Controlled crying update:

So, it's been just over a week since we started the whole controlled crying routine. Up until now it's been going really well. After just two nights of midnight wake up's Xander began sleeping through!

To say we was relieved was an understatement! The luxury of him sleeping 12/13 hours a night meant we have begun to get our evenings back! It's been lovely to sit and eat a meal with hubby and just talk! To catch up on all those programmes I have series linked but just never got around to watching! I've even managed to get some crafting done over the last few nights! It's been lovely and such a change to the five times a night wake up calls we was experiencing before!

Tonight however is the first night in about a week Xander has woken. We have been to a wedding today. (it was utterly beautiful!) but I think quite mentally exhausting for Xander. He was so fantastically behaved. He stayed quiet throughout the whole service and was very sociable with all the other guests (there were very few other children there so he received a lot of attention) but the day did affect his routine. He had to eat lunch earlier than normal (as the service clashed with his usual lunchtime) as a result he didn't eat much lunch. He then grazed until the serving of the wedding breakfast and then again ate at a time not usual to him. He lost his afternoon nap. He did sleep a little in the car on route from the church to the reception venue but it wasn't a lengthy nap. Finally we left at 7pm (after the wedding breakfast and speeches) and was home by 7.30pm but it did mean that by the time I prepared his bottle and changed him into his pjs he still went to bed later than usual. All of this I think has affected his sleep tonight.

He's been awake about 40 minutes now. I'm religiously sticking to the routine I have put in place, but he's being stubborn! I'm tired... I know he's tired. I'm determined not to give in. I know he can fall asleep on his own. I know he can do it! It would be so easy to give him a milk feed and cuddle him
In until he drops off but I know that's just a momentary fix. I'd just have the same fight on my hands tomorrow night.

I'm putting this night down as a blip! I really hope it is. It's been going so well but I guess everyone has a bad nights sleep every once in a while!

Anyone else had experience of this after a busy day? I'm guessing it's normal?!

Controlled Crying Progress

A couple of nights ago I posted on here discussing my decision to start using the controlled crying technique with Xander. He was waking a lot, often for no apparent reason - apart from possibly his teeth playing up.

Well the first night was successful. He woke up once. I eventually settled him down using the Jo Frost (Super Nanny) technique. Once he was back to sleep he slept through until morning!

So confident I was with this progress I tried it the next morning for Xander's nap and low and behold within 2 minutes he was asleep in his cot and had a nice long nap waking up in a lovely mood!

That evening I tried the technique again and it worked perfectly! In fact he slept all night! 7pm - 6am, he then went back to sleep until 8.30am! Bliss!

That takes me up until tonight... Night 3. He went to sleep well. But now he's awake. I'm working through the controlled crying progress and it's taking a while tonight. He's not screaming anymore, just murmuring a lot so I'm hoping he's started to settle but he's squirming around a lot tonight and I don't think he's going down without a fight. I suspect his teeth are giving him jip. His cheeks are rosy red. I've just got to be strong. I'm
Sitting outside his door and have two more minutes before I need to go in and settle him again...

So I have just gone it and 'settled' him
and now he's screaming again! I really hope he settles down soon. I just need to stay strong and remember this is for his own good! Thank goodness for facebook, twitter, pinterest and blogging during times like this! All of which are occupying me during the intervals.

About 28 minutes in: Xander has really started to settle now. I'm still sitting outside his door. There's long periods of silence then a bit of murmuring, but I think we're getting somewhere! The cats sleeping next to me in his bed and snoring away, hubby is upstairs in bed...I'm just so tired I need sleep!!

30 minutes in: I'm due to check him in 2 minutes time. He's settling down now. And then I go and have a huge coughing fit outside his door and he's crying again!!! Nooooooooo!!

I go downstairs get myself a glass of water. Compose myself and give myself a talking too. I must be strong! Remember why I'm doing it! I'm the boss! I'm in charge! I come back up stairs and do my check. He's asleep!!

Off I dash to bed! Fingers crossed this is the only wake up of the night!!