Whisper it softly: My little one is now sleeping all night long. This has been our reality for several months, but I’ve hesitated to voice it, fearing it might change. However, this morning, I realized I couldn’t recall the last time my child woke up during the night. It seems I can finally admit it: My child is indeed sleeping through the night!
Now, if you’re struggling with a restless little one, here’s a detailed guide that outlines what I did. Follow these steps, and your child might just join the ranks of good sleepers within two and a half years!
- Start at five months with a dream feed around 11 PM. As you pick up your sleepy baby, you might hear a voice in your head questioning your sanity. You’ll fumble through the attempt to wake him, only to spend an hour coaxing him back to sleep.
- Try the dream feed again the next night—perhaps last night was a fluke.
- Repeat this process.
- When your child turns six months, decide that your partner’s snoring is the culprit keeping your baby awake. Move your little one into his own room, then sit back, eagerly awaiting blissful sleep.
- At 3 AM, groggily traverse the hallway to retrieve your crying baby, cursing your decision to move him. You’ll repeat this trip multiple times before finally bringing him back to bed, just like before. Brace yourself for those little kicks to the face.
- The next evening, convince yourself that the previous night was an anomaly and let him sleep alone again.
- At 3 AM, step on a Lego piece and whisper a curse as you rush to quiet the baby before waking his siblings.
- This cycle continues for months, fueled by the misguided hope that the snoring was indeed the problem. You’ll hesitate to dismantle the crib, fearing it signifies defeat.
- After six months of nightly frustrations, devise a clever plan to set up a travel crib next to your bed, hoping it will solve the nighttime wakefulness.
- After several unsuccessful attempts, discover that your baby despises the travel crib and abandon that idea.
- Conclude that your child’s feet are likely too warm. Grab some scissors and cut the feet off all his sleep suits.
- Go to bed, optimistic about a restful night ahead.
- At 3 AM, scoop your crying baby into bed with you, finding comfort in his cut-off sleep suits. Prepare for more face-kicking.
- Download the Wonder Weeks app to understand the phases of crankiness and wakefulness, yet still find yourself puzzled by his current behavior.
- Suspect that the early morning sunlight is waking him up. Rush to buy blackout curtain lining, ignoring the voice that reminds you that the sun doesn’t rise at 3 AM.
- Attach the blackout lining to the curtains, only to realize you’ve done it backward. Cursing, you remove it and start over.
- Marvel at the newfound darkness but still rise at 3 AM when the baby cries. Bang your knee on the crib in the pitch-black room but persevere with the blackout curtains.
- Now at 18 months, frustration peaks. Search sleep forums and Google “my toddler won’t sleep.” Learn about bimodal sleep, realizing this describes his pattern but finding no solutions.
- Hear from a friend that white noise can help. Download a white noise app and prepare for its introduction.
- At 3 AM, rush in with your phone, trying to navigate the dark while activating the app. Set the phone by the crib and settle in a chair, watching as he finally relaxes.
- As you gingerly begin to rise, the baby’s super-sensitive hearing kicks in, and he starts crying again. Accept that this chair has become your new home.
- Now that he’s two, transition him from the crib to a bed. When he wakes, lie down beside him and notice the face kicking has lessened. You’ll drift off, wondering why.
- Gradually shift to sitting on the floor next to his bed when he wakes. Get a cushion for comfort and perhaps think about adding a mini fridge or reading light for those long nights. Stay there for however long it takes—be it months—until sleep finally settles in.
And there you have it! Follow these straightforward steps, and by two and a half years, your child might just sleep through the night. Or perhaps not—there are no guarantees.
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Summary:
This guide provides a humorous yet practical approach to helping your child sleep through the night within 2.5 years. Through a series of relatable experiences, it outlines the trials and tribulations of sleep training, emphasizing persistence and adaptability.