...just wanted to post a positive story on STTN. So those of you with babies who aren't yet sleeping through the night, this post MAY scare you because my dd is THREE, but it's intended to tell parents IT WILL HAPPEN!!
And...it may not happen very quickly. Last October DD slept a 10 hour night for a few nights in a row after years of waking every 1-3 hours, sometimes she'd get 5 hours in. Those 10 hour nights seemed happened when we were on vacation and the room she was in was SO COLD, like 55 degrees! I couldn't believe it, but realized keeping the room under 60 degrees helped her sleep (we'd been keeping her room at 63). It then happened randomly...still waking anywhere between midnight and 5 AM.
But BEHOLD!!!!! The last two nights she slept 11 hours, waking at 7 AM!!!. Granted, I don't sleep very well since I'm so used to cuddling up to her all night (and DH snores!!) but, YAY for my DD. There have been two other changes recently.
1) she's been waking up dry the past two weeks and wanting to pee in the potty upon rising.
2) I've been drawing a hard line at dinner and when she gets down from the table she's "done". (We used to let her eat dinner all through the evening and even during bath time.) Now, after bath she gets a snack (cheese and crackers).
and for a while we've been:
3) keeping her room 58 degrees in the winter.
I think holding her pee and a fully belly are key...and a cool room.
BTW, we still nurse at night, we're doing child led weaning and that's going well, too!
She's been waking up sad that I haven't been with her all night, but I try to explain to her it's natural as she's growing older her body wants to sleep all night and that I'm right there for her no matter what.
Good luck mamas! The sleepless nights will end. Enjoy those wakeful nights as much as you can, because just after two nights of STTN I'm a little sad, too!
And...it may not happen very quickly. Last October DD slept a 10 hour night for a few nights in a row after years of waking every 1-3 hours, sometimes she'd get 5 hours in. Those 10 hour nights seemed happened when we were on vacation and the room she was in was SO COLD, like 55 degrees! I couldn't believe it, but realized keeping the room under 60 degrees helped her sleep (we'd been keeping her room at 63). It then happened randomly...still waking anywhere between midnight and 5 AM.
But BEHOLD!!!!! The last two nights she slept 11 hours, waking at 7 AM!!!. Granted, I don't sleep very well since I'm so used to cuddling up to her all night (and DH snores!!) but, YAY for my DD. There have been two other changes recently.
1) she's been waking up dry the past two weeks and wanting to pee in the potty upon rising.
2) I've been drawing a hard line at dinner and when she gets down from the table she's "done". (We used to let her eat dinner all through the evening and even during bath time.) Now, after bath she gets a snack (cheese and crackers).
and for a while we've been:
3) keeping her room 58 degrees in the winter.
I think holding her pee and a fully belly are key...and a cool room.
BTW, we still nurse at night, we're doing child led weaning and that's going well, too!
She's been waking up sad that I haven't been with her all night, but I try to explain to her it's natural as she's growing older her body wants to sleep all night and that I'm right there for her no matter what.
Good luck mamas! The sleepless nights will end. Enjoy those wakeful nights as much as you can, because just after two nights of STTN I'm a little sad, too!
