I am throwing myself a pity party and sympathy is invited. I haven't slept in 8 long months. I have tried EVERYTHING! I am a proud mom of the cutest baby girl in the world but also the most naughty. It is not as though she has a lot to live up to. Liam didn't sleep through the night until after he was a year old and still at two gets up once a night a few times a week. Layla is waking up every hour to hour and half. Sometimes more. So you think... Why don't you let her cry it out. I never thought I would do this. But I had to. The first night 45 min. The next night 1 hour. The last night 4 HOURS!!! Now that was getting mean. She just sat awake crying/playing/sitting for that whole time 11pm to 3am) I was joy to be around the next morning. She didn't fall asleep on her own. I finally went in there and picked her up she was out cold in a few min. Now she just screams the second we open the door to her room. Now your thinking, she must be taking to many naps during the day. WRONG again. Doctor’s orders wake her up from her naps. She was sleeping under 2 HOURS a day. You think that would exhaust this darling baby. It's been over a week, and nights are getting worse. Well surely this child needs a routine. I Marcie put my kids on a ROUTINE. Those of you who know me well know for me to be organized in any area of my life would take a miracle; that miracle has happened. Liam is finally on a schedule for the first time. He even goes to bed prior to 10.pm 8:30 to be exact. I had a whole bedtime routine for both children. Soft music playing, warm bath, dim lights, sweet books, I even would massage Layla with baby oil to relax her. Ummm you guessed it NOTHING. Just wait Marcie, when she starts crawling she will be tired at night. She has been crawling for 3 weeks now. NO difference. Hmmm... ANY OTHER IDEAS??? I love this sweet girl. I feel so blessed to be her Mom. I know there will come a day when a long to hold this sweet baby. She is so happy during the day. Always smiling as long as I am not trying to put her to sleep. She has 1.5 teeth and crawls everywhere. Loves her brother and her Mommy. I decided to stop fighting sleep and to just enjoy my sweet baby. Last night I put her to bed at 8:;30 she woke up at 10 I just let her crawl around for 20 minutes then she feels asleep in my arms. Laid her down and she woke up a hour later so I brought her in bed with me and held her all night. She smells good from the baby oil and always flashes me a grin no matter what hour of the night. Don't worry Layla, I love you much more then I love my sleep. One day I will have both.
8 comments:
sooooooo very sorry! You know me, we DO have a routine...the sweet girls fall asleep really well - it's just the staying asleep part that we have trouble with - so I totally get it - and I am still telling myself that SOMEday I will get a full night of sleep.
Tessa is better, but Abby was definately exactly like Layla - is STILL like that.
Wish I had some good suggestions.... until then, just know that I do sympathize! :)
been there, done that, but now tai sleeps through the night, but still in my bed. he has noooo desire to sleep in his nice toddler bed with awesome lightning mcqueen bedding. nope he just thinks its cool and plops himself in between danny and i. i do know he won't have a desire to be in our bed at 16 (i really pray he doesn't) and remind myself of this time and cuddle him a little bit more. hang in there!
UGH! So sorry Marcie! I've been there. Two pieces of advice. The first is from Janna. Everything is a stage and it will change in two weeks. Try to tough it out. The second is sleep begets sleep. Reagan sleeps better during the day and at night the more sleep she gets. I know none of that helps! So sorry again!
My last one Paisley is the worst sleeper too. I never thought I would function normally again because I wasn't going to ever get another night of sleeping. People who have kids that just sleep have no idea what we mom's go through with our children that just don't require many hours of sleeping. I tried to let her cry it out four different times and it always lasted hours. I also felt like that was just mean to do for so many hours so I just stopped. The only thing that fixed her was a 2 years we went to visit my parents in Korea and when we got back the jetlag knocked her out and she started sleeping through the night. She still wakes up sometimes. But since she is my 4th I know that it is just the way she is and I don't think I could have done anything different. Hang in there and just love on her for now. She will be grown before you know it!
You MUST MUST MUST read "healthy sleep habits, happy child" buy Dr. Mark Weissbluth. It will answer all your questions. Everyone thinks that keeping her awake during the day makes her more tired so she sleeps at night .WRONG. If she's not sleeping during the day, she's overtired at night, thus causing night waking. I eat sleep breathe that book. So does my sister and a couple sisters-in-law. It's amazing. It totally works. I give you my WORD. If your doctor told you to wake her up from naps during the day-- tell him to kiss it because I promise you, that will only make matters worse :) call me Marci. (509) 264-0417. I will gladly talk you through it. Ask Emily :)
Loves!
Carrie
Hey Marcie-
I feel so bad for you, but like Carrie said i think she does need to nap for as long as she can during the day. I never wake Demi from a nap because it will throw her right off her schedule. She will nap around noon until 3pm, then she goes to sleep for the night at 7:30pm and wont wake at all until 7 the next morning.
Denim was a little different because when he was little i used to feed him to put him to sleep. I did the opposite with Demi - id feed her the minute she woke up and then she would just tire herself out and fall asleep herself when she was ready. Give that a try?? :)
Marcie-
That is rough! I am SO sorry! Good thing she is so darn cute! Wish I was still there to watch the kids for you during the day so you could get a nap.
The two books that have worked really well for us are Healthy Sleep Habits Happy child (mentioned above) and Babywise. You have to be prepared with either to do a lot of tough love/listening to the crying. Once you read all the whys and hows it is easier to do the tough love and at an early age it should only take a week (Tate took two weeks until she got napping done-she was awful). They really are great and I am SO sorry. Brit is the worst sleeper in the world. It does get better.
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