The No-cry Sleep Solution (66 page)

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The No-Cry Sleep Solution

Ten-Day Prebedtime Routine Log

Baby’s Name: ________________________________________

Age: _______________________________________________

Date: _______________________________________________

How many days have you been following your plan? ______

Key:

Activity: active, moderate, or calm

Noise: loud, moderate, or quiet

Light: bright, dim, or dark

Activity

Noise

Light

Time

What we did

level

level

level

1. For the past ten days, approximately how many days did you follow your formal bedtime routine? __________________________________

2. Is the hour prior to bedtime mostly peaceful, quiet, and dimly lit? ____

3. Does your bedtime routine help your baby wind down and prepare for sleep? ____________________________________________

4. Is your nightly routine consistent, acting as a bedtime cue for your baby? ___________________________________________________

5. Is your bedtime routine relaxing and enjoyable for you? ____________

Revise Your Plan as Necessary Every Ten Days

219

Ten-Day Night-Waking Log

Baby’s Name: ________________________________________

Age: _______________________________________________

Date: _______________________________________________

How many days have you been following your plan? ______

How long

How long Time

How

of a sleep

awake; baby baby

stretch

How baby

what we

fell back fell back since fell

Time

woke me up

did

to sleep to sleep asleep

Asleep time: ___________________________________________

Awake time: _________________________________________

Total number of awakenings: __________________________________

Longest sleep span: ____________________________________

Total hours of sleep: _____________________________________

220

The No-Cry Sleep Solution

e

hang

Amount

of

c

ty

sy

orF da

e

hang

Amount

of

c

ty

sy

Thir

da

e

hang

Amount

of

c

y

ent

sy

da

e

hang

Amount

of Tw

c

s

n

y

eT da

trsFi log

s

ime

t

h

s

ime:

e k

enings

e

a

ak

umber

umber of

tal hour

N

of naps

Lengt

of naps

Bedt

Asleep t

Aw

time

N

aw

Long

sleep span

To

of sleep

This is a comparison of your logs. Fill in the times and the amount of change:

Revise Your Plan as Necessary Every Ten Days

221

Use this worksheet to examine your experience every ten
days:

During the past ten days, how closely did you follow your plan?

ٗ I followed all parts of my plan exactly for all ten days.

ٗ I followed some parts of my plan, but not everything.

ٗ I started out great, but reverted back to my old habits.

ٗ Plan? What plan? (Oops, better start over with Step One!) Have you seen positive changes in at least one area (for example: a fifteen-minute increase in naptime or sleep span; an earlier bedtime; a reduction in the number of night wakings)? _______

What areas show the most change? ______________________

Why do you think that’s true? (What have you done to influence this?) _____________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

What areas show the least change? _____________________

Why do you think that’s true? (What have you done to influence this?) ____________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

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The No-Cry Sleep Solution

What have you learned about your baby’s sleep habits over the past ten days? ___________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

What parts of your plan seem to be having the best influence on your baby’s sleep? _____________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

What changes do you think you now need to make? _______

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

How are you going to make these changes? _______________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

P a r t I I

Let’s Talk About You

Your baby isn’t sleeping all night, yet somehow he wakes up cheer-fully and bounces through his days with a joyful exuberance about life that belies any lack of shut-eye. You, on the other hand, may find yourself wandering about aimlessly in a sleep-deprived stupor, longing for that seemingly impossible night when you can stay snuggled in your bed—all night—without interruption. Even worse, you may be waking up on your own in between the baby’s stirrings, adding to an already frustrating situation. Many parents find that once their baby is sleeping soundly, they continue their
own
pattern of frequent night waking. If there’s anything more challenging than waking for your baby every few hours, it’s waking every few hours even when your baby is sleeping peacefully!

This section is about
you
. It’s about helping you to get back to a normal pattern of sleep. And it’s full of good news: By following these tips, you should be snoozing happily in no time.

The final chapter in this book is about keeping your sanity during this sleepless time. It will nudge you along in your journey toward balance and help you stay focused on the future. It will give you ways to ease your frustration and helplessness and strengthen your resolve to work through your baby’s, and your own, sleep plans right now.

Copyright 2002 by Better Beginnings, Inc. Click Here for Terms of Use.