If you've been following along on facebook, you know it took Harlow one hour and 52 minutes to fall asleep last night. The last hour was quiet with occasional crying. Also, if you ever wondered about the empathy of a preschooler, let me be the first to tell you— THEY HAVE NONE. Mazzy fell asleep within the first twenty minutes and slept through the WHOLE DAMN THING.
Kind of makes me feel silly for thinking I was putting off sleep training for Mazzy's benefit.
Oh, hindsight. You tricky bitch.
As I mentioned yesterday, I've been working with a sleep consultant named Erin. She's the same one who put Mazzy through Toddler Sleep Rehab when she transitioned to her big girl bed about a year ago. The goal is to sleep train our nine-month-old, while our three-year-old sleeps in the same room.
No small task.
Typically, Mazzy talks and sings herself to sleep for at least an hour every night, so up until now, we have been putting Mazzy to bed at around 7:15pm and then rocking (a very resistant) Harlow to sleep in another room. When they are both completely passed out (Mazzy in her bed and Harlow in my arms), then I lay Harlow down in her crib in the same room as her sister. If Harlow is not fully asleep and wakes back up when I lay her down, I pick her up and rock her again. If we are lucky, this all ends at around 8:30pm.
Erin threw out our whole routine and created a new one where both girls would be put to bed at once. (What?! IMPOSSIBLE!)
I'm going to give you the basic principles behind Erin's plan (so you can play along at home), but please remember that this was specifically designed for me. Every family and situation is different.
EARLY BEDTIME
The Plan: Erin advised us to make bedtime between 6-6:30pm for both girls. She says that if the girls are having trouble falling asleep, it is because we missed the window of their biological sleep clock and are putting them down too late. She also recommended losing Mazzy's nap since it will get messed up come September when she starts an afternoon preschool program. The early bedtime will help her make up the missed sleep. Additionally, since sleep training will be met with protest, the early bedtime insures they will still fall asleep at a reasonable hour.
In Practice: 6-6:30pm is crazy early for two full-time working parents but I vowed to make it work. This meant Mike and I had to leave work early to make sure we had some play time before sending them to bed. Erin says that once the girls catch up on sleep, it might be possible to shift bedtime back a little bit. Mazzy protested bedtime as usual but didn't seem to register the earlier time. Harlow started showing sleepy cues (rubbing her eyes, pulling her ears) at exactly 6pm— something I didn't register previously because that is typically when I walk in the door from work.
EXPLAIN WHAT'S HAPPENING TO MAZZY
The Plan: Erin said I needed to get Mazzy on board but not to make a big deal out of it. Tell her that we are teaching Harlow to go to sleep by herself, that Harlow might cry but Mazzy shouldn't be worried and that Mommy will check on her every ten minutes to make sure she is okay. She said I could offer Mazzy a prize if she stayed in bed without bothering us or Harlow throughout the night.
In Practice: Much to my surprise, Mazzy totally got it. I think she even felt like she was my co-conspirator in this whole thing. She quietly read in her bed while Harlow was crying, came out once to get her blankie because I forgot to give it to her and then passed out after twenty minutes time— further proof that the earlier bed time was a good idea. I didn't even have to bring up the option of a prize.
PUT BOTH KIDS TO BED AT THE SAME TIME
The Plan: Erin says it's important to have the girls go to bed at the same time since they will be sharing a room for the foreseeable future and this will help establish a long term routine. Also, if you wait to put one child to bed and she is overtired, you risk disrupting the other's sleep.
In Practice: Putting the girls to bed at once seemed like the hardest part (I made Erin clarify twenty times) but now that I've done it, I'm not sure why this was such a foreign concept. Mazzy was excited to go to bed at the same time as Harlow. Once she was in bed, she was actually quieter and more well behaved knowing that her baby sister was in the room. Also, I can totally see that once this routine is established, putting both kids to bed at once is way easier on the parents.
