Sleep Sense Support Group!

[jacs]

Hi,
This group follows on from a thread started in Baby Club by Polaris. After reading about her success (and others!) with 'Sleep Sense', a method of teaching babies to self-settle, myself and others have adopted the approach, and have been amazed by the results (and how fast it can happen!).

Obviously, there are lots of things to consider before starting sleep-training, and once begun there are many ups and downs.
We thought creating this group would offer support to those already following Sleep Sense, and encouragement and advice to those considering it.

Please join in, even if you're just curious!

The original thread can be found here:
https://www.babyandbump.com/baby-club/284124-thomas-slept-through-night-sleep-sense-support.html

The Sleep Sense website is here:
https://sleepsense.net/


Well, we're officially a 'group' now!

 

[polaris]

Thanks for setting up the group Jacs!

Everything is still going pretty well here - still only waking up for one night feed which is great!

Naps - hmmm - they are definitely trickier to get right. Our morning nap was a 45 minute short nap - I was out and OH was looking after him - he said that he left him for about 15 minutes but he wasn't going back to sleep just crying on and off and sucking his thumb - I probably would have left him a bit longer to be honest as when he starts sucking the thumb he generally does go to sleep soon. So then because that nap was short he was ready for his next nap by 11.30 - that nap was a great success!! He had almost a two hour nap! I did the 'wake to sleep' though too, it's so hard to know whether that is what is making the difference or if he would have had a longer nap anyway. Then in the afternoon he just had a cat nap in the pram for 30 minutes because we were out, so he was awake from 3.30 till bedtime - oh my god he was so overtired by 6 o'clock - he is hard work when he is tired. By the time I put him to bed at twenty to seven he was screaming with tiredness, I didn't think he would settle down to sleep at all but I just told him sleepy time and gave him his blankie and he cried for literally 5 seconds and went straight to sleep!!! Amazing!!!

I always just feel a total sense of disbelief when putting baby to bed that he has gone to sleep and that is the last I will hear from him for 9 or 10 hours - I keep expecting him to wake up needing feeding or whatever!

 

[polaris]

Jacs - I was just thinking, could you write a little 'introduction' on the first post just to explain what the group is for new people who don't know.

 

[TennisGal]

Just a quick hello!! Will be back later - watching Masterchef, lol!

 

[flowers04]

Hello

yeah we are a group

Jacs - i started lo on solids about a month ago - in the last two weeks i have been giving three meals a day - now we are moving onto everything so hopefully we'll see a bit more weight gain

lo was overtired when i put her to bed - had been up for over three hours - see how long she sleeps

watching masterchef too - love it

hope you all have a good night - sleep tight x

 

[TennisGal]

DD just woke up, and was very cross. Fed her, and she's still not happy - DH sitting with her now...I think her lack of naps today has left her overtired.

 

[TennisGal]

we've all got overtired LOs today! oh, and a thread of Chef fans emerging

 

[jacs]

Doh Polaris!
Yeah, bit daft having a group that no-one knows about - would that have made us a secret society?...like the sound of that!

What a fast sleeper Thomas is! We had a similar bedtime to you, because I stole the blankie for a while! Anyway, he was overtired by the afternoon as he hadn't napped properly without it. Feel awful, but can only do what I think's right at the time! He'd been up for hours before bed, so took ages to calm down Hope you all get a good sleep tonight!

TennisGal - congrats on watching Masterchef (it's the little things...)

flowers04 - we're at the same stage in weaning, I'm finding it hard to fit in 3 meals at the minute, because his naps can sometimes be really long now, when I'm not really expecting it! I'm sure you'll see a weight increase soon, with all that fuel in her little tummy!

 

[TennisGal]

Think DD was just hungry, as she was asleep within minutes...quick grumble, and that was it.

Did Evan go down ok, Jacs?

Good sleep wishes to all! Here's to nap success for us all tomorrow!

 

[Foogirl]

Loving the idea of a secret society - I've got my trouser leg rolled up in anticipation....

Not loving Masterchef. Like the concept and tis an interesting programme but hate seeing those close ups of the judges shovelling food into their mouths.

I'm so glad you're all having some success with Sleep Sense. The naps will come - I promise. But for me the days were so much easier to deal with once the nights got better. Abby is far more settled and happier with all her sleep.

 

[TennisGal]

We had a good night - DD's 'night feed' is getting later, and then she goes back to sleep no probs!

How was everyone else's night?

Foogirl - thanks for the nap reassurance and yes, the food shovelling is repellant. I've never understood the need to clear half a plate with one mouthful!

 

[jacs]

Thanks Foogirl! Yeah trouser leg would be great - I'm devising a secret handshake to go with it!

We got Evan down with a bit of protesting, then he was up at 1am, and grumbled on and off all night. Woke up at 5.45am. Our night was similar to what it used to be (although we used to do 2/3 feeds), with LO quite unsettled and waking early.

Hopefully, now he's got blankie, he might settle back down today!

Sounds good TennisGal! I've never watched masterchef, but I need to add that I also hate watching people shovel food down their necks!

Does anyone know why there's gold stars on the thread title?

