# Sleep Routines



## everhopeful (Feb 19, 2004)

Hi all
As you'll know, we are into day 2 of being new parents again  
Just after some advice really.
Babyroo is a very good baby and last night slept through until 6am. My big problem is that she has never been put into her cot awake.
Her FC's have always allowed her to fall asleep downstairs and carried her up when they go to bed. Last night, being our very first, we did the same, well almost. We let her fall asleep in her chair and carried her up an hour after her big sister. It went smoothly, and most of all, kept her as close to her old routine as possible.
At some point in the near future, she'll be too big for her chair and will no longer have it. So will have to go into her cot anyway.
I feel that if we leave her sleep routine this way for very long, we'll be making a rod for our own back. She'll think this is the norm in this house too.
My feeling is that we need to nip it in the bud sooner rather than later.
FC's always said that she isn't a baby who's ever cried much. My guess is that they've never let her cry before, she's murmered, and they've gone running.
I think we should maybe use the controlled crying technique or some other way, that's straight to the point but gets the result. I firmly believe that her whole settling in process, must include some sort of proper sleep routine.
I know she's just come to live with "strangers" and we should keep everything the same for her. But this is already unfair on her new big sister.
Babyroo missed her nap this afternoon and so by teatime was fraught with tiredness and yet determined not to sleep. I put her in the favourite chair. She snuggles down and thumb goes to mouth and as soon as I walked away, she started shouting for my attention, and when I ignored her, she started crying but I knew there was nothing she needed other than sleep. She was overtired, and fighting it. And after 10-15minutes of whining on and off, she's now fast asleep in the chair. Lovely! But in the midst of all this, Missboo is sat in the same room trying to eat her tea. 

I know that if we can crack this sleep thing, ie. teach her to settle herself in her cot, then it won't matter whether it's naptime or bedtime, she won't disturb her big sister's routine.

What does everyone think? Has anyone experienced this with their new child/baby? How should I approach it?

Please help!!!!


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## sjm78 (May 22, 2007)

I would agree with your ideas better to do it sooner or later . You could do controlled crying routine or how about having a chair in her room and seeing if she will settle with you in the room just pottering or reading a book or something for 5 mins. If that goes well reduce the time gradually till you are leaving as soon as she is in her cot. I have used the controlled crying routine in my job . I am a nanny and i find it effective but not everyone likes it. You will soon work out what works best for you.
Sarah


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## TraceyH (Apr 14, 2004)

Ever

Our little one was 19 months old when we bought him home and he had a very strange sleep routine at the FC's so after 2 weeks of very early waking we did the controlled crying and it worked a treat, in fact we cracked it on the first night.  I think he was crying out for a set routine.  It was certainly the way ahead for us and we haven't looked back.  We still use it to a degree when he tries to play up now that he is in a big bed.

Tracey x


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## dawny36 (Mar 28, 2007)

Hi ever,

I think I posted about this topic a little while ago as I was keen to go  from the process of rocking my little one asleep to putting her down to settle again, I however changed my mind and continue to do this in a rocking chair in her bedroom it takes me about 10minutes and we enjoy the closeness and the bonding time, even 6 months on the attachment is still growing and getting stronger and I think it is crucial for us anyway to continue with this.

Your baby is a lot younger but I personally think it is too early to incorporate controlled crying into your routine I can appreciate you have another little one and you have to consider her too but she has been with you for a lot longer and will probably adjust better than the baby.  Perhaps putting a chair in her nursery will help? 

Hope I havent offended this is just my opinion.

Good luck and enjoy!

Dawny
xxx


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## everhopeful (Feb 19, 2004)

Thanks girls
We have a chair next to the cot and early this morning (4am to be precise!) she woke crying so after lifting her out and her taking some water I laid her back down and sat in the chair. I didn't use eye contact, I just occasionaly "Sushed" her, and she wriggled and fought it for 15minutes before falling back asleep and I was able to creep back to bed until she woke again at 6am!
Whether it only worked this morning because it was straight from an 8 hour sleep anyway and she had virtually no stimulation?! I am predicting that it won't be that simple when we try it tonight for first time!
I plan to put her down at 6.30 (an hour before missboo goes to bed) and hope she can settle. Otherwise we'll try the controlled crying.
I'll let you all know tomorrow (unless I'm half dead!!)


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## everhopeful (Feb 19, 2004)

I'm worried to report this incase it's too soon to speak!  

Last night, on the assumption that we may well be trying to settle for an hour at least, we put her to bed at 6.45 so that if she was a screaming banshee it wouldn't upset missboo's routine too much (apart from the noise!!)

So in her cot she went, I turned on her mobile, closed the door and went downstairs...... erm.... no crying.... no fighting it...... erm.....   really slightly confusing to say the least!! But brilliant none the less!  
She was fast asleep within minutes!

I did give her a top up of milk in her cot when I came to bed, and the only disturbance we had was at 4.30 when she'd filled her nappy. So early morning again, when she eventually got up at 5.30 but seen as she'd been in bed since 6.45pm and last milk was at 6.15, I didn't think she'd done at all bad.
So tonight's idea is to leave her up until 8.30ish (if we're able to keep her awake until then!) and then hopefully she'll sleep for 10 hours again making tomorrow morning's alarm call a little more reasonable!!! That's the plan anyway, no doubt it'll have a slight twist to the end product!!


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## cindyp (Apr 7, 2003)

Hi Ever,

Great to hear Babyroo is home with you.  It sounds like you may have got this sleep thing cracked.  I wish we had been as strong, I think we were so thrown by DS's attachment issues we were scared to be tough with DD.  She also had been put to bed asleep and when I initially tried to put her in her own room she screamed the place down for hours and we ended up doing what I never thought I would do having her in bed with us.  It has only been since we went on holiday last week that we have put her to bed awake in her own room.  So far it is not going to badly, she is going down Ok but still waking through the night however she is not screaming the place down anymore (well not much  ) and we are persevering.

Keep up the good work.

love
Cindy


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## Pooh bears mummy (Jul 11, 2004)

Hi Ever,

You are doing the right thing. Just to say about later night= later morning this is usually not the case to we tend to stick with early night. keep up the good work hunx

PBMx


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