After months of trying to get Harper to "go down" and nap soundly, I finally decided that it was time for some sleep training. As much as I did not want to do this, it finally reached the point where it was absolutely necessary. Harper would only fall asleep in our arms, or in our bed and the process involved much crying, tossing and turning, protesting and a few bottles. When she would finally fall asleep we would move her to her crib where a few hours later she usually woke up shocked because she was no longer in the same place she had fallen asleep. I tried to start sleep training a few weeks ago while we were still at home with absolutely no luck. I now know that I was not paying attention at all to the signals Harper was giving.
I have found that the trick to successful sleep training is simply staying in tune to the sleepy signals that Harper is giving. When she is getting fussy and acting tired then it is time for a nap. She doesn't need to nap at the same time every day, which makes sense because every day holds different activities. The past few weeks when Harper started acting tired, I began our long intimate bed time routine. It consists of two or more stories, singing and snuggling. The precious snuggling time is the thing I will miss most about this little one falling asleep in her crib, so I need to make sure we still get that in. After the routine I lay Harper down in her crib and leave the room.
On the first few tries Harper would cry, protest and stand up. I simply went back in the room every few minutes, put her back down, gave her kisses and left again. Usually Harps would be asleep in the first fifteen minutes with a few exceptions when she cried for longer. My biggest fear was that she would feel abandonment, which is why I felt strongly that I should go reassure her every few minutes that I was still there and I still loved her. During this time I believe she was simply learning that it was night night time and her crib was the place she needed to sleep. After the first few days the transition has been virtually painless! The only time we regressed was when I failed to wait for the tired signals and tried to put her down too early. Harper now consistently goes down on her own with very little or no crying.
Although it was painful for a few days, sleep training has worked great for us. I think it is important for Harper to know that we will always be here when she needs us, but also that sometimes the steps to becoming a big girl will be tough (although worth it in the end). During the day Harper's attachment has stayed very healthy. She is continuing to be a loving yet independent child. We have made it past (hopefully) our toughest hurdle so far! Hooray!