THE ROUTINE
The Plan: Leading up to bedtime, I should change Harlow's diaper, put her in footed pajamas, and nurse or feed her a bottle. Then I should take everyone in the nursery and read them both a book. After the book, I should give Harlow one last kiss, put her in the crib, rub her blankie on her cheek, and walk out.
In Practice: Mike and I split up to get the kids ready for bed. He went with Mazzy to brush her teeth and change her into her pajamas while I changed and nursed Harlow. Then Mike held Harlow while Mazzy sat in my lap and I read everyone a book. Mazzy tried to stall by saying she didn't like the book options but eventually I got her to agree to one. Then she said she didn't want to go to bed but I made it clear she had no choice. After the book, Mazzy got in bed and I told her three things I love about her plus three jokes (as per our tradition). Then I picked up Harlow for one last snuggle, gave her a kiss, placed her in the crib, put the pacifier in her mouth, rubbed her blankie on her cheek and walked out as she immediately started wailing behind me.
That's when I sent Mike out to take a walk around the neighborhood. He's a tough guy except when his girls are crying.
CHECKING IN
The Plan: Check on Harlow every ten minutes until she stops crying. "Checking in" consists of walking in, putting the pacifier back in Harlow's mouth, rubbing the blankie on her cheek and walking back out. Do not talk to Harlow or pick her up. Keep doing this every ten minutes until Harlow falls asleep.
In Practice: The first ten minutes of crying was agonizing. I was relieved when the first check-in came. I knew Harlow would drop her pacifier outside of the crib so I was armed with replacement pacifiers if they weren't easy to find. When I walked in, Harlow was, as always, standing at the edge of the crib in the spot closest to the door. She did not leave that spot for the next hour and a half. At the beginning, Mazzy was still up, so I acknowledged that she was doing a good job. By the third check-in, Mazzy was passed out despite Harlow's wailing. After about the fourth check-in, I noticed that Harlow had stopped dropping the pacifier and now understood it was in her best interest to keep that thing in her mouth. I also noticed that Harlow had pooped in her diaper, so I picked her up and changed her without saying anything and then placed her back in her crib.
At 57 minutes, Harlow stopped crying. I waited a good ten minutes and then made the mistake of peeking inside. Harlow was still standing up in the same spot but had just opted for silence. She's a smart one because it totally worked. I quickly backed out and she started crying again. For the next hour, she was quiet with occasional whimpers.
At 8:22, Harlow finally stopped for good. Which, it should be noted, is about ten minutes before she usually falls asleep when we rock her.
WAKING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
The Plan: Same as how I put her to bed. Walk in, replace pacifier, rub blankie on her cheek, walk back out. Repeat as many times as necessary.
In Practice: Will let you know! As of this moment, she has yet to wake up.
Tomorrow I will continue Erin's sleep plan with the new morning routine, naptime and what happens on DAY TWO.
Follow me on facebook for Sleep Training Part 2 in real-time!
NOTE: Please follow my lead and ignore the people making negative comments on my facebook page. Life is so much happier if you DON'T FEED THE TROLLS.
(Continue to Sleep Training Day Two)
Ah, best of luck! I genuinely hope the new routine will work magic for you. Ignore the naysayers.
We moved our daughters into the same room when the youngest was 8 months old (but her sister had recently turned 4, so she was a little older than Mazzy). I prepared myself for the worst, but they surprised me. Don’t worry, they made up for it with MUCH bedtime monkey business a year or two down the track.
Currently, I’ve noticed with P (who’s Mazzy’s age) that on the days without naps, she falls asleep SO much earlier and quicker. Heaven, but I do love nap time too. Sigh…
I can’t believe all the crazies out there!
So funny you had to send Mike out – I am the one who would have to be sent out! CIO didn’t work for us and our situation, but it has worked wonders for some of our friends. In your heart, you know what works best for you and your girls! And yes, hindsight is a tricky little you know what! Gets me every time.