 

[TennisGal]

That's me - I rated the thread as excellent, or suchlike. Everyone else had gold stars, so I thought it was only right ;-)

Like the sound of the secret handshake and rolled trouser leg, lol

Shovelling is hideous - it's actually one of my pet hates, and yet I still watch!!

Jacs hope Evan is more settled today...may just be the fact he's missing blankie? Let us know how he gets on today...
I've got to wash blankie - DD threw it, and cat attacked it...I was too slow off the mark!

Good luck with naps today, ladies, we have visitors for the afternoon...so not sure how the naps will go, as DD likes to be involved in everything!

 

[PieMistress]

Morning Everybody!

Well we did PU/PD last night with Kyle (well OH did, I was on the sofa getting some zzzzzs after looking after the in-laws) and it worked but not without a lot of PU/PD (!) I think it was like eventually Kyle was like oh well, I might as well just go to sleep. He woken again at 4am for a feed then went down awake and grizzled then fell aleep.

This morning for his nap OH is doing PU/PD again but it's been going on for 30 minutes now!!! You really do need to be so fixated on the goal to get through it don't you !!

Poor mite is so tired but just won't fall asleep. It's hard to understand isn't it.

Oh well, another day of activities and no rest! He was grumpy meeting his Granny for first time yesterday (was in teething pain in the morning) but cheered up a bit and OH & Granny took him to Baby Yoga in the afternoon so I had an hour and a half free to myself Wasn't very organised and didn't have anything planned though - should have got a haircut or some other treat!

Thanks for starting the group Jacs!

Look forward to hearing about the napping progress today xx

 

[jacs]

TennisGal, I never knew you could do that! I thought gold stars meant they had a million posts or something! (I have naturally rated this as excellent as well!) Sorry, but I laughed a bit at the cat getting the blankie!

PieMistress- you must be knackered! I would have just stayed at home as well, for a break. Well done for sticking with the PU/PD, he's doing well, especially with the teething. Let us know about today.

Evan's on his first nap, and has been asleep for about an hour, so I think he's happy now he has blankie! (it's amazing that this time last week he had never even seen a blankie, now it's his best friend!)

 

[lyre]

Thanks for starting the group Jacs! Hope everyone is doing well.

Special thanks to Foogirl! Max slept 7 till 7 last night (only one feed at 2.30) and he had a 90 minute nap in his cot yesterday evening! now during the nap routine he puts his head on my shoulder and sings to himself, which is how he gets to sleep, its so sweet. It's making such a difference to both of us! x

 

[Foogirl]

Thanks for starting the group Jacs! Hope everyone is doing well.

Special thanks to Foogirl! Max slept 7 till 7 last night (only one feed at 2.30) and he had a 90 minute nap in his cot yesterday evening! now during the nap routine he puts his head on my shoulder and sings to himself, which is how he gets to sleep, its so sweet. It's making such a difference to both of us! x

That is so sweet!

I'm glad it's working for you.

 

[polaris]

LOL at the secret society!

Sounds like everyone is making progress!

PieMistress - well done getting started! That's brilliant that he went down awake after his night feed! Naps are definitely trickier but we will all get there in the end.

Lyre - wow things have really turned around for you too, well done!! Love the image of him singing to himself on your shoulder!

Jacs - sorry you had a difficult night - probably because he was overtired due to not napping yesterday without blankie. I'm sure things will get back on track today.

Question about night feeds - do people find that night feeds tend to happen at much the same time each night or does it chop and change? I find there is no consistency at all and if anything the time of the night feed seems to be getting earlier instead of later - at first Thomas was waking up at 4 or 5, then it changed to 3ish, and last night he woke up for his feed at 1! I was so exhausted getting up to feed him as I only went to sleep at 11. He still only had the one night feed and went back to sleep after it till almost 7 - but I would have expected the feed time to get later not earlier! What have other people found?

 

[flowers04]

morning all

secret society defo sounds good hehe

Jacs - poor Evan - good to hear he is naping better today - he'll be catching up. i agree about the blankie - lo is getting used to it now - its so sweet. Yeah i definitely find it harder to fit three meals in, the last one always seems to be closer to bedtime - we have never had a feeding routine - i have always fed when she's hungry but now that she's on solids i really think i need to stick to a routine otherwise i'll be feeding her all day. The HV told me to give her fatty foods now - all the stuff that we shouldn't eat or should eat in moderation

Tennisgal - yeah lo was up after one hour last night and the only thing that would settle her was a feed - still she puts up a fuss after being put down but eventually goes to sleep - i find that when i feed her in the early hours i can feed her then leave her to settle - earlier in the night i have to be there with her otherwise there lots of crying

Polaris - yes i find that feeds are all over the place - last night she woke for three feeds - they like to keep us on out toes

Naps are realy difficult - i find it really hard to leave her for 20 minutes cuz she'll just be crying - but she is clearly tired as she wakes up crying but doesn't want to go back to sleep - i'll have to try a bit harder

does anyone ave any tips on how to get oh to read or watch sleepsense - i ask him everyday but don't want to nag him. Because of this im not working to the book and can't realy expect to see an improvement if im only doing it partly - MEN!

 

[polaris]

Flowers04 - I managed to get OH to watch the videos, he's not a big reader. But mainly I just tell him what we are supposed to be doing. Would be nice to have a bit more active involvement, but hey what can you do?