Let's talk Sleep

SLEEP...it's a big deal! I wish I have tips to share on this one but I have not had much success on it so this is to just share my feelings toward it and my experience. As I planned out parenthood (learned soon after giving birth that there's no such thing), I knew I wanted to sleep train. I have friends that  had great success on it and thought, I would love to have that, a good sleeper. I read blogs after blogs, forums after forums and all sorts of research on how to sleep train and thought that my first 7months were great and that I may have reached success. I was warned about regression but nothing like what I've experienced.

I love my daughter, I do but she put Jeb and I through sleep hell! It started during her 8th month, I thought that this was quite early for regression but later found out that there are things that us parents do to cause it and I think I did 9 out of 10 of those things. Isla was a straight sleeper in her first 7months being that she's formula fed, she was always full before sleep and she would have 8-12hours of straight sleep. At her 7th month, my husband and I decided to bring her to a trip to Miami. Her sleep was not the same afterwards. Her anxiety as we leave her in her crib was stronger than ever (during night and even nap time), we tried CIO (crying it out), we tried camping in her room, holding her hand, rocking her, giving her an earlier bed time...believe me when I say I tried it all. After two weeks though, I saw an improvement and thought we're back! But, silly me decided to go on a trip on my own, leaving her again and it just got even worse upon my return. Now nothing helped. She woke up every hour to check if I'm in the room and cried out her lungs (one night straight for an hour) every time I tried putting her down. Did I give up? Nope! I chose to put her crib every night and woke up every hour or two until she was 11months old. I was lucky to get 2hours straight of sleep before having to get up again to comfort her. She didn't need to be rocked to sleep, she just needed me beside her.

When Quino arrived, I've decided to end this battle with sleep training and decided to co-sleep. She has slept better and so did the rest of the household. Straight sleep? No! Since she started daycare at the same time, she was sick weekly which means no straight sleep for us even if she's in our bed. Our night routine, now involves me having to put her down in her toddler bed and my only purpose is so that she knows she has a room and a bed in the hopes that when she's able to understand a little bit more, that I can persuade her to sleep in her room and bed and no longer in mommy's and daddy's (like, wish me luck). She wakes up to check if I'm in there with her one-two sometimes three times a night before she finally decides to move to our room and by that time I'm just ready for bed and no longer feel like I have the energy to fight it out with her.

My feelings towards sleep? Do what makes you have your best try at getting some. If you're more successful at sleep training, then bravo and good for you. Others may not have your luck and in that case, decide and stick and stand by your decision. I have been very happy with the medium I chose because it is what works for us the best at this time, plus since I work, bedtime is my cuddle time with her and I don't mind that one bit. For now, Quino is happily sleeping in his room and crib, he is 7months but I'm sure we will go through some sort of regression sometime soon and who knows? He may end up in our bed too! I do want to see if I would have a better shot at it with him being that I've decided not to plan any trips for his first year. His personality may also differ from Isla and we may have success...at the end of the day, what I have at heart is that my children get the rest and sleep they need and mines? Hmmmm...I'll sleep when I'm dead!