Sleep training has begun!

Poor Chloe...poor Mommy!! This is hard.

Chloe was such a good sleeper for the first 4 months, but around week 18 she started having a hard time going down for the night and then waking every few hours. The trend for the past two weeks has been her being awake till 9pm, sleeping till 11pm or 1am and then sleeping on the mattress with me. I was then only half sleeping, being woken to her every move...nursing around 4am and then again at 6am. Talk about disrupted sleep. Before we had a Chloe that went down at 7pm and slept till 7am...so I know she is capable of sleeping.

So, as of three nights ago we have started sleep boot camp. We bath, read a story, nurse and swaddle. I then lay Chloe in the crib awake, turn the mobile on and walk out the room. Walking out of the room is the hardest part. You want to stay and watch her fall asleep, be there for her to see you and most of all pick her up and make it OK. But...tough love has to come some time...I just didn't know it would be so soon and be so hard on me. Listening to your own baby cry, when you know you can make it stop in seconds is the hardest part of parenting I have experienced so far. I just want her to learn to love her bed, love sleeping as much as I do and to know I will always be here when she wakes up.

So...why now?? I know she can do it! I know she can sleep! I know Chloe is a smart girl and can learn quickly! I know I can not teach her to sleep with me, only to have her be 2 years old and have another baby who also needs me...so that is why this week was the start.

So here is the break down from the last 3 nights.

Night 1:
Cried for 50min!!! That is the longest she has ever cried!! I went in every 10 min to console by patting her tummy, singing my little Hallelujah song, and crossing my fingers and toes. After the third attempt at this, I did give in to picking her up. I had to be sure she was really tired, and not crying for food, pain...etc...whatever excuse I could think of. I think I just needed to hold her!
But, as soon as I rocked her, she immediately closed her eyes...so tired it was. After the 4th time, she settled down and fell asleep till 4am...where we went to the mattress to nurse and fall asleep till 6am. She woke up like nothing had happened. Big smiles and exactly the same as the day before.

Night 2:
Cried for 35 min! Big improvement from the night before. I did the same technique...going in every 10min to console and let her know I was here and she was OK. She fell asleep at 7:30pm and woke at 5:50am! Yahoo!!! ( yes...I picked her up...)

Night 3:
Cried for only 12 min!!!!!! I did not even go in the room. It is now 9:45pm and I have not heard a peep.

So now I know she can do this. I know she is a good sleeper and I now expect more from her than when she was first born. It is like her little brain has suddenly realized that I am here, will come when she really needs me and will be there when she wakes up. I am so proud of her and know we will get through this together. She turns 5mo old this week and I can not believe how fast it has all gone by.