My daughter will be two at the end of the month and we still have to rock her to sleep. Well, it’s an adjusted rock since she’s tall and ALMOST TWO. I’m so annoyed I let it go this far. We’re going on vacation and I didn’t want to get it down just to have it messed up, so we will be doing pretty much the same thing after we get back.
Although it is agonizing to watch them cry and you wanna lay outside their bedroom door and have a temper tantrum…it works in the long run…and they are happier in general. I sleep trained in 3 days. LC has been teething badly but sleeping better than he was before. There has been a couple nights when he woke up for comfort. You go girl..You are doing what you think is best. Can’t wait to hear how it goes.
Sounds like it’s off to a great start!
I have my two little girls in the same room, aged 14 months and 3 years. Like you I waited quite a while to put them in the room together and kept the baby in our room way. too. long. The transition for us was pretty easy as well. I was kicking myself for waiting so long. Hindsight is a tricky bitch! 🙂
Good job! It really should not take long to have them both trained. The first one or two nights is the worst. Hope you got a good night’s sleep!
Good luck! At what age can one begin sleep training? I have a 5 month old, but I suspect that’s a little early…
Awesome! I am following right along as I am trying to get a 2 year old and 5 month old to sleep in the same room. Last night didn’t work, but we are trying again tonight. Stay strong!
I got Kayleigh to bed at 8:30 and she cried for less than 20 mins, Yay! Failure happened when I went in to put a blanket on her, she had pooped, and so I tried to change her when she was sleeping….you would have thought I was killing her the way she screamed. She did fall back asleep after 30 mins. She woke up again at 2 am. So proud of myself for not picking her up, she went back to sleep after 20 mins. Of course I couldn’t get back to sleep then. Major failure at 4 am wake up, I was so tired and sick of being awake that I ended up cuddling her. Tonight I won’t give in; I’m going to try the earlier bedtime to. Then I have to work on Grandma during the day with naps, wish me luck on that one. I got the “nod” when I mentioned it this morning.
Thank you for blogging this. You are totally building up my courage to try again!
I agree that early bedtimes can be hard. Eric devised a sleep plan for our DS when he was 7 months old. It would take an hour of him crying in my arms while I rocked/held him before he would fall asleep and then he would wake frequently throughout the night and require 45 min to an hour of rocking to get back to sleep. Poor kid was chronically OT. We are both working parents, too, and Eric suggested a bedtime of 5:30. Luckily, we both get off work at 3:30 so once we get home, we have time to play, feed DS dinner, give him a bath then a bottle then bed. It is hard to put him to bed so early after not seeing him all day, but everyone is SO much happier. We now all get to sleep through the night and wake well-rested and happy!
I hope night 2 goes better. Sounds like you are heading in the right direction!
Good luck!! I feel for you, I’m trying to transition my 14 month old into sleeping independently and soon will be moving her in with her 3 year old sister. The thought terrifies me, but I have a feeling it will go better than I fear. I hope everyone gets some sleep!
When I said Eric, I meant Erin. Typo, whoops!
Wow. I can do this! It’s funny because its common sense. I think as moms, we are just conditioned to react to the crying. My husband is the weak link as well when the boys cry. Thanks again for this and for your class in “NOT FEEDING THE TROLLS.” We are all moms just trying to do the best we can….
Good for you! Also, kids know who is the weak and who is the strong, whichever parent has to take a hike, it is for the best. Good luck on the nights to come.
I think the recommended age is 6 months, so you’re close 🙂
I did sleep training with both of my kids. They are now 9 and 7 years. It only took a few nights for each of them and they don’t seem to feel neglected from the “traumatic” experience.
Something that helped me was listening to the pitch of the cry. I noticed that it wasn’t really a distressed cry, more of just a frustrated cry, and after a few nights, it was a comforting cry. It didn’t make me feel as bad. I was so apprehensive about sleep training but now my 14 month old daughter just lays right down and goes to sleep. It is AWESOME!
