sleeping baby

Below is all you need to know about the four most popular methods of sleep training.

1. Ferberizing: Put baby down in crib. Let baby cry it out for 5 minutes. Go back in to soothe without picking baby up. Offer words of encouragement, maybe a belly rub and then leave again. Wait ten minutes. If baby is still crying at the end of ten minutes, go back in, belly rub, encouraging words. Wait twenty- you get the idea.  Next night wait longer periods of time.  Baby should be completely Ferberized in two weeks.

2. Weissbluth: Read a book called Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. Have no idea what he is talking about.  Try your hardest to find the page/program that pertains to you. Curse yourself for not having studied Latin. Look up Ferberize on the internet.

3. The Sleep Lady Shuffle:  Put baby down in crib.  Sit next to baby and offer words of encouragement, hold hand, belly rub etc. Do not pick baby up. Sleep in the room. Even though there is a crying baby in there. Next night put baby down. Sit in a chair in the hallway all night. Even though Project Runway is on. Sleep Lady Shuffle consists of 12 Challenge Steps to be done over the course of 30(!!) days.

4. Cold Turkey: Put baby down. Leave. Don’t go back. Watch Project Runway.

(Seriously- I read everything I could on this subject and cold turkey is the most effective and the least painful for yourself and the baby.  We did it at seven months, it worked in about three days and it’s the best gift I have ever given myself. And I promise, the baby will still greet you with a smile in the morning).

For a full account of my sleep training experience, click here.