Sleep Rules

I read about Sleep Rules in "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" a while ago now. I can't remember if it was pre or post baby...strange that's how I've been marking time, all though now I honestly can't remember. Anywho, it's been on the list to post about the amazingtudeness of Sleep Rules for awhile now, because it works fantastically for us.

Pre Sleep Rules:
We'd do the routine: stories, song, bed. Jane would sit in her crib and talk and sing for at least an hour, usually more. Didn't matter what time I put her to bed, she'd still talk and sing for at least an hour. I did have the clarity of mind to enforce her laying down and we did put our foot down when she started kicking the wall. But my previous attempts to "help" her sleep had ended up in power struggles, so for a while, I gave up. I, of course, couldn't completely take a break until she was good and asleep. (strange how that is, eh?) When she did sleep, she never stayed asleep for much longer than an hour...

Post Sleep Rules:
We do the routine: stories, song, go over the rules, bed. Now Jane lays in her bed and, well, sometimes she does whisper to herself mostly she is quiet, for no more than a half hour before she goes to sleep. If she talks, sings, kicks the wall, etc, we take away Lammy. In the beginning, there was a treat/bribe involved if she took a nap. That was a good learning incentive but we don't do it anymore. She regularly sleeps 2+ plus hours for her nap and wakes up so much happier than before.

Nap Rules:
1. Be quiet (we clarify with "no talking, no singing, no whispering...")
2. Lay Down
3. Close your eyes
4. Go to sleep
5. Makes Jane a Happy Girl

She likes counting this off with her fingers, and there is usually a five-fingered tickle when we get to Happy Girl.

That's all. Nap Rules ROCK! She keeps getting better at falling asleep. And yes, it took a lot of taking away Lammy in the beginning. But we are doing fabulously these days. Knock on Wood