We got a cot for Zeke a little while ago just before Christmas, and I have been doing the usual thing of rocking/nursing to sleep and putting him down in it. He has done quite well, and usually only wakes around 3am for a feed, at which point he comes back into bed with me for the rest of the night.
Anyway the other day we were both getting frustrated at each other (him: because he was overtired and fighting sleep me: because I knew he was tired & needed to sleep but wouldn't) and so I left him in his cot for a minute so I could get a glass of water and we could both chill.
He HOWLED for the first few seconds when I left, but as soon as the door was closed stuck his dummy back in and went to sleep in about 30 seconds! He obviously needed peace & quiet and me not bothering him anymore!
I thought it was a bit of a fluke since then because he's needed to be rocked to sleep ever since, but a couple of days ago I decided to try something different. I BF'd him till he was quite sleepy, and then popped him in the cot, awake but sleepy, gave him a kiss and left. I left the door open enough so I could see him but he couldn't see me. First he crawled up the other end of the cot to watch his fan spinning, then after a couple of minutes went back to the head end of his cot, put him dummy back in and went to sleep - ALL BY HIMSELF WITHOUT A WHIMPER!
I've been doing this ever since for every nap, and he's been laying down quietly and going to sleep! Sometimes he'll stay awake and play for a few minutes, but after all of that he always goes to sleep peacefully!
I can't believe he started doing this all of a sudden... no tears, no tantrums! (yet... heheh)
1 comment:
Isn't that just amazing? Lucy has been doing it for a few weeks now and it's sooo nice. My son NEVER did that (til he was like 3) so I didn't know what it was like!
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