I don’t know how else to put this, so I’m just gonna say it.
I’m SOLD on this sleep scheduling thing.
Completely Sold.
Run-to-the-bank-and-invest-your-house-on-it Sold.
It’s been a little over 2 weeks since we decided to be firm with G’s schedule and put him to bed early. I figured that once this was regulated, his naps would get easier and more predictable.
The nap stuff…not so much yet. We’re working on it. We have our good days and our bad days. Yesterday: Bad Day. Only two 30 min. naps the ENTIRE day. And believe me, I tried everything. Today, however: Good Day. He’s on his second 2 Hour nap, and all I did was swaddle, nurse, set him in the crib with his pacifier and walk away! He cried for less than 10 seconds (not hyperbole) both times before he was in deep sleep.
As far as bedtime stuff goes? There hasn’t yet been a night where G hasn’t slept for 10-12 hours!! 95% of the time, that’s without even waking to nurse! Just sleeps, straight on through until 6am!
Granted, it’s sometimes quite a chore to get him to sleep. Jesse spent around an hour with him last night while I was out teaching piano lessons (the necessary downside to me working 1-2 hrs./day and pushing G’s bedtime earlier), but Jesse’s finally sent a text saying that he was asleep, giving me time to grocery shop on my way home. Jesse and I were able to have “baby-free” dinner, watching/cheering/booing at the Mavs Game together.
The best part about it all is how consistent it is! Jesse and I can count on at least 2-3 hours of alone time together every evening, while still getting an uninterrupted 7-8 hours of sleep after that! We are very very grateful for both, believe me!
I thought I wasn’t a schedule person. Inside, I’m still not. But I like sleeping at night. And I like getting to look forward to an evening with my husband. Both of these desires totally trump the whole “co-sleeping”, “let-G-decide” part of me. Plus, he’s a much happier kid as a result!
In the end, I think that we’ve always had a “good sleeper” on our hands. He was just a “good sleeper” trapped inside a “tired kid’s” body!
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courtney says
when can i say ‘i told you so’? ๐ not about whether it would work for g, since i NEVER knew that part (i’ve seen that kid fight sleep!) but about how much it’s worth it!!!
Kelly says
I always knew it was “worth it”, I just didn’t think it would ever work for us! Plus, I’m scared to death that once G’s on a schedule, he won’t be able to adapt, and he’ll be a hot mess during the times where he can’t sleep in his own bed, right on time. But I decided we can’t plan our lives in fear of the exception, and instead just try to be as consistent as we can, for as long as we can! ๐
Morielle says
I’m not going to lie, this post makes me sick with envy. I’ve had Solomon (and now Sera) on as much of a sleep schedule as I possibly can and STILL we struggle every night to get just barely enough sleep to get through the next day.) Every day I try my hardest to get them to go to sleep at around 7 and yet some nights Solomon will literally scream and cry for hours with us there RIGHT next to him because he doesn’t want to sleep. We have tried him being alone too. *sigh* I don’t know if Solomon will every become a good sleeper but Sera might. I guess I am just crabby right now because I’ve been up with each of them 3-4 times at least per night for the last several weeks ๐
Kelly says
Morielle, I’m so sorry! That doesn’t sound fun. I’d be going crazy. It’s hard to say what to do, because G’s a lot younger than Solomon (a year to the day, to be exact, right?) and his habits haven’t been solidified. The one thing I have noticed with G’s personality that I never thought I would is that if he really IS tired, he only cries if I’m in the room with him or trying to rock him! It’s odd– you’d think the “soothing” would help, but it just keeps him awake. If I leave the room, however, he’s literally asleep within seconds.
That’s just as far as naps go, though, since Jesse’s the one who puts him to bed. I’m not sure what his technique is ๐
Have you talked to your pediatrician? Perhaps something’s the matter?
Kelly says
Also, are you a coffee drinker?? Maybe I’ll send you some nice, Texas roasted beans…:)
Morielle says
I think part of the reason my babies have such a hard time “self” soothing is that both have refused pacifiers which means to soothe via the sucking reflex, there is only one option–my breasts. Sera is actually really good at soothing herself back to sleep at least, sometimes, but recently she has been cutting teeth so that explains her fussiness. Solomon, seriously, is a mystery. I have tried just about everything with him! For a few weeks I was able to get him to fall asleep by himself for his naps (without much fussing even!) but then all of the sudden, one day, he FREAKED out and it was just like the old days with him sobbing violently and uncontrollably, mucous and tears running down his face with the most panicked/fearful look on his face. I have NO idea why that happened. Since then he hasn’t been able to fall asleep by himself. Not only that but he has been absurdly fearful of the concept of sleep itself and has resisted it even when we were there. I would think it was nightmares except when he wakes up at night he doesn’t act afraid, its when I try to get him to go back to sleep that is the problem. Last night we was up for almost 2 hours crying out ” mama, mama” even though he was right there in my arms. I probably should take him to see a doctor but I can’t for the life of me find a medical condition to suspect. Maybe just growing pains?
You are lucky that Jesse has been able to put Gregory down at night. That didn’t happen with Brandon and Solomon until Solomon was 16 maybe 17 months old.
And yes, I drink coffee ๐
Kerrin E. says
So glad it is working well for you Kelly! Gotta love special one on one husband time!