Oh you're mad right now.
Well, not actually RIGHT now... but you have been for the last 90 minutes.
After the last 3 nights of you not going to sleep until two or four in the morning, I decided to start re-reading one of the baby books I read before you were born.
This one promises/claims/boasts that nearly all babies can be sleeping through the night (7-8 hours) by their 9th week of life, and if not, then surely by the 12th. The first half of the book tries in a variety of different ways to convince the parent reading it that their baby will be happier and healthier, a more content and alert child, have less of a chance of attention deficit disorder, smarter and pretty much better in every way imaginable if good sleep habits are formed early on. I'm not denying that either. I think of myself, and I am a completely different person with and without a good nights rest. I'm just not so sure that it'll effect every aspect of your life for the REST of your life. Maybe.
So... I put you down before 10pm. And you woke up before 11pm. Don't worry -the book says you might be doing this around this time of your life. You're going through a growth spurt. So, I fed you again. Then I made your dad read a few highlights from the book and we decided that we'd give it a try. We changed you, fed you as much as you'd take, and then layed you down in your bed while you were still awake and went to bed ourselves.
I should clarify, that going to bed, does not mean sleeping. For either of us. Your dad stayed awake for the first 15 minutes of crying. Then you stopped for a few minutes, which is when your dad's breathing steadied. Yours however, did not and you started crying again. I got up after 25 minutes, comforted you and wrapped you back up, and layed you down. Crying again. I just got up a second time, comfort, wrap, this time I gave you your binky, and layed you back down. I'm now in your room listening to you NOT sleep. The crying hasn't started (15 minutes later) but you're not sleeping. I suppose in another 60 minutes or so, I'll feed you again -if you're still up and crying. And then we'll start again.
This is supposed to be for your benefit.
You're not convinced.
PS... the title of the post is from your Grandpa Lafeen. Apparently when your aunt April was a baby Grandpa would like to 'egg her on' by saying 'Is that the best you can do?" while she was crying. I don't find it that amusing.
2 comments:
Hang in there!! You are one night in...it has to get better right? Could it get worse?
sorry about the sleep trouble. Been there. We did "baby wise" to the best of our ability and elliott was sleeping through the night, from about 10 pm - 4 am or 11 pm - 5 am at 8 weeks. It worked, but that's just for us. Not to say it works for every kid, for sure.
Good luck with the sleepless nights. Is there a place he sleeps better than his bed? Much to the chagrin of the grandma's we let elliott sleep a lot in his car seat. SOmetimes, that was the only way to go for naps and bed time.
Post a Comment