I’m sleep deprived and it’s hitting me hard. I read in a magazine yesterday that during a baby’s first year of life, the baby’s primary caregiver loses about 700 hours of sleep. Not to scare my friends without kids yet, but, well… I believe that is true. (Even scarier is that that figure is probably an average which means that some people are probably losing more than 700 hours).
The past week or so, Pumpkin has decided that she needs to wake up for a “snack” at 3:30 a.m. Of course, that means mommy is getting up at 3:30. Because she has slept through the night before, I try to keep these “feedings” short – maybe 5 minutes – and put her back to bed – no problema. However, it usually takes me awhile to fall back to sleep (the other night I was up for another 90 minutes seriously considering weaning her and starting formula – because I am so FREAKING TIRED!). This problem has been compounded by the fact that she will no longer nap in her crib! I put her down three times yesterday only to have her scream and scream. I let her cry it out at bedtime – but for some reason, I can’t bring myself to do it at naptime – mainly because I am not quite sure I get the point. The doctor said to let her cry for an hour and then get her out if she doesn’t fall asleep. Pumpkin has no concept of time – so isn’t she going to think, “If I cry long enough, mom will get me”? (Which is true – because yeah, after an hour is up – or however long until I cave in, yeah, I go get her).
I have to take her in for her well-baby check on Monday and I know when I bring this up, the doc is going to mention crying out naptimes. I know that what I need to do is start going to bed at 8 p.m. after I tuck the girls in – but I get sucked in by crappy television, catching up on reading, and doing all the things around the house that I can’t get done during the day. Sigh.
I have bags under my eyes, and my patience is at an all time low. Please – words of encouragement? Gentle (non-judgemental!) advice is welcome too… This mommy needs some rest!
About sarah
Does she have a swing ? Maybe putting her in a swing or bouncer seat would get her into a very mellow state right before nap times ?
Giving BD5 a bath always helped her to wind down for a nap. And I also tried playing the same lullabye CD at naptimes. Baby massage right before naptime, story time right before naptime, etc….something along those lines might help.
One day, she’ll be in Kindergarten and you’ll wish she was a baby again. 😉
Hang in there !
((((((Sarah)))))
-Lisa
Lisa! Thanks for the suggestions… We have a very concrete bedtime routine – will have to start getting it more together for a nap! Maybe a lullabye cd would do the trick – she does love music.
My kids have always been lousy sleepers. And I never had the heart to let them “cry it out” not to Mention #1 Son would just puke if I did. He often naps in the recliner. Sorry, I have no tips. Just stories of common misery.
When #1 Son was tiny he wasn’t sleeping longer than 30 minutes at a time. One night I heard him cry and was frantically trying to turn off the baby monitor before his crying woke up Baby Girl (who was still sleeping in my room). Husband picked the baby up, brought him over and said, “Put down the alarm clock and feed him.” We didn’t even use a baby monitor.
One other night Husband brought him to me and when he handed him over he combined the 2 kids names into one (I wasn’t the only tired one). I sat down to feed the baby thinking he was some other baby and #1 Son would wake up soon to eat. I nursed him for 20 minutes before I was awake enough to realize we only had 2 kids!
I had no idea that we lose THAT much sleep! But I believe it. I know it’s hard and tiring and frustrating getting up and down and up and down and as soon as you FINALLY fall back asleep from the time she was up before, she wakes back up. We feel your pain. I thought about you the other night when my Boy kept getting up. And up. And up. Just because. And I hadn’t left you a note yet because I didn’t really know what to say, but then after that ONE night like that, I felt I had to say “I hear you” because these days ALL your nights are like that. You’ll make it through. 🙂