When trying the Ferber Method should you start the bedtime routine at the same time every night?

Question

Our 9 month old daughter will only fall asleep at night in our arms. We would like to get her to fall asleep on her own in her crib, so we started the Ferber sleep method. Every night we do her usual bedtime routine of cereal, bath, and reading a book then lay her down in the crib. We usually wait to start the routine we she is tired making it at different times everynight. It's been a week now and there doesn't seem to be any improvement. Should we maybe start the bedtime routine at the same time every night?

Answer 1

Why why why would you want to do this at all?

Answer 2

Yes the same time each night because she is still dictating to you when she is going to bed you are in charge lol. She needs to learn how to get herself asleep in the crib first I would wait until she is sleepy then put her in her crib. Good Luck. Do this during her nap in the day aswell.Give it a month to work okay I know its hard but well worth the effort.

Answer 3

YES!! Good golly yes! It has to be the same time every single night, and the same routine every single night.

Thats not fair to ask her to learn to put herself to sleep at a different time each night, its like telling her to go some place and not giving her a map. Not fair. Her body produces sleep hormones on a schedule, if you dont keep a schedule you're putting her to bed either too tired so she CANT sleep, or not tired enough to sleep.

Beyond that, you can go in and shoosh her and pat her back a little when she gets so upset that she's crying uncontrolably. Better yet, put her to bed drowzy, nearly asleep, but not out all the way. This helps her learn that she can slip to sleep on her own.

I always put my son to sleep at night for bed time, after that, if he wakes up he's on his own. Its a great meathod for us. When he was very little I'd just go shoosh him, or rock him a minute until he settled, and put him down and pat his little back until he yawned and his eyes started to drift. Not totally asleep, but close.

Its worked for us since he stopped co-sleeping at 3 months.

Routine is the biggest thing, however you deal with it. Same time, same thing, every night.