Awake Is The New Sleep
I haven't blogged in a while about LM's sleep in a while, mainly because I've just stopped stressing about it. When we travelled in January, his days of sleeping through the night ended; then he got a terrible cold when he was back and actually either he or I have had a cold since that time. So he's been joining us in bed again, which I have been absolutely loving for the most part, especially when it means his first wake-up is around 1. When that happens I get those precious hours alone and then a wonderful snuggle. I love sleeping with his little head against mine and often wake to find him cuddled in my arms.
But now that wellness is here again, and those wake-ups are creeping earlier and earlier so that's he's up at 9, at 10 and then restless for a good portion of the night, I'm thinking it's time to do what the sleep consultant ordered again - aka back in the crib.
It was spur of the moment decision to do it again, because as I say, there are many things I love about him with us. But last night he just seemed ready. I went in the first time and told him to go back to sleep and without much protest he was sleep in 5 minutes. And then an hour later he called again, I went in, and he fell asleep again in 5 minutes. At around midnight he had a very long wake-up of an hour or so, most of which we spend whispering "Ssshhh" or patting his bum. He stayed awake but he didn't ever cry for more than a 30 seconds and he only once asked to nurse. He had one more wake-up at 3:30; that time I fed him and put him back to bed, since I didn't want him to have to go "cold turkey" and by that stage he was desperate to feed. Then he woke again at 5:45 and slept until 8:30 (I'm sure due to the fatigue of that long wake-up). Yes, five wake-ups - pretty par for the course although when he sleeps with us, I barely wake up myself. Anyway tonight is night 2 of the "method" and hopefully we have a mostly cry-free night again. I'm sure if I can cut out the night feeds, he'll stop waking up. I feel much better leaving him with a sitter when I know he'll actually go to sleep without a fight and stay asleep.
If there's one thing I'll know next time, the whole sleep thing is so fluid. I'm sure he'll have good months and bad months and times when he sleeps with us and times when he doesn't. And I'm okay with it changing if he's sick, I'm sick or whatever. Someday when he's 19 and sleeping until noon every weekend, I will occasionally think back on this time and laugh. I will also think with nostalgia of his warm little head burrowed into my neck.
But now that wellness is here again, and those wake-ups are creeping earlier and earlier so that's he's up at 9, at 10 and then restless for a good portion of the night, I'm thinking it's time to do what the sleep consultant ordered again - aka back in the crib.
It was spur of the moment decision to do it again, because as I say, there are many things I love about him with us. But last night he just seemed ready. I went in the first time and told him to go back to sleep and without much protest he was sleep in 5 minutes. And then an hour later he called again, I went in, and he fell asleep again in 5 minutes. At around midnight he had a very long wake-up of an hour or so, most of which we spend whispering "Ssshhh" or patting his bum. He stayed awake but he didn't ever cry for more than a 30 seconds and he only once asked to nurse. He had one more wake-up at 3:30; that time I fed him and put him back to bed, since I didn't want him to have to go "cold turkey" and by that stage he was desperate to feed. Then he woke again at 5:45 and slept until 8:30 (I'm sure due to the fatigue of that long wake-up). Yes, five wake-ups - pretty par for the course although when he sleeps with us, I barely wake up myself. Anyway tonight is night 2 of the "method" and hopefully we have a mostly cry-free night again. I'm sure if I can cut out the night feeds, he'll stop waking up. I feel much better leaving him with a sitter when I know he'll actually go to sleep without a fight and stay asleep.
If there's one thing I'll know next time, the whole sleep thing is so fluid. I'm sure he'll have good months and bad months and times when he sleeps with us and times when he doesn't. And I'm okay with it changing if he's sick, I'm sick or whatever. Someday when he's 19 and sleeping until noon every weekend, I will occasionally think back on this time and laugh. I will also think with nostalgia of his warm little head burrowed into my neck.
posted by grass @ 8:08 PM
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