I have had my 10 week old ds on EASY since the start. I make every effort to put him down still awake and not use any props to help him fall asleep. He takes a pacifier once in awhile but usually spits it out before he falls asleep. I have went back to swaddling even though he seems to hate it and struggles a bit, I think it helps him sleep better in the long run. Anyway, I have consistently done everything that Tracy suggests in promoting independent sleep and I figured by now he would be able to stay asleep longer. He has no problem falling asleep on his own but he always wakes up 45-60 minutes later. I have read a lot about the 45 m. naps and I see that extending awake time usually helps. But he shows me he's tired after about 1.5 hours of activity (includes feed) and I don't think he would play any longer. He begins to cry and I know he's done.
Anyway, my question is, at some point does all this sleep and nap training pay off? I feel like I spend so much time sitting next to the crib doing the pat/sshh and even though he may fall back asleep at some point and finish his nap, I can't imagine spending a little of each nap time doing this. Also, I am about ready to go back to work for a few days each week and I don't think his babysitter we'll be able to spend the time I do to extend his naps. I would hate for all of my work to be undone. I thought by now by being consistent and not giving up, he would be doing better. Sometimes I think I am trying to mold and manipulate my baby instead of just letting him be. My doctor says he'll work out his own schedule. So if he is still waking, maybe he is just done with his nap. Well, I've rambled long enough, just wondering if anyone else is feeling hopeless with sleep training.
One more thing, I read a post about someone who did the pat/sshh on their young baby and when the baby was old enough did the pu/pd method. If accidental parenting has not been used and I have been consistent from the start, why should I have to continue using these methods?
Thanks for listening.