There is a reason why sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture. Getting your baby to sleep is one of the most challenging parts of being a new parent. Good news is there are tons of resources.

COLLECTIVE WISDOM

On sleep training

“My advice would be to try to slowly cut your [putting kids to bed] routine down and try to work your husband into it. I would start, have him come up and then I would finish with a kiss. It has helped. I’m sure it’s hard working so late because you feel like you barely see your kids. I get it. Tonight was a rare night i got to play with mine and not spend the whole night doing chores and cleaning. Working full time and being a mom is hard. I will tell you, don’t feel guilty paring your bedtime routine down. I have learned my kids will stall as much as possible if I let them."

“It [sleep training] was the best decision we made. I know it's controversial but my daughter adjusted quickly and I honestly couldn't have continued to successfully do my job with the level of sleep deprivation. An added bonus was that our daughter was happier in the mornings once she started sleeping through the night. We did the sleep sense method and it was a lifesaver.”

“We didn't ‘sleep train’…we eliminated the middle of the night nursing session by sending the hubs in with a bottle of water. Pacifiers weren't an option no matter how many times I forced them on him. [He] would suck the bottle for a minute and go back to sleep. After three nights, he realized the water wasn't worth waking for? I don't know really, but it was lovely.”

“I figured that a couple of rough nights with lots of crying would ultimately save tears and sleepless nights down the road, so you all come out ahead…I turned the volume way up on the TV and tried to avoid looking at the monitor.”

“I want to offer that you are also free to decide *not* to sleep train. Our LO had a terrible 4 month sleep regression. But we decided Ferber (or Ferberish) wasn't for us after trying a few nights of it. By about 5 mo, he was sleeping through the night on his own. He's now 8 mo and sleeping through the night and goes down most nights without any crying at all. Do what is right for you and don't feel like you have to follow any one path. You're allowed to make that decision.”

“My kiddo didn't really crawl until he was 11 months and then didn't walk until almost 17. He's a totally normal, active kid, but just wasn't ready...too busy talking. Since he was the first, I freaked out, especially when our pediatrician suggested early intervention. All was fine and now, with kiddo #2, I'm trying to get him to slow down because, naturally, he's doing everything earlier than his brother. Don't worry too much (easier said than done)...enjoy this time of immobility.”

“We did Ferber with my first son…and after 4-5 bad nights (that got better and better) he's slept 11-12 hours since. It was life changing. Remember, they're safe, they're going to be ok (and so will you) and they want to sleep too!! Trust your gut if you think it's not the right time, but I can assure you it's worth it!!!!”

“It is so worth it! We are three kids in and I don't know how are survive if we had difficult sleep schedules. It does work, it does get better and it's so worth it. I love the sleep site, Precious Little Sleep. So helpful and hysterical!”

“I basically did Ferber. Went in at increasing intervals (3, 5, 8, 10, 10, etc...) Never longer than 10 minutes -- that was the most I could handle. I patted and soothed for a minute, no picking up. After a minute or so, I left, even if he was still crying. The first night he finally fell asleep after about an hour. Then shorter each subsequent night.”

“If [you have] the money, I would suggest investing in a sleep consultant to look at her particular situation, or a night nanny. If the money is not there, I would recommend trying to pool it together from family and friends if possible.”

“We waited until 7 months when I hit a breaking point and couldn't function at work given the sleep deprivation. After crying for nearly two hours the first night, she only cried 20 minutes night 2, and 15 minutes night 3. And then she slept peacefully from night four on. There will be setbacks (sickness, teething, travel, etc.), but hang in. It is good to have something you know works and can go back to. This is the toughest time…it makes a big difference for the whole family once everyone is getting good sleep. The motivation for me was thinking ahead and realizing if I didn't get a good hold on it now, I would likely have a toddler with sleep troubles. And that would be much tougher to fix.”

"Just remember to do what ‘feels’ right for you."

on transitioning out of crib

“If crib is working, keep it going! We converted [child’s] crib…because she was climbing out but it has been hellish ever since. She’s up 10+ times as we try to put her down to sleep, and then up 2-3 times during the night. Basically, every time she wakes up at all and would usually chill in her crib, she now hops up and runs into our room. We just ordered a crib tent and are considering going back...”

Just leave him [in the crib] as long as you can. You’ll know when he’s ready to switch.”

“We converted the crib to a toddler bed before [child] turned two because he was climbing out of the crib and we didn't want him to get hurt. He freaked out that first night because he thought his bed was broken! Total parent fail on not preparing him for the change but he got used to it within a few days.”