A Week in the Life: Sleep Training Our 7 Month Old!
Hello there, friends! I’m so happy to have you join me for another week where we discuss “SLEEP!" I started sleep training our 7 month old daughter this past week, and as promised, I wanted to share every detail with you all! My husband and I use the Ferber Method, but have definitely tweaked it to fit my “mommy’s intuition!" We have witnessed so many advantages from sleep training our four month old son who still sleeps like an angel at 2 1/2 years old! If you’d like to see why we chose sleep training over co-sleeping, you can read that here! If you’re just joining us, I highly suggest you get caught up and first read how we sleep trained our 4 month old son here. (This will help put things into context!) Otherwise, keep reading for a “night-by-night” look at my first week sleep training our daughter, and everything that I learned! Enjoy!
NIGHT #1
Before placing my daughter in her crib DROWSY, I performed our consistent bedtime routine which you can read all about on this Thursday’s blog post!
On night #1, I placed her in her crib at 7:30pm. She cried for 3 minutes, so I went in and comforted her for one minute, (but did not pick her up.) She then cried for 5 minutes, so I went in and comforted her again. At the start of the 10 minute window span, she only cried until the 2 minute and 30 second mark. I watched her like a hawk on the camera as she calmly put her head down. At the 4 minute 30 second mark she was still quiet, and by the end of the 10 minute window she was indeed sleeping! She woke at 10:15pm, and put herself back to sleep in under 5 minutes. She woke at 11:15pm and cried until the five minute mark that I give myself before I go in and soothe/feed her. She woke again at 2am and cried again to the 5 minute mark so I went in and fed her. She woke at 6am and cried to the 5 minute mark so I fed her. She woke up happy as a clam at 8:15am! I’m thankful I tweaked the system, and still answered her need for changed diapers and milk when she cries for more than 5 minutes in the middle of the night! I fed her three times this night, but normally it would be six! Her first night went well!
What I learned: It took her under 10 minutes to put herself to sleep her first night! As a mom who is sleep training for the second time, I think a few things helped make this possible: 1. All of her needs were met, 2. It was her usual “time of sleep,” (she wasn’t overtired, or going to bed too early.) 3. I had confidence, and was not an emotional wreck like I was with my son who maybe took 45 min his first night to fall asleep. (Just a reminder that in order for sleep training to be successful it HAS to be consistent, or you will only confuse your baby more and extend the learning process. Do it right the first time, and it will be much easier for your baby to learn!)
NIGHT #2
I placed her in her crib DROWSY at 7:05pm. She barely whined on and off through the 3 minutes. She was still moving around 7 minutes in, but no crying. She was asleep before the end of the 5 minute window. She woke at 11pm, and cried to the 5 minute mark so I fed her and put her back to sleep. She woke a few times in the middle of the night, but put herself back to sleep almost immediately each time. She happily woke at 7:15 am! What?! Night #2 was another big, FAT check mark!
What I learned: Consistency really is key!
NIGHT #3
I did our full bedtime routine, and put my daughter in her crib DROWSY at 7:15pm. She was clearly overtired from missing a nap earlier. I knew it would be a rough night. She cried through the 3 minute mark, 5 minute mark, and 10 minute mark. I comforted her for a duration of one minute in between these marks as usual. She woke up at 11:30pm, and cried to the 5 minute mark so I fed her. She woke again at 3am and whined till the 5 minute mark so I fed her. Lastly, she woke at 7:15am ready to start the day! Poor baby, this was a rough night compared to the others, but I was glad to still be meeting her needs!
What I learned: It’s very important to put baby to bed before he or she gets overtired! Since my daughter missed her nap, she was exhausted by 7:15pm and probably should have gone to bed more like 6:45pm. Be extra sensitive during these learning times. When you “drop the ball,” or things “don’t go as planned," remember that no mama is perfect. Use your mommy’s intuition to help make her night comfortable when this happens. You live, you learn, and you do better!
NIGHT #4
I put my daughter in her crib DROWSY at 7:16pm. She let out a short whine as soon as I left the room, and then literally stopped a second after and went to sleep! She did not wake up once in the middle of the night, and slept until 6:12am!! I immediately fed her upon hearing her cry because I knew she would be hungry, and then I placed her back in her crib. She laid awake without crying, and went back to sleep until 8:50am!
What I learned: I learned that between 7-7:30pm is her prime time for going to sleep. NO LATER. After experiencing her sleep comfortably throughout the night, I now realize she was not waking due to hunger as much as being unable to possess the skill of falling asleep unless she was on my boob. “One night’s mess up does not determine next night’s success.” Don’t be discouraged!
NIGHT #5
I put my daughter in her crib DROWSY at 7pm, and she immediately went to sleep. She woke at 11pm and cried till the 5 minute mark so I fed her. She woke at 3:29am and cried to the 5 minute mark so I fed her. She woke up at 7am ready to start her day, and was very happy!
What I learned: My daughter is already waking 3-4 times less in the middle of the night which means better sleep for her. Prior to sleep training, the SECOND I put my daughter down in her crib, she would wake and cry. Now, when I put her down drowsy, she stays asleep. This is huge!
NIGHT #6:
I placed my daughter in the crib at 7:30pm. We travelled this day and got home later than expected. I have to admit I rushed through her bedtime routine, (juggling my son’s needs as well) and on top of that she missed a nap which was not good! (She normally takes two naps throughout the day, and today she only took her first nap.) She cried on and off the 3 minute, 5 minute, and 10 minute windows until 8:13pm, with me soothing her for one minute in between…this was a tough night.
What I learned: It’s important to be aware of when your baby needs to nap, and make sure it happens to set them up for bedtime success! Get home early during sleep training to put the baby to sleep on time…not overtired which will only make it more difficult for her. DO NOT rush through the bedtime routine. It’s there for sufficient feeding, bonding, and as a way to communicate to her that it’s time for bed. I apologized several times to her for letting her get to the point of being overtired!
NIGHT #7:
I placed her in her crib at 7:10pm and she went straight to sleep. She woke at 1am, and put herself back to sleep in less than 5 minutes. She then woke up at 7:10am for the day! Great night!
What I learned: When learning how to sleep train, a “bad night” doesn’t mean that a “good night” won’t follow, and vice versa! Be patient and stay consistent. If your baby cries to the five minute mark (or whatever amount of time you are comfortable with) in the middle of the night, there are so many factors as to why you’re baby may wake and try to tell you she needs attention, so please consider that. We are into week two of sleep training, and my daughter is teething, so I’m highly aware of that during this process! Trust your mama instincts. Give yourself grace, and give your child the consistency and time to learn. Don’t compare yourself to others. My goal is not for my daughter to “sleep through the night!" My goal is to teach her to soothe herself once ALL her needs are met! If she sleeps through the night, that’s just an added bonus, but not the goal!
I hope sharing my daughter’s first week sleep training, and all that I learned helped you! Remember that “consistency is key,” and there is no “quick fix" for sleep training! As always, I’m happy to answer any questions you may have based on my experience sleep training my two children. Just leave your questions in the comments below! My daughter still wakes two to three times a night, but it’s better than the 6 times she would wake “to feed” before. (I know she will eventually grow out of needing any milk at night at all.) No system is perfect, and you may have to tweak it like I did to work for your family and your peace of mind! Noone knows what your child needs better than you! I wish you a beautiful week and a wonderful night’s rest! See you back on Thursday where I will discuss, in depth, the bedtime routine I used during this first week of sleep training! Have a great night!
Cool, Calm, and Collectedly Yours,
*I am NOT a medical professional. I’m just a mama sharing my personal experience that worked best for my family, and everything I learned with you all! Thank you!
