If you have not already done so, please read Blog Posts 1 through 5 that describe how sleep is important and beneficial. I will post specific information for parents and children based on my book, “Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child.” Please do not be put off by my book’s length. This is a reference book. Read only the topic of interest to you.
Anyways, here’s my “sleep adventure” narrative with Hadley: By 2 months old I had already accidentally created a very overtired baby with a too late bedtime. So by 3 months old we worked on sleep training with Dr. Weissbluth by reading his book and communicating with him over his website. After some weeks of very early bedtimes and extinction method sleep training our daughter we had an amazing sleeper! She self-soothed and could sleep up to 14 hours a night without even waking to feed by 4 months old. She seemed to love sleep and thrive off of our new sleep schedule. That was many months ago. She is now 21 months and still loves to sleep! She now goes to bed at 6:30/7pm and wakes at 7:30/8am. In fact she often tells us that she wants to go to sleep during the day. She makes the sign language sign for “bed” by putting her palm against the side of her face and says “nigh nigh”. She then grabs her favorite stuffed animal and lays down on the ground or rests her head on the couch or coffee table. One time when she was only 1 year old she even surprised us at her grandparents’ house. She normally has so much fun there that her naps can be delayed but one day when we were visiting she stopped all playing, stood up and started walking to the room where her crib had been set up, while making the sign for “bed”. We all watched as she silently walked away from us and down the hall, clearly ready for her nap! Sometimes she is still an emotional toddler that doesn’t think she wants to nap but we know how beneficial it is for her so we place her in her crib (even if she’s crying for us to come back) and by the time the door closes to her room she is silent and she has already laid down to sleep! Lately when this happens she’s been taking her longest naps ever from 12:45-4! Sleep is such a gift to our children and our families. Thank you Dr. Weissbluth!
