Sleep Training

     So we decided to finally sleep train Jackson tonight. He's just about 16 mos old, and has been waking up every hour at least for as long as he's been alive. I really just can't take the broken sleep anymore. Even cosleeping, waking up that often takes a toll on your body and mind.
     In the past several months, I've tried the "kinder" sleep solutions, like Dr Jay Gordon's method, but he would cry for hours and wake twice as frequently. I've also been trying to get him back to sleep with less nursing. None of it even hinted at making a difference, largely because it's very difficult to be consistent with the baby right next to you. I would accidentally fall asleep nursing him before I unlatched him, or just not even notice that I was supposed to be doing anything different.
     I don't mind the early morning snuggles. I actually like that part a lot, and I'll be sad for it to end, but I just don't see an end in sight to the night waking if he's in bed with me. Not to mention, it will be nice to cuddle with my husband again.
    So far sleep training has been expensive, but that's mostly because we bought the normal baby sleep things all in one week. I bought
Ikea Gulliver crib: $99
Mattress: $29
2 white fitted sheets: $14
Crib Pillow: 15
2 patterned fitted sheets (one for a sheet, one to make teething guards and a pillow case): $14
Mattress protector: $10
Bumpers: $22
Comforter (for a mattress pad, but prettier and cheaper): $17
Supplies for teething guard (snaps, snap pliers, batting): free! I had the batting and used a gift card for the rest
Video monitor - Summer Infant Handheld: $150
Itzbeen timer: $25
Blanket: $14

So about $420? Not too bad for furniture plus.

     I got the crib on Tuesday and put it together right away. My plan was to get him accustomed to sleeping in it with absolutely no drama. It seems to have worked. He loves being in his crib. He likes to roll around in it, and bounce, and pull on the bumpers. I put him to sleep normally, then transferred him totally out into it. No small feat when you're 4'10! I had to use a step stool to be able to reach down to the mattress. He never seemed remotely scared or even really annoyed to sleep in the crib, so we started the cry it out sleep training tonight.
     I've always been adamantly against sleep training for Jackson. I'm not opposed to the cry it out method in principle, but it never seemed like a good fit for my little cuddle bug. But lately, he's been trying so hard to go to sleep by himself. He rolls all around, lays his head on anything he can find, but he just can't fall asleep. He's been seeming so frustrated to need help to get to sleep. Coupling that with his ability to kind of understand me, I thought it might be time to tell him it's time to go night night in your own bed.
     That's what I did tonight. Christopher gave him a bath (one of his favorite parts of the day), we dressed him for bed, let him have a one last run around hurrah. I read him some books in the rocking chair. He tromped around his room for a little while, then nursed for a long while while I told him that mommy loves him, and it's time for night night in your very own bed, and mommy will check on you, and come in right away if you're hurt, but Jackson needs to go night night by himself. I think he got about half of that.
     I gave him a big hug and kiss and put him in his crib. He took 19 minutes to fall asleep. 19!! He cried for a while, the just complained, and finally heaped himself onto his pillow, played with the bumper ties, and fell asleep. He's been asleep for 2 hours and 12 minutes, and hasn't eaten in 2 hours and 33 minutes. This is for sure a record. I don't know if it will continue this way, but I sure hope so. It seems like he really was just ready to learn how to sleep by himself.
     I was fully prepared to have 2 or more hours of crying. I can't believe I'm sitting here for so long. I'm watching the video monitor, and he's stirred several times, but he just moves around a little and goes back to sleep. I really can't believe my eyes. I hope I'm not jinxing anything by saying this, but he's NEVER slept this long, except for a few freak accidents.
     Maybe that's what this is, but I really hope i was just his time, and he just needed a little push. I am SO looking forward to sleeping again!



EDIT: He slept for 3 hours and 20 minutes! He woke up, ate a ton, I put him in his crib, and he cried for 4 (!!!!!) minutes before falling back to sleep.