Sleep Update

I’ve been implementing our new sleep plan for over a month now and have seen some positive results. We are in the midst of a major sleep regression (have been for the past week), but other than that things are showing improvement.


1. Bedtime. Routine will slightly be modified to boob, bath, book and then put in bed drowsy but awake. We will allow slight fussing/crying for no more than 5 minutes after being put in their respective co-sleeper and pack n play. (Still sleep in our room- planning to do this until at least 6 months old.) After 5 minutes, we’ll return to the room and soothe/calm the child that is crying and leave again. Why 5 minutes? That’s about all the crying I can handle at this point. Plus, I hope that it will help them figure out how to fall asleep on their own.

Results: tried the new routine and the bath woke them up when it was done after the feeding, so we went back to the bath, boob, book routine. They are both falling asleep on their own when put down at bedtime now. Ragnar still wakes up 30-45 minutes after being put to bed. We sometimes let him fuss/cry and then soothe and other times soothe right way (we’re very inconsistent with it) depending on how fussy Magnus was during the day and if he’ll be awoken by the fussing.

2. Night waking. I believe that both Magnus and Ragnar are capable of going longer than 2 hours without being nursed. I KNOW they are capable of it. If it has been less than 3 hours since eating, I plan on soothing them back to sleep without nursing them. If they are still fussy/crying and not calmed, then I’ll nurse them. But I won’t automatically assume that they need food each time they wake at night.

Results: This worked beautifully up until last week. Last week they started waking and screaming until being fed. Some nights they are up every 2 hours, other nights every hour and then one random night last week they only got up once. I don’t know if we’ve hit a growth spurt, they are coming down with something or it’s just teething. They both have two bottom teeth that are visible beneath the gum line, so it could be that.

3. Naps. I think our problem is that I’m keeping them awake too long during the day. I’ll keep a better eye on the clock and on Magnus & Ragnar to see when they are showing tired signals. I’ll try to keep them to napping every 2 hours or so for now. I will put both of them down for naps IN THEIR CRIBS each naptime. I will employ the 5-minute cry method and then soothe them. If one falls asleep and the other does not then I’ll keep trying to soothe and get that child to sleep, but if after 1 hour the child isn’t asleep, I’ll get him up and play with him until he shows tired signals.

Results: I’ve had GREAT success with naps. They are still taking short naps, but most days they are coordinated. Our routine is that they are up for about 1 ½ hours and then the sleep for 45 minutes to 1 1 /2 hours and then up again for 1 ½ hours etc. The one day that naps get thrown for a loop is Sunday, which is when we are at church for 3 hours in the morning, so they don’t get a great nap or nap at the same time. I’ve also been paying attention to their tired signals and trying to put them down for naps at the start of it, which has helped them both fall asleep more quickly.

I'm hopeful that if I stick to the sleep plan/strategies that have worked then my boys will become better sleepers both during the day and the night.