Wondering If Sleep Training Works? Rosie’s Story Says It All
- info4154956
- Apr 28
- 4 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
By: Sarah Bossio, Certified Pediatric Sleep Expert
Let’s be honest—sleep training success doesn’t just happen overnight. No miraculous switch exists. There is no ideal child who succeeds on the first try. It's disorganized. It's sentimental. Trial and error is a big part of it. And honestly? Frequently, it begins with a great giant "nope." Rosie's journey starts there, with a weary infant, two overburdened parents, and a great deal of uncertainty. It concludes with her consistently sleeping through the night and her parents regaining their nights (and sanity), spoiler alert.
It's not a fairy tale here. A real baby is the subject of this tale. A weary family. And a great deal of patience, learning, and adaptability.
Before the Breakthrough: Chaos, Co-Sleeping, and Sleepless Nights
The scene is as follows: At eight months old, Baby Rosie (not her real name, but her tale is 100% true) was not able to sleep on her own. That was fine with Mom. They had been using a combination of bottles, nursing, and occasionally co-sleeping to fall asleep. Before it was, it wasn't anarchy, but it wasn't perfect either.
After a family vacation, sleep tanked entirely. Rosie started waking up every hour. The bottles stopped working their magic. She'd crash around 8 PM, nap for 45 minutes, and then be wide awake for two hours. And this was just the beginning of the night.
It was exhausting. Mom was working a high-stress job during the day. Dad worked from home but couldn't exactly nap between Zoom meetings. Everyone was burnt out. Rosie included.
That's when they reached out for help. Not because they wanted to—but because they had to.
The Turning Point: When Enough Is Enough
Assume that mom wasn't too thrilled about sleep training. As she put it, she was "completely against it." She sensed, though, that Rosie was not feeling well. Her daily naps lasted only half an hour. There was no one in the house working.
When we hopped on the initial call, the parents had different views—Mom needed things to be gradual. At the same time, Dad leaned more toward less intervention. So we came to a middle ground that respected everyone's comfort levels, especially mom's. After all, if she weren't feeling good about it, it wouldn't stick.
We started with the chair method. It's gentle. It's hands-on. And it made the most sense for where they were emotionally. Dad took the lead since Mom felt too emotionally connected and overwhelmed to handle the crying. Which—let's face it—is expected.
Why Did We Switch Methods Midway?
Night one? Rough. Rough. Rosie took an hour and a half to fall asleep. She had a false start wake-up at 9 PM. Then again, at 1 AM, she stayed wide awake for three hours. We did a one-night feed—because, let's not shock her system—but Rosie wasn't settling even after that.
That night, she barely slept. Everyone was wiped out. And this is where most families would panic and think, "This isn't working."
But here's the deal—sleep training success doesn't mean sticking with one method no matter what. It's about knowing when to pivot. And pivot we did.
The next day, we picked up the telephone. I gently said to Mom, "I know you felt strongly about the chair method 48 hours ago, but we need to switch to timed checks tonight." She answered, "All right," and blessed her. You have my trust.
The Wins That Made It All Worth It
Night 2? That's another matter entirely. At 6:30, we put Rosie down. By seven o'clock, she was asleep. Instead of 90 minutes, that is a 30-minute settling time. Progress.
She slept till 2:30 AM. Got her feeding. I fell back asleep by 3. Then, I woke up for the day at 6:45 AM. That's 11.5 hours of sleep with just one short wake-up. And more importantly? It was just the beginning of her consistently sleeping through the night.
Sure, there were hiccups. There is some nap drama here and there. But that's real life. The main thing? Rosie was adopted, the family adjusted, and everyone learned to work with her needs instead of against them.
This is what sleep training success looks like: not perfect, not linear, but 100% worth it.
What Rosie's Story Teaches All Tired Parents
Rosie's journey is a gentle reminder that babies aren't robots. They're little humans with preferences, rhythms, and moods. And your plan?There are instances when it fails. And that's all right. Changing direction is not a sign of weakness or in requesting assistance. Regardless of your level of curiosity or sleep deprivation, you can succeed with sleep training. Even for households that vowed never to do it. Even for infants who despise sleep as if it were their job.
Rosie's now snoozing 11 straight hours a night, no feeds, with two rock-solid naps during the day. And mom and dad? They're trying for baby #2. Because sleep is back on the table. Life feels manageable again.
So, if you're dreaming of your sleep training success story, start by permitting yourself to try. Then, if you're ready, reach out for support. I'd love to help you write your story—complete with happy tears, quiet nights, and much consistent sleeping.
What method might work best for your little one? Book a free 15-minute call with me—the link is here. And if Rosie's story gave you hope, comment and let me know. I answer every single one.
From my couch to yours—hang in there. You're not alone, and yes, you can do this.
Did you know? I also host a weekly Q&A on my Instagram. Tune in or send me a DM on the 'gram!
I work with families one-on-one all the time who are experiencing issues with their babies' naps, overnight sleep, and more. If this sounds like you, please book a 15-minute sleep assessment call just so I can understand a little bit more about your child's sleep and then explain ways that I can work one-on-one with you to get it in order.
May your coffee be warm,
Sarah
Sarah is a Certified Pediatric Sleep Expert based in the NY/NJ Tri-State area and has helped over 500 families worldwide get their sleep back on track.
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