Operation Sleep: The Preparation

As I'm sure I've mentioned (ad nauseum), Molly isn't a good sleeper. At the grand, old age of 15 months, Molly still wakes up 3-4 times a night. Previously, she'd nurse and go right back to sleep, so I didn't really mind the night waking. But, during the last few weeks she's started waking up and throwing baby fits about going back to sleep. As with Max, who also didn't sleep through the night until around 15 months, the sudden appearance of snotty nighttime behavior has pushed us to the point where Something Must Be Done. That and the fact that Dad and I want our bedroom back -- Molly has been sleeping in our room, since we were waiting until she was sleeping through the night (or close) before moving her in with Max. We thought we were close to evicting our roommate when she was five months old and started sleeping through the night ... but then she started cutting teeth and the whole sleep situation fell apart.

Max's main problem was the initial going to bed transition -- he was a pacifier baby and I don't think he was very good at self soothing. We ended up doing a kindler, gentler cry it out method with him. We were all miserable for about an hour the first night, 20 minutes the second night, 5 minutes the third night, and he's been a wonderful sleeper ever since. Molly, on the other hand, has no problem going to bed. You can plop her down in her crib at bed time, wide awake, and she'll stick her fingers in her mouth, roll over, and fall asleep. BUT, she is terrible about waking up at night and requiring Mama's presence (and a little nursing) before deigning to fall back asleep ... if she does. Lately it isn't unusual for her to decide to wake up at 4:30 a.m., demand books and play time, and refuse to go back to sleep. But, aside from the fact that Mama can't stand to let her little girl cry for long, we don't think the process that worked for Max will work for Molly. We thought Max was stubborn, but Molly is STUBBORN -- plus, she has an amazing set of pipes and incredible stamina.

So, now that Molly's teeth are virtually all in and Mama can't make excuses for the night waking any more, we've settled on this plan. I think it has the potential to be effective and appears to be Mama and baby friendly. So, I think tonight is the night that Operation Sleep will commence. Hopefully, in ten day's time we'll have a sleeping baby and a well-rested Mama and be wondering (like we did with Max), why the heck we didn't try it sooner!

To try to keep myself honest, I'll be posting daily reports to let you know how Operation Sleep is progressing. Just to pique your interest, this is what we'll be doing for the next three nights:

At any time before 11 p.m. (including 10:58) nurse to sleep, cuddle and nurse when she wakes up and nurse her back to sleep, but stop offering nursing to sleep as the solution to waking after 11 p.m.. Instead…..

When your baby awakens at midnight or any other time after 11 p.m., hug her, nurse her for a short time but make sure she does not fall asleep on the breast and put her down awake. Rub and pat and cuddle a little until she falls asleep but don't put him back on the breast. She must fall asleep with your comfort beside her, but not having to nurse to feel comforted enough to drift off.

During these first three nights, repeat this pattern only after she has slept. She might sleep for fifteen minutes or she might sleep for four hours, but she has to go to sleep and reawaken to get cuddled and fed again. At 6:01 a.m. [note: we're going to go with 5:01 a.m. instead, at least initially], do whatever you have been doing as a morning routine ...

It makes me a little nervous that the next sentence reads, "These will be hard nights." Wish us luck, because I'm sure we'll need it! Tomorrow I'll let you know how the first night went (after I've had a couple of cups of coffee). ;)