The Sleepless Wonder
My nickname for Nola is sleepless wonder. Actually, that is not totally accurate because she does sleep. She naps. However, the naps are in her swing. She is almost seven months and I know I am not going to be able to let her do that much longer. She does sleep at night but wakes up every two hours for a little boob then right back to sleep. So in reality, I am the sleepless wonder. I haven't sleep for more than two hours straight since she was about two months old. When she was a newborn she slept longer but then got into the habit of using the boob at her little awakenings to go back to sleep. I really don't know how to break the habit. I just keep hoping that one day she'll sleep a little longer between awakenings. I know this is wishful thinking. I've tried all advice aside from CIO but Nola has a mind of her own and is going to do things her way. I like this about her but damn I need some sleep.
9 comments:
She sounds like a normal seven-month-old to me! There's really no reason to break her of the swing habit unless she's outgrown it. As for nighttime - are you sleeping with her? It does help, only needing to roll over instead of getting out of bed. And she will eventually sleep longer. I promise.
Thanks Annika! Yeah I am worried she'll outgrow the swing soon which would mean an end to naps as we know it. I think I still have some time left and I am goign to use it until it is just no longer safe to do so. Yes, she is in the bed with me--I can't imagine another way to do it.
As I told you, Maggie slept with me for this very reason - so much easier to offer a boob and not have to get out of bed. My sleep experiences with her were far superior to those I had with Bear early on for this very reason.
I used to worry about the "swing predicament" with Bear b/c that thing was an ABSOLUTE life-saver! He was able to fit in it until around his first b-day (and he was big for his age), and then he kinda just didn't care anymore b/c he was mobile and was sleeping well in his crib. I wouldn't sweat it.
As for co-sleeping, I think some people in my family are horrified, but Maggie STILL sleeps with me. Since I still enjoy it, I don't mind and I don't think it's "unhealthy." I think co-sleeping with infants is ideal and I'd do it all over again.
It is good to know that she can potentially use the swing until she is one. I like co-sleeping I just really wish she could sleep in longer intervals say every three hours instead of every two?
All I can say, Hon, is sleep training in good time. Ease into it. You got NOTHIN' but time. As for The Sleepless Wonder, maybe fewer naps allowed during the day? You've got to INCREASE sleep duration. Try to guide her sleep/play times around YOUR schedule, and go all out for those elusive three-or-more-hour stretches. I feel for ya...
Big D
Amelia sleeps with us and she's 2 1/2. Actually she sleeps in a twin bed that's next to ours, and in the middle of the night she just rolls into our bed.
I remember when she went from three daily naps to two and then to one nap a day. Amelia has always been on the left of the sleep bell curve - she's never slept as much as other babies, but we've just learned to live with that and accept that she'll take as much sleep as she needs.
No words of wisdom I guess other than she'll sleep longer eventually.
If you haven't already, try reading the advice in the first part of that Brazelton book, b/c I think he makes suggestions about increasing sleep duration. Does she nap in late afternoon/early evening? that might make her more likely to wake during the night too. Just a few suggestions. But I know in the case of Maggie, she had a mind of her own, and no matter what I did, she finally slept through the night (still in my bed, of course) when she was damn good and ready.
Thanks Jason. Just knowing that every kid doesn't sleep through the night helps in some weird way. Are those parents lying?
K, I think that Nola is pretty much gonna do it her way too.
LOL - Honestly, I kinda think Nola's gonna do it her way too. She's just like her momma. ;)
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