Our Week at Sleep School

I really didn't know what to think sleep school at Tresillian was going to be like.  I had heard stories about it and one only days before I was due to go so I was a bit hesitant and reluctant to go.  So much so, I nearly rang up and cancelled.  I am so glad I didn't though.  It was weird and strange but I {think} we had success.

I arrived on Monday morning with 3 other mothers and their babies.  Actually, there were 12 mothers all up but only 4 mothers in each ward.  We were the ward with the oldest babies.  Actually, Felix and another little boy were 16 months old and they were the leaders of the pack.  Well, suppose to be but Felix definitely was not the leader.  He missed his brother.  You could tell.  He walked around looking miserable and didn't like me leaving his sight.  All these strange people and not only that, they were making him learn to sleep without Mummy as the aid.

I kind of felt a bit lost to start with.  Not having one on one support that I thought I would have.  There was only 1 nurse to help all four of us so if every child was crying at the same time, she had to race around and spread  her wings.  After a while, Felix did kind of become their number one priority as he was hard work.  He listened to instruction very well but just didn't know how to get himself off to sleep.  The poor guy was in boot camp that is for sure as we had a number of issues and when I think about all his issues, he has really done well.

All the issues were:

1. Getting rocked to sleep
2. Feeding overnight
3. Taking a couple of hours to get back to sleep
4. Playing with boobs as a comforter when feeding or going back to sleep

I can happily report that we are still working on the sleeping through the night but he is not being rocked to sleep and he is not feeding overnight.  He still does number 4 but only when he is feeding and that is once in 24 hours.

Here is a blow by blow report

DAY 1
We arrived and met the other Mums.  Filled in all the paperwork and were shown our rooms.  For the day sleeps, we were all told to just do what we normally do at home to let the bubs feel a bit more at home.  So I rocked Felix to sleep.  {hopefully for the last time}.  7 o clock arrived and it was bed time.  It took me about 40 minutes to get Felix to sleep.  I needed assistance.  It was definitely not control crying and I was so pleased as I was not comfortable with this.  Felix woke overnight and it took 40 minutes for him to resettle.  However, we had the first night off and it was up to the nurses to do the resettling.  RESULT - No rocking and no feeding.

DAY 2
He only slept for 1 hour during the day and therefore by 7 o clock, he was ready for bed.  It took me only 10 minutes to get him to sleep.  He was the first one asleep and I was beginning to think this was too easy.  Oh was I wrong.  He woke 1 time overnight and it took me 1 hour to get him to resettle.  RESULT - No rocking and No feeding.

DAY 3
The days got progressively worse.  It took 40 minutes for me to get him to go to sleep.  Actually, I needed someone to help me get him to sleep.  I was hungry and getting emotionl and so tired.  I spent the evenings in my room and read and then fell asleep early as you live on little sleep.   Not only do you hear your child crying but also the other children.  Not that I heard much of the other children, Felix was the worst of them all.  I couldn't help to compare him with the other 16 month old but it was silly too as Felix's sleep issues were far worse before we went and the other little guy had been to Tresillian 4 times before.  Felix woke overnight and it took 1.5 hours for him to resettle.  RESULT - No rocking and no feeding.

DAY 4
The worst day of all.  It was hell in fact.  It took 2.5 hours for him to settle overnight and I was advised by the night nurse that perhaps I should consider having help at home so Felix was in his own environment.  She said he was too emotional and clingy to have positive results.  I can't afford to do this and was feeling really down.  Nothing would work to get him back to sleep.  If I left the room, he would get upset and if I stayed there, he would just lie down awake and not go back to sleep.  I guess he was worried, I would leave him.  I was outside his room in tears wondering what the hell to do and finally the nurses got him to sleep just by shhhing him and telling him to lie down.

DAY 5
Time to come home and god, I didn't want to.  Well, I did so we could be in our own home in our own bed with our own belongings but god, I was so scared of what to expect.  I thought I would put a mattress on the floor in Felix's room and sleep in there if need be.  That evening, he was hard to get to sleep but finally, I got him to sleep.  He woke at 4am and I struggled after trying to settle him down for an hour.  By this stage, all the sleepless nights were catching up on me so I went into Alastair and told him it was his turn.  Felix did exactly what he was told and laid down and went to sleep.  Score!

Every night since, Alastair has done the bed time routine and Felix lies down without too much of a fight.  He goes off to sleep within 20 minutes.  He does stir overnight but with a stern 'lay down and go to sleep', Felix does.  I can't believe it.  So all along, it has been me putting him to bed that has been the problem.  I guess for the last 16 months, he has been rocked to sleep and fed overnight so he is expecting that from me every time.

I feel like I am letting Felix down.  Being his Mummy and not being able to help him get to sleep.  The nurses told me Felix had a lot of issues to start with so he has come a long way.  I must admit, I am enjoying not having to get up to Felix through the night now as Alastair has that job now.  He can be the sleep deprived one.  Though we are almost there.  We just need to get him to sleep through the night.