By Claire Lerner and Rebecca Parlakian
I am trying to train my 5-month-old to sleep through the night, but when I let him cry it out, he keeps waking up my 3-year-old.
Many a parent has had the experience of waking up in the dead of night to a baby wailing and, shortly after, an older child calling out, “Mommy?”
Here are some ideas to help you make it through sleep training as well rested as possible:
Make noise. That is, provide white noise. The sounds will drown out middle-of-the-night crying for your older child. You can buy a white-noise machine, or simply run a fan in your older child’s room. Some families have found playing a relaxation CD works well.
Talk to your older child about what’s going on. Explain how her younger brother or sister is learning how to sleep through the night. Remind her that she knows how to get herself back to sleep when she wakes up. Make a plan together for what she can do if she’s awakened by her brother. For instance, she might closer her eyes, cuddle with her “lovey” and think about the story you read together before bedtime.
Don’t linger. If your older child wakes you up because her younger sibling woke her, go in and explain (in whispers) that her brother is crying because he’s having trouble falling back asleep. Don’t turn on any lights or do anything that may make her more alert. Let her know you are working on helping him get back to sleep, and remind her about what she can do to get back to dreamland. Then give her a kiss and be on your way.
Be patient. You may have not one but two cranky children for a while until your youngest is sleeping through the night. If your older child is more irritable, whiny or clingy, you’ll know why. Just think how tough it is for you to make it through the day on little sleep and you’re a grown-up who can order a cup of coffee! So hang in there, maintain a regular bedtime and nap-time for your kids, and someday soon everybody in your home will be sleeping tight.
