Sleep Training

I know that I have said a few times about not sleeping through the night. Logan wakes up about 2-3 times a week and comes in our room. Charlie wakes up NIGHTLY and heads into our room too. And if those two are not enough to make you get black circles under your eyes, there is also me who just cannot stay asleep because of pain/numbness etc.

Then Charlie started screaming and crying in the night without even being awake. Night terrors from what I can conclude between my Twitter Mom friends and Mr Google.

This week it hit me. I am DONE. I need to get Charlie better and sleep through the night. It is for her own good and my sanity. Maybe my husbands sanity too, maybe. And so it began. Sleep training for the seven million time with her.

Like I said, we have tried before but she just would not break. It was draining to hear her cry for hours. Draining to our spirits and my Mommy heart. So we gave up. Many times, we just let her fall asleep in the living room or with us.

Charlie had her crib made into a toddler bed but it was not working with night time. So we turned it around so that she cannot get out. Once she is completely trained, we will turn it back around again. 

Last night we started the sleep training again. We had already had a pretty normal bedtime routine. (Dinner, baths every other night, kids play time/tv time/story time, wind down and bed) We switched it up and began a slightly different routine. (Dinner, play time, baths, tv show, story time, bed) Last night was a bit hard but Charlie only cried on and off for an hour. I took that as a success and we did it again tonight. She only cried on and off for 30 minutes tonight. WIN! It is working.

We started to sleep train Logan at about this age too. He goes to bed now with his big brother since they share a room. He is usually not an issue with going straight to bed. They watch another show and chat for awhile and then go to sleep. Some nights they read, play on the Ipod and Iphone, or play a game. Whatever it takes to wind them down, they do it. And it works. No messing with them!

I will keep you all up to date on our progress but if things keep going the way they are, then I think we will be done training by the weekend! I needed this as much as Charlie did. I thrive on routine and apparently, so does she :)