Staying in the room until they are deeply sleep???

[Mazakon]

Hello! I started using Baby Whisperer techniques on my 8 month old 3 nights ago to get her to sleep in her cot after teething problems resulted in co sleeping and feeding back to sleep about 8 times a night. We are seeing success already and have actually only had to PU/PD a few times. We are settling our baby with our hand and our voice and the times are getting shorter, but it can still take up to 40 minutes before she is deeply asleep. My understanding from reading the book was that we had to stay with her until she was deeply asleep, however one of the success stories I read on this talked about making sure you leave the room when their breathing is regular but they are not asleep so they fall asleep on their own. If this works it would be preferable to staying with her to the end.

Can anyone clarify what we should do?

Many thanks

Maz

[anna*]

It all depends where you are in the process. In the beginning, when you're first teaching independent sleep (either because LO is very young or because they've been relying on a prop (etc) up til now), you stay with them til they're asleep. But, gradually, you 'help' them less and less and withdraw your presence until you reach the ultimate goal, which is to be able to put them down in their cot awake, and leave the room, and they will get themselves to sleep.

You could try stepping away from the cot a little further each night until you are in the doorway, then closing the door!

HTH

anna
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