Any thoughts on getting a video monitor so Harlow can’t trick you with silence anymore? 🙂 or maybe those don’t work in NYC due to all the apartments in close proximity…
Having a big family has meant a lot of doing exactly what you are doing! At one point we had four kids in one bedroom. You are doing great Mama! and you will survive. Once they have it down it will be a cinch and you will be so glad to have done it!
Not sure why the early bedtime is such a problem for some! I get weird looks for my 3 year-old’s 8pm bed time! Up until she was 2 it was 7-7:15. Kids DO need that much sleep, oh yes. By the way, getting rid of nap, awesome! It’s like having a grown person who doesn’t crash in the middle of the day. Oh, wait, my husband still does that. He’s 34. 🙂
This was interesting as my son goes to bed with us, which is horribly late (any time after 10 and before midnight)! Doesn’t nap during the day and is, generally, a bear during the day. Trying to get him to go to bed earlier (I was thinking 9-10 was early) never worked and he wouldn’t fall asleep for hours after trying to put to bed. I think I need to try for an 8 bedtime and stick with it. He needs more sleep and so do I. I can’t even think about what it’s like trying to get two down to bed!
Just popping in to say good job on Night One and tons of good luck for the sleep training! I’m going to be following these posts closely and bookmarking them for future reference (in addition to whatever books I end up getting, etc.) I’m due in November and already thinking of how that’s eventually going to work. Reason being, as I’m sure you remember from my comments on Mazzy’s sleep training, I insisted on sleeping with my parents until I was in 2nd grade. Yes, it’s hard to put that out there on the Internet, but there you go. lol. (In my defense, sort of – my parents got divorced when I was in kindergarten. I was an only child at that point and felt VERY insecure. I think that had a lot to do with it.)
So let that be a cautionary tale to all of the trolls and haters! May all of their children insist on sleeping in their beds until they are 8!
Alternatively, if you get any serious haters, you can send them to me. I used to work for Child Protective Services, and it’s a huge pet peeve of mine for people to basically compare things like bottle-feeding or cry-it-out to actual child abuse. If you want me to tell them some stories that will put things in perspective for them, let me know.
I finally broke down and sleep trained my son at 11 months after 11 months of crappy sleep for both of us. You have to do what is best for your the sanity and health of your family, and kids need sleep even more than parents do! Good for you for taking care of your family’s sleep needs in a responsible way. 🙂
Good luck! I know from experience that the first couple of days are the hardest but if you stick to your guns and to the routine they both should have it down by the end of the week.
My doctor told me to start at 4 months old, but he was worried about weight.
I guess I really lucked out with my boys. I have a 4 month old and a 19 months old and both of them go to bed at 8 with no problems. I can put them in their cribs, still awake, and come back 10 minutes later to sleeping babes.
I’m not trying to be insensitive but why wait so long? My little guys have been in their cribs since 4 weeks, sleeping 8 hours by 6 weeks, and all night by 8 weeks and it seemed like a natural progression.
I feel that I should comment here.
I have two children~ one is eleven and the other is 4.5 months. The first one co-slept with me. Mistake. It took me five years to get her out of my bed~ FIVE YEARS of interrupted sleep!!! I had to bribe her to sleep in her bed and if she didn’t wake me up for six days, she was allowed to sleep with me on the seventh day as a reward. Yikes!
Second child. Sleeps on her own. I sleep already. I do allow her to cry for about 15 minutes, go back in, put binky in her mouth~ she, then, conks out. Oh, can I tell you how wonderful it is to have that hour to myself~ and to be able to sleep through the night??? Ok, more to the point, she does wake up after 5 hours of sleeping but quickly nurses and goes right back to sleep. I don’t talk to her nor do I turn on the light.
Best of all~ she forgives me every time I have her cry it out. She still loves me 🙂
Stay strong, lady.
You’re doing the right thing.
(And even if you weren’t it’s no one else’s business.)
But you are.
