Verbal Reassurance or Sleep Easy Solution

I was wondering who has tried this and how it worked out for you?

Am considering starting this with my 13mo as she's still waking for feeds in the night (and she doesn't need them) and at other random times for 1 - 2 hours at a time. Rocking, patting, shushing or even just cuddles doesn't seem to do the trick anymore - in fact she sometimes pushes me away and will have a tanty at 3am.

Has anyone used it for older babies?
Or just for babies that go to sleep fine but wake up heaps?
Did you find it worked best if just one person goes in for the VR or did you chop and change?

I'm a bit concerned that it will either:

a) make her more difficult to put down to sleep for her naps and at night (at the moment there is no fuss).... as I sort-off see leaving her to cry in bed a negative sleep association.

b) make her more clingy during the day.

We have just started using verbal reassurance this week with E, she's 11 months. Prior to starting I was getting up to feed 2-3 times a night was never a full feed so was just for comfort. She was protesting when put down for a nap and sleeping for less than an hour and waking up grumpy. But would go down for the night without a fuss.

Night 1 she was in bed at 6.30 and woke 4 times
10.30 checked in at 5 minutes and was asleep 8 minutes later
11.30 asleep in 5 minutes
2.30 checked in at 5 asleep 10 minutes later
3.30 checked in at 5 asleep 5 minutes later
6.30 up for the day happy

Night 2 In bed at 6.40 woke twice
1.30 check 5 then grizzled for a couple of mins then nothing for 10-15mins until 2.30
4.30 checked in at 5 asleep 8 minutes later
6.30 up for the day happy

Night 3
She slept through! 6.30-6.15

Night 4 in bed at 7 woke 4 times
1.30 asleep before it got to 5 mins
2.30 check 5 asleep by 10
4.30 check 5 asleep by 10
5.30 check 5 asleep by 10
7.00 up happy

Night 5 In bed by 6.40 woke twice
1.30 asleep by 5 mins
4.00 grizzled on and off for about 10 mins then fell asleep - she didn't sound awake so I left her
6.00 up for the day happy

For Naps she is generally asleep before 5 mins is up after an initial protest. If her morning nap is less than 30 mins I resettle using VR if her afternoon nap is less than an hour I do the same. If she hasn't settled after 25/30 mins I get her up. She will stop crying and have a bit of a chat before going to sleep so doesn't cry herself to sleep I see it more of a protest cry. She was a bit clingy for the first few days but is getting back to her normal self now.

I have been doing it all but I think she would settle just as quick for DP. He was away for the first 3 nights so hasn't had the chance yet :)

Hope that helps and makes sense!

Thanks for the replys guys, I've decided to delay going ahead with this as my girl seems to have a bit of separation anxiety going on at the moment. What I'm doing seems to be working at the moment but it will be good to have another option if she doesn't start sleeping through soon!

I've only read one version of VR and thought that it was CIO with activities to make the parent feel less useless.

Anyhow, we used CIO with #2. With #1 I said I'd never use CIO but #2 was a completely different creature and when we went to CIO (about 4 days in) we suddenly realised that it really was the best method for him.

Day 1 was tough. Day 2 was diabolical. Day 3 got better and by day 4 there was barely any crying at all.

Happy ending all round.

IsaacsMum wrote: I've only read one version of VR and thought that it was CIO with activities to make the parent feel less useless.

^^lol, quite right.

I forgot I never updated this post with what we did! Eventually we kinda did VR. DH ended up being the tough guy and did the first training session. I say the first session because she still wakes up at night, but she will go back to sleep after the 10 min check-in at the max...although it's a different story now she's in a big bed! (Anyone know how to get them to stay in their bed?)

The first session went better than we expected. It took 2 nights for us before she slept through. She woke twice both nights and protested for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours before she settled down. BUT we didn't just stand at the door and talk to her. I don't like not checking everything is OK and I can't do that by just standing at the door. Also, as she still had a dummy we would go in, give her back the dummy and lie her back down. We found that worked well for us.