Welcome to our sleep training success stories! Each week we feature a family who has been through it, survived, and is finally thriving with more sleep and less stress! Katie Stein, mother to 2 year old Daphne, sleep trained with me at 4 months old. Here is their story…..
Photo credit: Katie Stein
I finally decided to bite the bullet and sleep train because….
It wasn’t a matter of “finally biting the bullet” but more of “how soon can I do this?” My daughter was a terrible sleeper from day one. We were all miserable. She wouldn’t nap longer than 20 minutes in her crib. She would nap longer… in your arms. At night she had to be nursed back to sleep if she woke up.
At 3.5 months we were all up all night long because she was up constantly. My mom made a comment along the lines of “I’ve never seen a baby not sleep like this.” I called Natalie and we decided to start the program once the holidays were over, we were back home and by then she would be the minimum 16 weeks.
My biggest worry about sleep training was….
Daphne’s sleep was SO BAD I was worried it wouldn’t work. I think you are so exhausted and it’s so bad that you assume your kid is the worst sleeper in the world and nothing is going to make it better.
Before sleep training my baby slept….
No more than 20 minutes in a crib for naps. But she would nap up to two hours in your arms or in a carrier. At night she was up on a bad night every 45 minutes, on a good night we would get a couple longer stretches. The main issue was naps!
After sleep training my baby sleeps….
I did maybe three check ins the first night, one the second night, none the third night. During the training weeks she would cry for hours during the “do not enter the room” timeframe. About two weeks in she stopped that. But because I didn’t have to do any check ins after the third night, I haven’t had to go in her room since the second night of sleep training. I have literally never had to go into her room to get her to sleep since she was 4 months old. (ok I’m lying if you want to get technical. Sometimes she gets EXTRA goofy and I need to tell her to knock it off but I’ve never had to assist her to get her to sleep).
Short answer. She has slept from 7-6 for the first 6 months of her life. Around 1 she was doing 7:30-7. This past year has been closer to 8 -7.
The best part? She doesn’t crawl out of bed. Some weekends she will lay there past 8am!!
Did your attachment with your baby change after sleep training?
Yes, for the better. In the beginning of sleep training I knew I would get 3 confirmed hour long breaks to myself. I needed that to keep my sanity.
Do you think sleep training is healthy for baby, you, and your family?
Yes, emotionally for me I needed to be able to sleep through the night.
I think my daughter absolutely needed to be taught to self sooth. I hear stories at work and through friends about their kids never sleeping through the night at 8 months old, 10 months old, and 1 year. I don’t say anything, but in my mind I’m like you could easily have them sleep through the night if you sleep train.
How would you respond to hearing, “Sleep training is selfish”?
Honestly, if it’s a mom, fine she can have her opinion. I’m big on you do your own thing. If someone asks me about my sleep training experience I would tell them it’s not selfish. I truly believe my daughter is the amazing sleeper she is because we did sleep training so early in her life.
How many nights did it take for baby’s nighttime sleep to improve and how many nights did it take for baby’s naps to improve?
2-3 nights to fall asleep at night on her own. The 4am wake ups lasted about 1 ½ weeks. Her naps got better within a few weeks, but honestly once we hit 7 months and she moved to two naps, naps got so much better.
If you are experiencing sleep issues with your little one, you can get the help you need with one of my efficient, affordable programs. Click here to learn more. Got a success story to share? We’d love to hear from you. Drop us an email here. Your partner in sleep, Natalie x0
I know how painful it is to go through sleepless nights with a child because I went through it myself.