The Journeyman

Sleep Training: Part 239

Trying to continue sleep train Olivia. We’ll letting her cry it out a bit…
Olivia: Daddy! Come rock me! It’s my favorite!

During a conversation concerning having both girls cry it out at night
Vanessa: There will be yelling in the House of Kraft tonight.

Sleep has been a constant struggle with Olivia. We were those parents that simply couldn’t understand how any type of “cry it out” method was humane. She was just 8 pounds of joy…how could we just let her cry? Her first three months of life, she would not sleep without being held and we were too wimpy to let her cry herself to sleep ever.

We were zombies for a long time.

photocredit: flickr/xlibber

While it had overall improved for both girls, they took a few steps back recently. Catalina shouldn’t still eat at night. Olivia went from not waking up most nights to waking up more times than I have fingers. We would rock her for a minute and put her back down. When she occasionally woke up once a night, that was fine. When it is 10 times, it is just stupid. 

We’re back to tough love. Both girls. We added a digital clock to Olivia’s room so she see the time. From the time she’s asleep until 6:30 a.m., she’s on her own. We remind her that we’re just next door and everything is okay, but she is a “big toddler” and can go back to sleep without mommy or daddy. Catalina doesn’t understand it, but she’s in the same boat. Catalina has always slept better, so the adjustment isn’t as drastic.

Last night, it took her 10 minutes to realize she needed to put herself back to sleep and she was fine. Olivia is a little more stubborn.

The downside is that I don’t know how to go back to sleep myself when Olivia is crying her little heart out, so none of us are getting our now-expected levels of sleep. Thus far, it was only resulted in one complete foul-up of a day. Just do me the favor of not asking how last night’s dinner turned out the first time I tried to make it. Much appreciated.

No leadership concept or realization about being a dad out of this post. Just a little story time.

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Comments

5 responses to “Sleep Training: Part 239”

  1. Emily Avatar
    Emily

    Marion is visiting me right now with her girls and Elise is sick and waking up during the night and my boys are learning how to sleep in their crib vs. carseats.  Tess is fantastic at sleeping all night, but she may be the only one.  We have discussed the need for a night nanny multiple times in order for us to function.  🙂  Remember in college when if we didn’t get enough sleep we just didn’t go to class?  Bliss.

    Reply
    1. Brandon Kraft Avatar
      Brandon Kraft

      No joke. Now, when I’m talking with college students and they tell me how little sleep they got, I either laugh if last night was a good night or mentally punch them if it wasn’t.

      Reply
  2. Julie Avatar
    Julie

    Sleep issues have always been my least favorite. There’s no easy answer. I do hope a few nights of this solves your problem. My four year old who sleeps like a rock all night gives me hope…

    Reply
  3. Marynia Avatar
    Marynia

    I have to say, Brandon, that your misery makes me feel better. And I apologize for sounding evil – I’m just in the same boat of Maciek-you’re-almost-nine-months-old-WHY-is-every-naptime-still-a-battle. Except he, poor kiddo, does a good 10-30+ minutes of crying a day – he just won’t nap without it. I have to admit, it’s starting to wear down on Mama’s nerves, though… I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you guys! You can do it!

    Reply
    1. Brandon Kraft Avatar
      Brandon Kraft

      A little evil, but that’s okay. It’s funny. We’ve found that when Catalina cries herself to sleep, she sleeps much better (longer, happier in the morning) than when she goes down without a fight.

      Reply

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