Ginny showed all the signs of being a great sleeper as a newborn. Sure she still woke up quite a bit at night, but she was a newborn. She took long naps. She slept any and everywhere. Very early on she seems to be able to put herself back to sleep with little fuss.
I was a happy mom.
But something happened between now and then. Once upon a time didn't I even write in a blog post that she would sleep from about 7pm to 2am every night?
Where did those nights go, I ask you?
Because somehow this little lady has become the lightest sleeper ever. Ever.
I'm talking, open the door, she wakes up. (Which is a problem considering she's in my bedroom still. With nowhere else to go.)
Most nights this week she's gotten up roughly every two hours (or sooner) from the time she goes to bed to the time she gets up for the day. For a few nights I made her cry it out every other waking, but the crying! The screaming! The duration! I couldn't handle it after a few nights and resumed the unearthly amounts of waking up. Jeremy has been sleeping in a sleeping bag on the living room floor (with ear plugs no less), it's gotten so bad.
And day sleep, if it's possible, is worse. She takes 20 minute naps lately. Not that that counts as a nap. I jump for joy if she sleeps longer than a half hour. (Without being attached to me, of course. Because probably she would sleep all day long if I let her nurse and sleep. If I didn't have a toddler, that is.)
Anyhow, she really is a very happy baby considering how little she sleeps. (And I think I am actually a very happy mama considering how little I sleep). She laughs and coos and has the most adoring eyes. She delights in sitting up and rolling over. Her cheeks are as soft and chubby as ever.
But, sleep, (oh sleep!) I miss you so. I look forward to your company again someday. Please don't make it too far away.
And YES I have read Happy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth all the way through twice. I let her cry it out for at least five days... and to no avail. I can only handle so much crying when my nerves are raw from so little sleep.
Oh and please do NOT ask me (not matter how well intentioned) if she is getting enough to eat. Nothing stresses this breatfeeding mama out more.
10 comments:
I do not profess to be an expert in child sleep patterns! I can commiserate with you about sharing a room with a non-sleeping baby...we too have had daddy on the floor in the other room because he needed to be rested for school and work. At home Amy sleeps in our closet! And my sister-in-law had a baby sleep in the bathroom (they did have another bathroom) for a while. Good luck! Let's just look at this as a phase that Ginny will *quickly* grow out of!
I'm so sorry! I hope she learns to sleep longer stretches for you soon!!!
Ugh! I dread those sleepless nights!! But you seem to be faring well reguardless. This too shall pass, right?! Let's just hope it passes soon!!! Good luck!
It's so hard. Just when you think your kid is in an awesome groove, they go and change it!!! Hopefully, since this is the second baby, you have a bit of perspective that it really doesn't last forever (even though it feels like it is). Don't forget to take care of yourself and take a break when you need it. Even a 10 minute walk around the block by yourself after dinner can help restore some sanity!!! Love you!!
all i can say is, i know EXACTLY what you are talking about. Minus the sleeping well at first- jolene has done the screaming every 2 hours since day 4.
i guess i could have followed with what i did to help? i tossed those books out the window after a month of Jolene proving every single one wrong. The only thing that would work for Jolene at that age (she's 10 months now and we had to change our tricks as she caught on to them) is sitting on the toilet next to the loud running bath water, running the vacuum cleaning, or even walks
outside (even at 3 am!) and it was different every night as to what would work for her. Good luck, hon! I feel your pain.
Going on little sleep is so rough. Maybe back ground noise will help Ginny tune out the other noises. I hope she starts sleeping better soon!
oh how I feel for you!! A non-sleeping baby is soooo stressful! Suggestions: 1)white noise machine (our boys love theirs, plus it means we can go about our daily tasks while they are asleep without waking up them up and leave their door open a crack so we can get in and out if need be) Also, if there is anyway you can put her in the living room at night you can put it in your room and turn it on to drowned out the crying so you can get some sleep. We had to do this a couple times (SO heart wrenching!) but I was a much better Mom when I got a few zzz's under my belt and they always slept better after one of those nights. I just set an alarm so I would go check on them when it was about time for them to eat again. Don't be afraid to turn up the machine pretty loud whether you use it for her or for you 2) my boys consistently wake up 30-45 minutes into their naps, but if I go in within a few minutes of their waking and put them in their baby swings they'll usually go back to sleep for another 30 minutes plus. Sometimes it takes them 15 minutes or so to fall back asleep. 3) possible she is sick? I know a mom whose twins suddenly stopped sleeping well and she took them in and they had strep. They hadn't shown any symptoms other than trouble sleeping. An exhausted mom can hope right?! 4) pacifier: I don't if you are a believer in them or not, but it has helped our guys tremendously 5)swaddling: I know she is a little old to start (assuming you don't already), but our kiddos can't sleep without it. It keeps them from waking themselves up which they invariably do if they bust loose.
Anyway, just some thoughts. Hang in there!!
Hey Carly! I haven't checked your blog in awhile, but wanted to say, I am right there with you! I don't have advice because Dane has been taking 30 min. naps from 3 months old until now. (He's 6 months tomorrow). HOWEVER .... I think he just grew out of it! As of last week, he has been taking at least 1 nap a day longer than an hour. And some days ALL of his naps are longer than an hour! I'm only telling you this because she will grow out of it. Hopefully sooner than later. I tried everything for Dane and nothing worked. But now I think I might be at the end of it. But early on, I just realized, "ok, his naps will last 30 min. I better hurry and get things done" instead of hoping he would sleep longer and not, it made things easier to just accept it. Which you probably have done, but ya, I bet it's 100 times worse with a toddler too. Good luck!
Hang in there sweet sister. I seriously hope she grows out of it...but no promises. Tanner was a not good very light sleeper too. He still is not my best sleeper. But, hopefully with a little more age (and maybe a larger apartment?) things will work better. I sure love you
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