Sleep training

The idea of sleep training seems absolutely ridiculous. Sleeping is one of the most natural human functions, as it allows our bodies to rest, recuperate and rejuvenate. Why then, do babies need to be trained on how to do such a simple and natural function?

A few years ago, my BFF and I went on a European cruise together. On one particular evening, as we were getting ready for dinner (dinner was served at 6pm) I told her that I wanted to take a short nap before dinner. She looked at her watch. "Now? It's 5:40." It was perfect, I told her. 20 minute nap to rejuvenate and then we'd be off to the dining room. She looked skeptical as I lay my head down on my pillow.

20 minutes later, when she woke me up, she looked at me with complete amazement. "I don't believe how quickly you can fall asleep. You were literally sleep breathing within a minute or two of laying your head down." I wish my son had inherited this ability.

By day, Corwin couldn't be an easier baby, especially for first time parents. He's very agreeable and rarely cries. When we're out, strangers are always commenting at how serious and quiet he is. At night, when we're all alone, Baby Hyde comes out. He's obviously tired as he rubs his eyes and yawns. He avidly nurses, closes his eyes and appears to be falling asleep, and yet he doesn't. An hour and a half later of writhing, screaming, sighing, babbling, crying, blowing raspberries and just testing out his lungs and how loud his voice can be, he eventually, very angelically, closes his eyes and falls asleep. That moment is absolutely blissful. So, perhaps the key is to just make his bedtime later? Ah, yes we've tried that too and that doesn't work either. By that time, he's even crankier because then he's overtired.

The gazillion of sleep training books suggest putting the baby down to bed when they are tired but still awake. I have to admit that we did this often in the beginning and Corwin always slept fine on his own. It didn't appear that Corwin would need any sleep training and that he did inherit our love of sleeping. When he turned 7 months, that's when he found his alter ego, Hyde. Conveniently, this is also the age in which sleep training can be least effective, says one book. Developmentally, they have so much going on that trying to sleep train can be futile. GREAT! So we've been waiting it out for the past few months and we have one month left before we can attempt sleep training - which I'm sure will involve many nights of tears, crying, screaming, blowing raspberries in frustration (him not us) and ear plugs all in the hopes that one day he will be able to go to bed, lay his head on his pillow and within minutes we'll hear that blissful sound of sleep breathing.