The reality of sleep training

I've been a baby whisperer for over 17 years so I thought it was time to share some insights from my world. Many parents put off sleep training thinking it's going to be the worst and hardest thing ever. And yes some nights have been very tough. However, they are the exception. Most of the time it's a bit middle of the road. Myself and the parents do get a little sleep to be able to carry on with the next night and so on.

The foundations

The key is getting the bedtime settle right and allowing the baby to learn to emotionally self-regulate. Helping them with short cuddles without stopping the process. Many babies are being fed or rocked to sleep at the start of the night and this is setting the scene for a night of frequent waking.

https://nurtureparenting.com.au/baby-falls-asleep-breastfeeding/

Case studies of baby sleep training

These case studies are all gentle sleep training methods based on my exclusive methods developed over 17 years. I am present in the room when they wake and are crying and I do cuddles when they need them. The kinder you are to babies the better it works.

Libby 5.5 months
Bed at 18:40 pm and asleep within 20 minutes
Awake 12:46 protest but didn't need re-settling, re-settled herself
01:11 resettled till 01:40 am then woke for the day at 06:30 am

Zuri 10 months
Bed at 8:30 pm, helped to self-settle and asleep in 30 minutes
Awake 00:15 am asleep 00:40
Awake 04:00 pauses, asleep within 1 minute
Awake 05:30 am pauses asleep within 1 minute, woke for the day at 07:00 am

Bran 9 months
Bed at 6:26 pm, helped to settle using magic presence, asleep by 7:30 pm
Awake 8:26 pm, helped to re-settle, asleep 8:52 pm woke w door opening, asleep in 10 mins
Awake 11:30 pm, BF and asleep 11:50 pm, 10 mins to re-settle
Woke 1:45 am, asleep by 2:15 am took hand away, stroke back x 1
Woke 4:40 am, BF and asleep 4:50 am

Elliot 17 months
Night 2
Bed 6:30xpm asleep 6:57 pm, mild protest, no standing
Awake 9:54 pm asleep 10:10 pm lots of pauses, cuddles and laid down in cot
Awake 2:08 am, resettled self, asleep 2:10 am, woke for the day at 06:45 am

Night one
Bed at 06:40pm asleep by 07:40pm

Freya 17 months - bed at 6:34 pm asleep without needing help
Awake 9:01 pm resettled x 3 protest and mummy mummy, noisy on street and in appt upstairs asleep 09:50 pm
11:48 pm awake mild protest, pauses +++
11:54 pm asleep
12:29 am intermittent whinging w lots of big pauses 12:52 am resettled self
Awake 2:15 am resettled self
Awake 4:10 am shouting mummy
Awake 4:48 am, re-settled and woke for the day at 06:50 am

Miki 7 months
Bed 7:15pm
Awake 8:30 pm, asleep in 5 mins
Awake 2 am asleep 3:30 am mild protest

William 5 months
Bed at 7:02 pm asleep 7:15 pm
Awake 11:35 pm asleep 11:40 pm, 11:50pm rolling around the cot, mild protest, pauses, rolled on his R side asleep 11:56 pm
Awake 1:51 am, asleep 1:58 am lots of big pauses awake 02:15 am briefly
Awake 06:40 am

Ollie 6 months
Bed at 6:33 pm asleep - mantra magic - after 1 hour turned onto tummy asleep within minutes and 20 minutes flipped back to his back
Awake 00:20 am asleep 00:35 am 2 mantras
Awake 02:54 am 1 x mantra quiet by 03:15 am asleep 03:28 am
Awake 05:10 asleep 05:20 am resettled self
Awake 05:30 am re-settled till 06:00 am

Fletcher 7.5mo
Night 3
Bed 7:14pm asleep within 10 mins
Awake 8:30 resettled within 5 mins
Awake 9:40 resettled within 10 mins
10:38pm resettled 1 minute
Awake 6:43am

