Our "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" Experience - Part 4, The Third Day

Today will be my last daily update, but I will follow-up with this at one week and one month to let my readers (I think now there are 6.... :D) know how it's going.

I was nervous about yesterday.  It was Atticus' 4-month well visit, and I knew he would be getting some shots.  The last time he got shots, he slept all day, and it threw everything off.  I didn't want a repeat in the middle of sleep training.  I thought of postponing our Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child experience a day to make sure I wasn't being mean to Atticus if he was in pain and crying from shot side effects.  Of course, pediatricians are nosy, and he asked how Atticus is sleeping.  I told him that we are smack dab in the middle of sleep training with HSHHC and that I was considering taking the day off.  His response was that 1- Before putting Atticus down, I would make sure all of his needs are met (clean, fed, medicated if needed, etc).  If he was in pain or bothered by fever or something, he wouldn't get into a calm, sleepy state, and thats when you're supposed to put them down anyway.  At that point, if he cries, it is ONLY because he does not want to go to sleep, NOT because of something else; and, 2 - It's never the wrong time to start good habits.  I found it really hard to argue with that one.

Michael wanted to spend the night on the boat last night.  I didn't.  Things were going so well at home, and I didn't want to throw something in the mix that would mess it up.  Unfortunately, I had told Michael what the doctor said about it never being the wrong time to start good habits.  We need good sleep habits on the boat, too.  Atticus has a pack and play in the saloon (the living room of the boat), so last night was spent there, but all naps were done at home.

7:55a - I thought he must still be asleep because I hadn't heard any noise coming from his room, but it was time to wake up to get ready to go to the doctor, so I went in to get him.  He was already awake and was giddy to see me.
9:10a - Atticus' well visit.  This doesn't have anything to do with his sleep, but I thought I'd put it in there in case someone wondered about it.
10:32a - Home from the doctor - nursing Atticus.
10:41a - Put in bed almost asleep.  I know that it's almost the end of what's supposed to be the first naptime of the day, but I'm trying to keep with the book's idea of 2-3 hours of wakeful time instead of scheduled down and up times.
10:46a - Of course he's fussing.  Today has been too easy up until this point.
10:55a - He's asleep.
11:02a - Nope, he's awake.  Little punk.
11:11a - Asleep again.
12:05p - I decide to wake him up.  We have a lunch date with daddy, and I want to leave time for the afternoon nap at a reasonable hour.
1:55p - Put him down halfway asleep.
4:02p - He's still asleep, but I'm going to wake him up.  It's okay to wake a baby when you're sleep training.
7:35p - We're on the boat.  Atticus is down in the pack and play. He was (by the looks of it) asleep when I put him down, but of course, he woke up as soon as I removed my hands from his body.
7:36p - He's crying.
7:43p - No more crying.  He's asleep!
2:20a - Awake.  He wants to eat.  It's amazing how much different this middle of the night cry sounds than the cry when he's protesting sleep.  I really feel like I can tell the difference.  I KNOW he's hungry.
2:33a - Back down.
7:41a - Awake for the day.  I guess he didn't fuss after I put him down a few hours ago.  I didn't hear any. :)

Today gets an A+.  I feel well-rested.  I can tell Atticus is well-rested.

I am glad I am following the HSHHC guidelines for sleep training.  I feel like the book is 100% worth every penny.

And for the skeptics out there who think that letting your baby cry to sleep will make them unhappy, socially awkward, or mess them up, here is a video of Atticus at the doctor's office yesterday.  If this is not a happy, well-rested baby, I don't know what is.




******* OH yeah, I want to add something - through this entire experience, Atticus has been put in his crib, on his back, in a sleep sack, with no pacifier or white noise.  He is truly learning to sleep on his own. *******