🙂
I sat in the hallway outside of my daughters room and quietly cried while she screamed in her crib. Stayed strong and did not give in. One moment of weakness or one night of inconsistency and it sets you back to the beginning. It was amazing how quickly she started soothing herself and the crying was over or very minimal.
After they are completely adjusted it does not seem like a big ordeal at all. Just bedtime and that’s that.
Good luck, you are doing great!
Hang in there. My youngest is now 13. My kids didn’t share a room, but my oldest is autistic and had terrible terrible sleep problems until he was about 9. I was determined that my youngest would sleep well, our pediatrician recommended something similar. By night 3 he went to sleep with no crying and has been a great sleeper ever since. He isn’t scarred for life, and it was the BEST thing that he could put himself to sleep and relax on his own (he was 13 months when we did it). Hang in there!
Hang in there! Harlow will start to follow the new plan soon. We had a sleep coach help us when our daughter turned 6 months old… we had to rock her until she fell asleep (or again if she woke up while putting her down). She’s now 16 months and to this day, sleeping through the night is the thing she does best! She thrives on the routine, others have done it for us (grandparents) with the same success. She usually talks or sings or hugs her lovely now until fast asleep. 🙂
This couldn’t have been written at a better time. I’ve been getting so frustrated trying to pick who gets to go to bed first – my toddler (while I hold a sleeping baby until big girl falls asleep) or the baby (and big girl falls asleep WAY LATE in our bed. So putting them down at the same time? Brills. Just brills. I’ll try it tonight!
And as to the trolls – it seemed like it was just a handful of them that made sure they had something to say to each and every supporter of you, which were many. I don’t know how they think they’re advocating for anything with such a crappy attitude. Trusting your gut is very important as a parent, and if you think better sleep makes you a better parent, I think that’s way more valuable to a baby than being cranky, short-tempered, and emotionally volatile. We each have to do what’s best for our own family.
Good job, mama! And thanks for all of the tips!
My son is 8 months and often wakes up at night and if we put him in the crib totally awake by standing up. When you would go check on Harlow, would you leave her standing or help her lay down?
Did you initially let her get somewhat sleepy or put her to bed “wide” awake?
We tried sleep training last weekend and bailed early 🙁 But it’s time…he’s ready, now mommy just needs to mentally prepare! 🙂
What if during this sleep training, you train Harlow to be soothed by the sound of Mazzy’s singing and you teach Mazzy to sing soothing songs?
Genius, or would that fail miserably?
Congratulations!!! Bravo for sticking to your plan! I, along with you, would have been completely worried that the baby would keep the toddler up. Just think, once this takes hold, you might even have time to have a conversation with your husband in the evenings!
I wish I had been a little more conservative in what became my bedtime cabaret act. Songs! Books! A little soft shoe while we’re at it! 1 book and get the hell outta there!
I am so intrigued by this whole process! Our little man (13 weeks) is usually pretty good about conking out and staying out (when I nurse him to sleep, which usually takes about an hour). He still sleeps in our room (in a bassinet), but I know we’re going to eventually transition him into his own room/crib. It’s great to see your techniques and hear your victories (and struggles)…makes me feel less alone. You are awesome.
Here’s a question: are you night weaning at the same time?? I am desperate for more sleep. We got our 2.5 year old going down at 8pm on her own in her big girl bed and I am SO glad, but I just have the hardest time not getting up to nurse the 6 month old…
Sllep trained my daughter at 18 months- the Hardest thing I have ever done! Felt horrible when the first night she fell asleep standing up hanging over the side fo the crib took 2 days and she was going to bed on her own. She is 13 now and has beena great kid going to bed and getting up ever since. Don’t let the haters get to you- my kid was not scarred because I sleep trained her and I wasn’t either 🙂
WOW! Bedtime between 6:00 and 6:30? I need to talk to Erin. What in the…I say what in the sam hell are you supposed to do when you don’t even get home from work until 6:00 and can’t get dinner on the table until 7:00? Seriously…need advice here. Must find this Erin person or someone similar b/c we are in the same boat with two children sharing a bedroom, and one has the devil of a time getting to sleep on his own. You are awesome for doing this by the way, and I’m glad it’s working!
