Sleep Training Captains Log, Chapter One

Stardate -309798.87576103513

Today is the day I cave and try Ferber's "controversial" (yet ever so popular) sleep training technique per his updated book "Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems".

Ferber is one person I decided had to be the meanest "expert" on earth.  Like many, and before Zuul was even a glimmer in my eye, my opinion didn't come from reading his literature, attending his seminars or talking to other parents that tried his technique; no.   It came from the one time I watched "Meet the Fockers".  I had made up my mind I would never, ever be so cruel to ferberize my child. 

Weary, and desperate for a date night, here I am. 

I have to admit, for all my earlier convictions, a small part of me is hoping the Ferber method fails so I can feel right about my early parenting decisions.  Of course, my desire to get at least 8 hours of sleep myself and for Zuul to start getting the proper amount of sleep she needs trumps the need to be right.  I'm not that petty.  Ok, maybe just a little petty.  Juste un petit peu.

We're starting with the 3-5-10 minute waits between cries today, and I've also got the double whammy of trying to get her to disassociate booby time with falling asleep.  Per grandpa's sage advice, but against Ferber's, I'm starting it at her first nap.  The hope, if you can call it that, is that, if she doesn't fall asleep during her naps, by bedtime she'll be so tired that she'll sleep through most of the night.  Sound's good.  WHAT COULD GO WRONG?!?!

It started as expected.  I went in for my first two-minute visit to her after 3 minutes of crying, and I listened to her cry herself hoarse.  "Please don't puke." is now my mantra.

I already heard grandma asking what's going on and grandpa upstairs saying "she's sleep training".  "Oh.", grandma says compassionately.

At least they've got my back.  I know others that are in similar endlessly temporary living situations have not been so lucky with their in-laws.

I just get back to the den from my second visit at the 5 minute mark and they both come down to visit me. While the heavy crying (Oh, mighty Thor, please don't let her puke.) is killing me, they are keeping me distracted by telling me their war stories.  I explain my plan to just go get her if she's still screaming at 10:16 a.m., which would mark the 10 minute wait and the 1/2 hour limit to trying to get her down for naps (another Ferber thing).  By 10:12 a.m., she has stopped  crying and is catching her breath.  By 10:25 a.m., silence.  I dare not go in to see if she's really sleeping or if she's managed an escape out the window.  For a 10 month old  who's not walking and just grasping standing while holding onto things, this would be an amazing accomplishment, so I'm going with sleeping.

Could I be so lucky?