Sleep trainer? Post Reply

[Vanilla]

Hello,

I'm having a sleep trouble (having said, who doesn't!) with my 6 weeks old baby boy who refuses to sleep unless he is held. Having spent all nights sleeping upright holding him since coming back from the hospital, I'm devastated.

Although I think that it is probably too early to sleep train him, just to have any sort of hope in sight, I'm looking to seek help from a sleep trainer if the problem persists.

So I was wondering how it works - do sleep trainers actually perform sleep training eg. Stay at your home overnight letting a baby cry out or using any other methods, or do they just observe/do a consultation and make a plan for you? Also, can anyone recommend a good trainer?

I would really appreciate if someone who has any experience with a sleep trainer could give me some advice. Thank you!!

[emsken]

I can highly recommend katie palmer.... She is lovely and very good!!

http://www.infantsleepconsultant.co.uk/about-us/

[emsken]

Ps just having a night off the night Feeds Can do soooo much for you!!

[Blueshorthair]

I used Carol Mae, she was excellent and can tailor options according to your budget/age of baby etc

Google her website - Carol Mae Consulting

[Bensmum]

I used Hattie weeks and she came to the house observed what I was doing and helped my put in place changes that were fair and balanced in my view and within a week I had a little boy that finally was sleeping……she was amazing!

if you want contact details pm me and will give them to you though you can look her up on line. She is also local too.

Good luck

[Vanilla]

Thank you all!
Already feeling much better just by knowing that I can get some helping hands!

[SFMC]

My baby girl was like this - totally had the same problem and I thought I was going to go INSANE. Then a friend suggested the 'Love to Dream' sleep swaddle (a zip up pouch so very easy...I could never swaddle properly!). It was an amazing transformation...I could finally put her down to sleep and she stayed asleep. Something about being swaddled (and also her startle reflex did not wake her up). I wish I could still swaddle her.
Try it!
Good luck!

[hjm]

I can't recommend a sleep trainer, but just wanted to reassure that it will get better. My son was a terrible sleeper when he was very young, and after about 10 weeks of it I felt like I was going mad. It was horrible and miserable.

Some people were telling me 'oh it's only been 10 weeks' but 10 weeks without sleep is a very, very long time when you're living it. I used the Baby Whisperer book and he started sleeping through the night at 12 weeks. He's now a brilliant sleeper and sleeps 12 hours every night.

Good luck, it will get better

[Vanilla]

Thank you for your advice!

I already tried swaddling but he screamed I tried it only last week though so I guessed he just wasn't used to be swaddled and probably too 'old' to start it...

HJM, I had actually just ordered the book! Did you sleep train your son according to the book? I have heard about 'pick up and put down' method in the book but was afraid if my son was still too young for that... (Cant say much as I havent read the book yet) What do you think?

[Vander88]

Hi Vanilla,

As other posts have said it really does get easier. It is really tough when they don't sleep. My first only slept in our arms and even when I put her down when deeply asleep she would be awake within seconds screaming. At 8 weeks, getting pretty desperate, I sought help from a cranial osteopath who was brilliant and asked lots of questions and diagnosed her with silent reflux and advised to go see our GP. The diagnosis was confirmed and we were able to get her on the rights meds and sleep eventually came.

I would strongly recommend you go and have a chat with your health visitor and/or GP and rule out any medical reason why your lo isn't sleeping. I wish I had got advice earlier - I thought it was normal even though all the other NCT babes were sleeping beautifully, or so they said, in their moses basket...

Good luck! x

[susies]

Hi there poor you. Please know that there are any of us out there who have been or are going through exactly the same as you , so you are not alone. Getting a sleep trainer was the best thing that happened to me.

My DD was 6 weeks old and never sleeping, it was an absolute nightmare as she also had reflux and sleep was not a thing she would do, which made her always tired ,and this made her scream all the time!! I was at my wits end and then I found Heidi a sleep consultant/night nanny ( via NVN and recommendations) based in Northcote rd area.

She was amazing and within a few weeks ( doing two nights a week to give me a break before I had a breakdown!!), she had my little one in a night routine and before DD was 4 months,she got her into a routine sleeping from 7pm - 11pm and then thru to 7 am.
It is definitely down to Heidi's skills that this is happening she is truly magic and the one that got my little girl into a routine.

She is also a parent coach which I found so very reassuring especially when feeling so tired. Her calm and kind manner was just right and her wealth of experience speaks for itself. I thought it would be really strange having someone in my house, but Heidi has this amazing way about her that totally reassures and puts you at ease, and my DD loved her.

Get in touch with her, she will not disappoint. You also have a lot of other recommendations, so whomever you go with, be reassured that there are people out there who can help.

heidi@theparentandbabycoach.com

And Good luck x

[Hattie]

Thanks Bensmum! Hope you are well.

Vanilla - if you want to have a chat with me about this, do send me a message and we can take things from there. I can come for as little as 3 hours and that may be all it takes to give you some tips on how to help your little one settle on their own.

Sometimes the littlest of changes can make a world of difference.

[marypoppins]

I am available to help and have sent you a pm

[NoseyNoo]

Please don't feel that you need to go down the Sleep Trainer route. At 6 weeks old your baby is just not able to sleep through the night. No one can make your baby sleep through the night. Until about 3 months old, the babies brain is not even able to begin to process that night time = sleep, day time = wide awake.

Of course a sleep trainer can persuade your baby to stop making a noise at night time through helping them to learn that whatever they do, mummy and daddy won't come. It doesn't mean the baby is asleep or content and it will come and bite you on the bum around 4 months and then again around 9 months when separation anxieties will kick in and they will need to know you are there.

At this point it is more important to show your baby that you are there for them so that they learn to feel content in their own skin. It sounds like you are doing that really well at the moment so don't beat yourself up about it.

At around 12 weeks you could perhaps attend a Babycalm sleep workshop. We went to this lady: http://helenredfernbirthandbaby.wordpress.com/ but there may be closer BabyCalm teachers.

[marypoppins]

Sometimes the problems of a baby who appears to have problems sleeping are more about their care needs being misinterpreted or probkems such as colic or reflux making it difficult for them to settle. I take a holistic approach examining all aspects of care and behaviour and try to identify solutions. Babies can' t usually regulate their sleep before three months and any approach needs to respect their emotional needs.
Sometimes little changes can make a big difference.