time includes feeding time so when they are very young, it makes sense that by the time you nurse/feed, there is very little awake time left before they need to be asleep. Every baby is different but for example by about the 1:50 to 2:00 mark my 6 month old is DONE and ready for a nap. pretty much by the clock. So at about 1:45 I will swaddle/sleep sack her and nurse her to drowsy and then put her in the crib or swing (she takes her 3rd nap in the swing, swaddled, the other 2 naps are in the crib in sleep sack, and night sleep is in the crib in sleep sack). So if she wakes at 6:30, around 8 she is ready for a nap (first nap is usually less wake time than the max), then sleeps until about 9:30. Then next nap would be 11:15 or 11:30 until about 1:30, and around 3:30-4:45 for the last nap. Bedtime with that last wake up at 4:45 would be 6:30-6:45. Goal is for them to be asleep right at the max wake time mark so you need to start getting them down a bit earlier than that.

The babycenter sleep board has also been very informative, and I've read every book out there. I do like weissbluth a lot but you have to find what works for your child and really, under 3-4 months just do WHATEVER works so you get as much sleep as you can.

 

[Lanie]

nfowife -- that link and charts inside are FABULOUS. Thanks so much! I don't know what to do with my catnapper. He will take 4 naps a day, about 45-1 hour each and gets tired after 2 hours as well. So it seems like he's sleeping so much. ARGH! I think I'm going to get room darkening curtains and see if that helps.

 

[Kunzite]

nfowife - Thank you so much for that link. I'm going to spend a lot of time over the next few days devouring that board!

Laine - I have a cat napper too! Except that O will only take three 45 minute naps and doesn't sleep well at night! Haha! That joke is on me He got less than 12 hours of sleep total today. I took a look over his patterns for the last few weeks and things went down hill right around the time he started day care.... shocking. Before that he was around 14 - 14.5 hours for the day.


So how do you control naps at day care? Has anyone else had this problem, and what did you do about it? I looked over his sleep while at day care last week and there were times we was going 3 - 3.5 hours awake between naps. That would never happen when he's home with us. I guess I can mention it when we drop him off tomorrow and see where that goes...

 

[Lanie]

Kunzite -- I know that happens for a bit when they are new to daycare bc so much is going on and they don't want to miss out on the fun. See if they have another room they can put him in for naps. They might not, but you never know. I bet he'll tucker out more during the day once he gets more used to it. Are the three 45 minute naps usual for when he's home too? How long will he go awake? He must be awake for awhile if he's only napping 3 times for short naps, right? I don't have any advice, I'm just trying to see if he's like A.

 

[nfowife]

Hysterical:
http://www.babysleepsite.com/awake-training-for-parents/

 

[Lanie]

Hysterical:
http://www.babysleepsite.com/awake-training-for-parents/

Hahaha! Consistency is key!

 

[nfowife]

I think I've read that catnaps= waiting to long to put them down. My daughter catnapped a lot in the under 3 month age range. I started swaddling and putting her in the swing for naps and that helped a lot- after a few days we were getting naps up to 2-3 hours at a time. Getting her to sleep before she was overtired was really key.

 

[CatLuver]

Lanie, C catnaps too, I'll be lucky if I get 40min, usually it's more like 30 and sometimes only 20-25! But he sleeps well at night now (10-11 hrs) so I really can't complain. I think some babies are just short nappers? Of course I'd love it if he were on a nice schedule like HSHHC says, but oh well.

Good luck Skippy and any other new moms...C's sleeping for the first 10 weeks or so was hell (took hours to put him to bed, he'd cry every 20 min for another few hours, and wake every 2-3 hours to eat until about 14-15 weeks; slept in swing for 2 months and at one point he wouldn't sleep alone, period, even in the swing so he cried all night), but he is so much better now - sleeps in his crib pretty much straight through and can put himself to sleep (yes, there was crying involved ).

 

[Skippy123]

Lanie, C catnaps too, I'll be lucky if I get 40min, usually it's more like 30 and sometimes only 20-25! But he sleeps well at night now (10-11 hrs) so I really can't complain. I think some babies are just short nappers? Of course I'd love it if he were on a nice schedule like HSHHC says, but oh well.

Good luck Skippy and any other new moms...C's sleeping for the first 10 weeks or so was hell (took hours to put him to bed, he'd cry every 20 min for another few hours, and wake every 2-3 hours to eat until about 14-15 weeks; slept in swing for 2 months and at one point he wouldn't sleep alone, period, even in the swing so he cried all night), but he is so much better now - sleeps in his crib pretty much straight through and can put himself to sleep (yes, there was crying involved ).

That is great he is STTN!! It is tough but each day it gets a little bit easier. I guess part of what is helping us is that hubby and I are a good team taking shifts. Also our baby is pretty good; he usually doesn't cry for nothing (except one night). I can't wait till my other baby comes home so we can adjust to their needs.

Oh I did buy the Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child book; I will post if it helps us.

 

[tiffanytwisted]

One of my little ones naps better than the other. I feel like I shouldn't complain because they sleep 8-10 hours at night, although getting them to sleep is difficult. I'm trying to read Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Twins which was recommended by another twin mother but I'm not finding much time to read it! (Sometimes I read it out loud to the babies to entertain them, who knows maybe some of the info will sink in!)

 

[Skippy123]

One of my little ones naps better than the other. I feel like I shouldn't complain because they sleep 8-10 hours at night, although getting them to sleep is difficult. I'm trying to read Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Twins which was recommended by another twin mother but I'm not finding much time to read it! (Sometimes I read it out loud to the babies to entertain them, who knows maybe some of the info will sink in!)

Tiffany, oh my gosh that is awesome they sleep that MUCH!!! How old are they now? 3 1/2 mo? Do you put them to bed early? I was going to buy the HSBHT but I thought I would read the original first and then read the twin one. LOL about reading it out loud to them.

 

[Dreamer_D]

nfowife -- that link and charts inside are FABULOUS. Thanks so much! I don't know what to do with my catnapper. He will take 4 naps a day, about 45-1 hour each and gets tired after 2 hours as well. So it seems like he's sleeping so much. ARGH! I think I'm going to get room darkening curtains and see if that helps.

Lanie I am not sure how old your son is, but Hunter was the same until he went to 2 naps per day and the naps got longer. 45 mins is a sleep "cycle" and our son could not transition from one to another until he was much older. I guess two naps per day started around 8-10 months?? Can't recall. Before that it was 4 then three 45 minutes naps. First sign on a yawn and to bed he went! Can't recall what his sysle was, but sounds similar to what you mention. We tried EVERYTHING to lengthen his sleep. Nothng worker. I sort of suggest jus trolling with it, knowing in a few months it will change anyways

 

[Skippy123]

bumping for some of the new mommas

 

[Skippy123]

bump

 

[mayerling]

Thanks for the bump, Skippy! I just went through this whole thread - it's so informative!