Night 2
Bed 6:27pm asleep 7:21pm
Awake 10:16 asleep 10:18pm
Awake 11:41pm asleep 11:43pm
Awake 11:59pm asleep 01:17am went in and resettled, panadol and water
Awake 3:15 asleep 3:17
Awake for the day at 06:40am - arms cool, needs another layer

Night 1
Bed 7:20pm, asleep 8:05pm
Awake 9:31 asleep within 6 mins
Awake 10:00 asleep within 3 mins
Awake 11:38 asleep 11:40 awake 11:42 asleep 11:44pm
Awake 12:27am asleep 12:30am
Awake 03:10am resettled quickly within 1 minute
Awake for the day at 06:40am and BF

Day 1 nap
8:10am asleep 8:30am

Isaac 7mo
Bed 6:30 pm asleep 7:30 pm
Awake 8:08 pm asleep 8:50 pm
Cried out briefly 11:50 pm
Cried out briefly 01:53 am
Awake 4:24 am

Achilles 1yo
Bed at 6 pm - asleep by 7 pm
Woke 9:15 pm - went in - asleep by 9:45 pm
Woke 10:15-10:35 pm went in
Woke 11:00 pm resettled 11:07 pm no need to go in
Awake 4:44 am self-settled 4:50 am

Marlon 9 months
Bed at 7:05 pm, mild protest
Awake moaning at 9:05 pm self settled
Awake 10:11 pm loud crying 10:40 pm quiet
Moaning protest 10:45 to 11:02 pm
11:33 pm asleep
12:26 awake 12:45 am asleep
3:30 am awake resettled
Awake for the day 06:30 am

Frankie 8 months
Bed at 7:40 pm 15 mins of crying
Awake at 1:30 am, resettled by 3 mins
Awake 2 am, asleep by 2:10 am
4 am woke and back to sleep
Awake for the day 6:45 am, up at 7 am

Hudson 6months
Night 3
2:19 - at the top of the cot with head against bars! On his tummy, repositioned to foot of cot. Asleep 02:27am
Awake 02:38 - asleep 02:50 am
Awake 04:59 - asleep 05:02 am
Awake 05:45 am shouting and cranky - turned over onto back and moved to foot of cot 6:00 am asleep

Night 2
Bed at 06:45 pm, asleep at 7 pm - 15 mins
Awake at 11:30 pm coughing, dog had been barking ++ resettled self
02:23 am awake and crying for 2minutes
03:50 am awake and crying, asleep within 3 minutes
04:34 am awake & crying, asleep in 3 mins
05:23 am awake & crying
06:09 am awake for the day

Night one
Bed 6:15 pm
Awake 6:30 pm resettled himself
Awake 11:10 pm, 11:24 pm asleep - mild protest, lots of pauses, rolling to side and back again
Awake 03:32 am, protest with pauses, rolling to side 03:45 am angry crying, went in x 2
03:55 am Rolled him on his tummy and gentle strokes down his back
04:05 am asleep on his tummy
Awake 05:42 am

Ona
Bed at 8:08 pm, 6 mins crying w pauses, checked x 2
Awake 12:14 am, minimal noise
Awake 12:24 am, re-settled self within 3 minutes
Awake for the day 6:30 am woke happy

Charlie 6 months
Bed at 7 pm - Asleep at 8:50 pm
Awake 10:50 pm - Asleep 11:50 pm
Awake for the day 06:15 am

Ruby
9:30 pm - resettled self
10:22 pm - resettled self within 3mins
10:45-11:14 pm - resettled took 30 mins, loud screaming & standing up in the cot
12:08 am - shouting mum, sat in cot, very cross, back to sleep in 2 Mins
01:14 am - moaning and tiny cry, put self back to sleep in 1 rrin
Awake for the day 06:10 am

Penelope 7.5 months,
Woke 01:45 am, back to sleep within 7 mins lots of pauses, 2:00 - 2:15 check x 1, lots of pauses, no cuddle needed, 2:16am crying, ? Last hurrah, quiet till 2:23 am, cross ++ asleep in a few mins
03:13 am awake and crying ++ resettled self in 10 mins
Woke her at 7 am, woke happily