Someone just smack me. I didn’t read all the way through. That’ll teach me 🙂
When did you start using a blankie in the crib? I thought I had to wait til 1 year but I would love to do it sooner.
Good for you! I hope that you will have continued success…it will get easier!! -from someone who is mature enough to care about and support other mommies even though my views may differ!
Highly recommend a video monitor. It was pricey, but dh and I agree that it was money well spent. Both our boys mumble/cry out in their sleep, and I was completely waking them up when I’d check in on them.
It’s just a little blankie about the size of a cloth napkin. We started her with it at about three months.
I choose not to sleep train my son because it didn’t work on me . My mom is a pediatrician, I HAD to be an exception. totally depends on the kids and genetics. So, if you feel it will work for your girls you should totally try!
My son drops asleep every night on one condition: he needs exactly the same pattern and the same sleep hour. Then he is asleep in 5 minutes. I believe in the power of habits, so hang on there, when the pattern will become an habit they will sleep, they will.
Until then, sweet dreams and good luck!
so refreshing to hear someone go through this. My son has completely regressed and now I have to start to properly sleep train. I always give up! gah!
xx / http://www.hometohem.com
Is there a reason Erin specifically said to put Harlow in footed pjs or is that just what she usually wears? It’s hot where we live so I usually just put my baby in a onesie with light pants but I was curious if the footed pjs served a purpose. One other question, do you use any kind of white noise in their room? I did not sleep train my first 2 kids and they are still horrible sleepers, so I am trying to do things differently with my baby (5 months old) but it’s hard to not fall into old habits.
He shouldn’t have a mother like your skank ass!! He has your big ass nose, so he’s definitely half black. Even though you don’t like being black.
My daughters are 1 year 1 month and 1 day apart. I had them both in the same bedroom Whig was also my bedroom for the first 2 and a half years of my oldest’s life and 1 and a half years of my seccond’s life. CIO was something my father who I lived with tried. my kids would get so worked up they would throw up. I worked untill 11pm and got home at midnight so I had never witnessed it and it was not something I did on my Three nights off a week. but one night I got out early and saw what was going on and put a stop to it. My little baby had actually thrown up. he said “that’s ok she always does that.” I asked how long does this take? he said 3 hours atleast. I said no more. do you know how long it takes me 10 minutes. I said to them “I’m sleepy lets cuddle.” they would be excited and both snuggle up. 10 minutes later they were out. I could then either continue to let them sleep with me or move them. then I moved out. and I had my own room. I hated it. I couldn’t stand not being able to wake up and see them and see they were safe. So now 2 years later we are together again along with the new baby. They go to bed at 10 pm and wake up at 8 am. in their own bed now. but if they ask they can join me in mine. The baby is only nine days old so he sleeps in bed with me. which is what the pediatrician said was best for breastfeeding babies. but even if I didn’t have their approval he would be in my bed. he nurses every hour and a half. I can’t get up that often. I need sleep and that’s what I did with the two older kids. My kids are great sleepers. they stopped napping before 12 months and sleep for 10 hours straight at night. But they can’t sleep seperated. They have their own beds but they share my oldest’s bed and fall asleep holding hands. and they can’t be seperated. like they can’t sleep over at other peoples houses alone. we tried a few times. just one went to my dads and the other stayed home. they both cried and couldn’t sleep untill my dad drove the one he had home. so we have learned it is both or neither. either way Cry it out never worked for them. they got on a schedule through cuddling and bedsharring.
Emily, did you get an answer to this question? I have a 4 month old and she still wakes up every 2.5-3 hours to nurse. I would love to start sleep training her but have no idea what to do in the middle of the night when she wakes to nurse.
