Don't Want to Jinx it

At the risk of jinxing it, I'm going to say that Elias has learned how to sleep again. Yipee! Thanks for all the advice we got (much of it not posted here). The first thing we did was take down his crib and put his mattress on the floor. Even though that made some things difficult, I think it was the right thing to do. He sleeps on a mat at school, and I think he needed the freedom to get up and move around. Now we just need to get him a bed.

We tried just about everything after that to get him to sleep...us sleeping in his room, closing our door (he slept in the hall, but not well), letting him sleep in our room on the floor (that didn't even last 10 minutes). Nothing was successful. Turns out compassion and sacrifice don't come naturally to me when I haven't been sleeping well.

I finally got the Richard Ferber book, "Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems" from the library. I had already decided Elias needed to sleep in his own room, so this book just gave me the steps I needed to get the job done. We installed a lock on his door (with our old house, the doors don't even close). The first night I went in at put him back to sleep a few times right away, them at 3 minutes, 5 minutes and he fell asleep before the 10 minute mark. Amazing! Every night since (with a small setback when Matt was back) Elias has only gotten better and better at falling (and staying) asleep. It sure seemed impossible just a few weeks ago.

We still have a few things to work on. I still lock the door because I barely get done saying goodnight before he is at the door with a little cry. Then he often talks a bit and finally snuggles up with his blankets on the floor by the door for a good night's sleep (although not very comfortable I would imagine). For some reason he doesn't want to be in his bed. At this point, it doesn't much matter to me. All that matters is that everyone is sleeping better at our house...knock on wood.