Sleep-Training

I think it's safe to declare myself an infant sleep expert.

Bryan was such a poor and light sleeper that I went out to buy and/read every sleep-training material there was on the bookstore shelf and internet. Still, no use with Bryan. You can imagine just how desparate I was - from his birth, he slept an average of 10-12 hours in total a day, and each time, for no more than 45 minutes. Yes, even at nights!! Bryan would be over-tired that he was screaming by the time he was really ready to kaput. Even then, he had to be rocked and carried and lullabied. Luckily, things have improved significantly since turning 18 months although MIL still needs to rock and carry and lullaby him today! Imagine, having to struggle with a cranky toddler when you yourself lack of sleep for 18 months.

But to give Bryan credit, I think he was born a poor sleeper. Literature points that poor sleepers are fast learners and can be greatly rewarding. This is very true. For example, I only taught him the numbers 1 to 10 once and he could recite it almost immediately. Now Bryan is able to recite A to Z, sans missing a couple of alphabets.

However, I was still determined to not let this (the poor sleeping habits) repeat itself with Brandon. So what sleep-training method do I use with Brandon?

Brandon, on the other hand, slept an average of 20 hours in his first month. Now in his 2nd month, a little less but still considerably much much more than Bryan in his hey-days :) Brandon's biggest challenge is going down for the night when he usually does not want to sleep and wishes for entertainment, ie us talking and cooing to him. So, I've decided to harden my heart and let him cry it out.

Now, you can't simply employ the CIO techniq (the "Ferber method") on every baby as some may be too agitated by it and make things worse. I tried it once with Brandon and he seemed to adapt well to it. It's still in the early stages but I can see the results as when he wakes up, he is able to self-soothe himself back to sleep without any intervention on my part. That is key to a good night sleep for everyone in the house.

There are many other techniques out there so if your baby is a poor sleeper, don't despair. Get help!