Crying it Out, Controlled Crying, Tough Love. No matter what you call it, it has worked (so far) on the Bridges' Boys.
Everything I've read said that it takes 3-5 days for them to realize that you aren't going to rescue/feed them every time they cry. It took us all 5 nights. Thanks to the kind words of my friend, Julie (see comment from previous post stating "you need to show them who's Boss") and Trent encouraging me not to rescue them, we started sleep training Friday night and here is how it went down.
Friday: Around midnight Brooks woke and cried for 50 minutes then fell back asleep. Soon after Jackson woke and cried/screamed for 2 (long) hours. We were all tired and cranky the next day.
Saturday: Both slept for 7-8 hours and didn't have to cry themselves back to sleep. I think they were so worn out from the night before.
Sunday: There was a little whimpering between 1:30 AM and 3:00 AM.
Monday: They both slept about 8 hour stretches.
Tuesday: Brooks slept for 11.5 hours. I never heard a peep out of him. Jackson slept for 8.5 hours, I fed him then he slept for 3 more hours.
It was glorious!
Sleep training has not only helped at night, but they go down a little easier at nap time, too.
All in all, it was less painful then I had anticipated. The first night was certainly the toughest for me, but each one got a little easier.
I'm sure there will be bumps in the road, but at least 8 hour stretches of sleep are way better than 4-5 hours. Fingers crossed they continue sleeping well. Hopefully, I didn't jinx it by posting about their accomplishment to soon!
