Sleep Training...Whatever

Sadie started sleeping between 7 and 9 hours a night at 6 weeks old. I went to a sleep seminar put on by B.B. Sleep Solutions and it totally changed my life. They taught me how to put my screaming, colicky child to sleep. AH! SLEEP, PRECIOUS SLEEP.
On the night that Sadie turned 4 months old she slept for 11 hours straight. Yes, I said 11 hours. What happened the next night, and the night after that, and every night after that for the next 2 months? She was up EVERY HOUR. HORROR, DREAD AND HORROR! Anybody that encountered me in this non-sleeping stage can account that I was a zombie. I felt like I had a newborn again...only it was worse because I knew she had the ability to go 11 hours. I talked to everybody that would talk to me about it. Every one just said it was a phase...babies sometimes just revert for a few weeks...no biggie, she will start sleeping again soon. No luck. I read all kinds of sleep books..."you MUST rock her to sleep"..."you MUST let her cry it out"..."You MUST stay in the room to comfort her BUT DON'T TOUCH HER!" No Luck. I talked to pediatrician after pediatrician. They all suggested the phenomenon known as "Sleep Training."

"What is sleep training," you ask? I put Sadie in her crib, wide awake, give her a kiss goodnight, say "Sleep Tight" and walk out, never to return...at least, not until she is fast asleep. And they say this will help your child learn how to sleep.

Have you ever seen the show The Dog Whisperer? As Cesear says, "I rehabilitate dogs,I train People" The "training" portion of this little activity is NOT referring to the baby. The baby cries for a while and then gets tired and goes to sleep. Eventually they learn that the crib means sleeping and the crying somewhat subsides. This practice we are talking about is sleep training for the parent. Here is what my training entails:

a) I must train my heart not to ache as I listen to my baby cry out for me for 30+ minutes a night (ok, so it was 45 mins. the first night, 20 the 2nd night, 5 the 3rd night and now she is done crying by the time I leave the room...but my heart still aches. Have you ever had to walk away from a baby that is pulling at the bumper pads, trying to climb out to you whilst staring you down with big puppy dog eyes that are quickly filling with crocodile tears? Heart-wrenching!)

b) I must train myself not to over-analyze each cry and know that crying does not equal pain, sickness or eminent death.

c) I must train myself to realize that her sleep is more important than playing with me...at least when it is sleeping time

d) I must train myself to give up my absolute, most favorite part of parenting...rocking her to sleep

On the plus side, now that I have mastered said training course, my baby goes to bed between 7 and 8 pm and sleeps until 7 or 8am getting up to eat once each night.

So these are my choices: rock Sadie to sleep and fore go my own sleep or let her learn to self soothe and enjoy my nightly slumber...WHATEVER!

(by the way, I am feeling very well rested these days)