The most important thing when it comes to sleep training is routine. Once you have the baby used to routine everything else will fall into place.
Be it:
6:30pm Bath
7pm Botttle
7:30pm Story
7:35pm Bed
You will soon realise your baby will know come story time, that it is time to sleep.
Wow this would have never worked for me. I actually enjoyed rocking my children to sleep. I told them to come get me if they needed me every night until they moved out. Putting children to bed at 6 is way to early. How do they get time with working parents? My children would have only spent time with their father on weekends if they went to bed that early. Let them take a later nap and stay up till 9 or 10. You say you want your evenings with your spouse, I’m sure the children want time with you too after being at school or daycare all day. Don’t you miss them?
[…] 2. From a mother who actually sleep trained her second kid in the same room as the elder sibling: https://www.mommyshorts.com/2013/08/sleep-training-two-kids-in-the-same-room.html […]
We co-sleep with our 5 year old and 2.5 year old. Always have. We love it. I still breastfeed my 2.5 year old throughout the night. We are expecting our 3rd and i plan to continue co-sleeping. I couldn’t bare to let our kiddos cry themselves into exhaustion. Not to mention the negative effects of CIO.
My natural motherly instinct is to pick them up and hold them when my children are crying. I’m not going to ignore that.
Ah, sanctimoms (some of these comments slay me). We just started sleep training and it went surprisingly well. No crying. I was shocked. My natural motherly instinct tells me when momma and baby are well rested, we’re all happier 🙂
These sleep training posts just saved my life! I have a 22 month old and a 9 month old. They share a room and our oldest is a champion sleeper. But her younger sister is the worst sleeper ever. We have admittedly coddled her with her terrible sleeping habits but it has become unbearable. I did nearly every thing exactly as your consultant told you and it only took 3 check ins before not girls were out. THANK YOU for sharing this wisdom!
Question: When you are “checking” on them every 10 minutes….if they are standing or sitting are you placing them back down on their backs?
Thankyou, thankyou, THANKYOU for this post – my 9 month year old sounds EXACTLY the same as Harlow in terms of temperament and When her sleep routine flew out the window a few weeks ago, resulting in us rocking her around the room for up to 3 hours, twice a night (and she’s getting heavy!), your post inspired me to try sleep training with her – something I was previously too scared to do as she generally cries like she is being murdered and can keep going for hours!! This post helped me to see that contrary to being ‘mean’ or ‘damaging’, sleep training may just be for her own good. We’re on day 2 and tonight she only cried for 15nins before nodding off, compared to 2.5hours last night. You have saved my sanity and I truly believe Ava woke up a happier baby at 8am (yes 8am) this morning. Have I said thankyou yet? THANK-YOU!!
Hi!
Did this method end up working for you and your girls? I read your post (day 1,2&3) and was encouraged to try it with my girls who share a room. They are 6 months and 2.5 years old. And I feel like I have been in the same boat you where. We are in night two – my little one is having a hard time and it’s so hard to let them cry without feeling bad! But, like I said, you have encouraged me and I really am curious if this method did end up working for you. Thanks!
[…] None of the previous hacks seem to work? No problem! NYC-based Mom blogger Ilana of http://www.mommyshorts.com shared her experience with a sleep consultant in this three piece blog series. Check it out! https://www.mommyshorts.com/2013/08/sleep-training-two-kids-in-the-same-room.html […]
[…] Sleep Training with Two Kids in One Room […]
[…] 2. From a mother who actually sleep trained her second kid in the same room as the elder sibling: https://www.mommyshorts.com/2013/08/sleep-training-two-kids-in-the-same-room.html […]
Hi,
I realize this post is a few years old but I stumbled across it while googling tips for sleep training two kids in one room. My kids are (newly) 2 and 6 months. This was incredibly helpful and we pretty much followed your plan exactly. More than anything, this post gave us the confidence to go for it when it seemed so impossible- so thank you for sharing!