We just put Eve down for her afternoon nap. Yes, that’s right, we didn’t have to wait for her to collapse from exhaustion in front of The Wiggles as we used to do, we simply walked upstairs with her, placed her in her cot and she went to sleep all by herself. Not only does she perform this miracle during the day, she also does it at night!
We just put Eve down for her afternoon nap. Yes, that’s right, we didn’t have to wait for her to collapse from exhaustion in front of The Wiggles as we used to do, we simply walked upstairs with her, placed her in her cot and she went to sleep all by herself. Not only does she perform this miracle during the day, she also does it at night!
You have to understand that I didn’t think this was ever going to happen. Even when we decided to try the Supernanny method it was with gritted teeth and a sense of fatalism. It may have worked for millions of other children but not Eve, no way was she going to go for such a simple idea. We thought that at the very least we were in for weeks, maybe months of crying and screaming and hours of sitting on her bedroom floor while she stretched her arms through the bars of her cot whimpering “Meeeeem!”
Turned out the whole process took a couple of days. The first night she cried for about 15 minutes when she was first put into her cot. Matt had to get up to her twice that night and the next. But by that time she was going to sleep with very little protestation. By the third night she didn’t even cry. When Matt stood quietly to leave the room she looked up as if to say “Oh, are you still here?” and then put her head back down. Since that night she has slept right the way through from 8:30pm to 8:30am and I have become reacquainted with normal sleep. The kind that lasts a whopping 8 hours or more. No more do I dread going to bed even though I’m exhausted to the bone because I know that in 2 or 3 hours I’ll be up again. Also no more late night feedings which means we are down to just two feeds a day and well on the way to Eve being weaned. I’ll actually have my body back!
One, two, three…what am I counting? Oh, just my chickens, but I don’t care…I’m going to enjoy this for as long as it lasts.
10 replies on “What A Difference Two Weeks Makes”
Congrats! I have no kids–but I have worked with many and know that the efforts to make that kind of change are not small. Glad you are reaping the benefits!
Sounds like a result. Expect your blog quotient to soar now that you’ve had lots of sleep!! (I don’t know what my excuse is)
Good for you. Our first child Amy was really tough to get to sleep. She loved sleeping in the car so we often resorted to driving around at 3.00am in dressing gowns (with odd looks from drunks walking home) and then gently putting her back into the cot…with mixed results!
BTW – Eve looks gorgeous and you are a great photographer.
For a non-parent who takes notes during supernanny, I am glad to hear it works – but I reckon you’ll be sent to the naughty chair for photo-shopping the supernanny!
Thanks for all your comments,
Sophie: Yes, the effort to make the change was actually the hardest part. Once it was done it was easy!
Paige: Yes, I have no excuse anymore. I really must find a new one 😉
John: I’m sure you would have gotten no funny looks from other parents. Eve spent her first 6 months only sleeping in her carseat. It didn’t need to be in a moving car but it got a bit ridiculous. Thanks for the compliment about the photos, I have a good subject.
Aoife: Yes, it works, she’s a saint. I promise, I didn’t photoshop her, that’s her in all her glory.
How cool for you! I love to watch Supernanny, and so much of her advice seems so practical and useable in a normal parenting situation. Now she’s got even more credibility with you as proof that her techniques work!
Your photographic work is actually quite good. It encouraged me to start experimenting with Flickr, it’s a good facility.
BTW I’m starting a debate on Comedy – what people find funny, not funny etc….see my John of Dublin link or http://earthanduniverse.blogspot.com
Would love everyone’s views.
John
Hey there just a flying visit! I’ve had to change my url for technical reasons! It’s now http://www.trixibelle.blogspot.com if you want to keep in touch!
Oh and well done!
Thank you so much for posting this topic! I was just searching for “supernanny sleep” and found your page. I now feel a glimmer of hope for our sleep situation. My son is 13 months old and sleeping has been a nightmare from day one. We had him down to one to two breastfeeding sessions a night but at 7 months old, we had to move across the USA and it all went to hell then. Last night, we were up 6 times in 10 hours – my son has one heck of a temper if I don’t give in to nursing. I am so sleep deprived, I was doubting my ability to do any sort of sleep training whatsoever until reading your blog. I want to wean badly (he only nurses 1-2 times during the day but the night is awful) but haven’t had the strength to do it. I’m so glad this worked for you a couple of years ago and am hopeful it will work for me – I’m desperate!
Chrissy, I know what it’s like to feel that desperation, at the time I thought it was never going to end and I’d never sleep properly again. It will get better though and I’m happy to say that Eve is a great sleeper these days. I think that’s all I really wanted to know back then. If you give this a go I hope it works for you as well as it did for us. Another book I found helpful was Elizabeth Pantley’s “No Cry Sleep Solution,” although it was Supernanny who really helped in the end. We had a few relapses along the way but once you know it’s possible it makes the relapses a lot easier to handle. Good luck and thanks for taking the time to comment on the post!