Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Sleep

Ahh sleep I wish I could remember what it was like. After 11 months and 2 weeks I am at my wits end. I give up I surrender I will never know the answer.

I have read every sleep book; Babywise, Healthy sleep habits, Healthy child, The Sleep answer. NOTHING has WORKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The "EXPERTS" say babies need 11-12 hrs at night and 2-4 hrs of naps. Well not my child. What we have been dealing with lately is waking an hour before she is supposed to wake which makes it around 5-5:30. Sometimes I can get her back to sleep with a bottle but what happens in 4 weeks when I take the bottles away?! I have let her cry and cry to no avail. I have put her to bed earlier because the EXPERTS say sleep begets sleep to no avail. I have put her to bed later because ALL family members including husband and gparents think this is the answer to NO AVAIL! Then if she does go back to sleep we are off of our schedule all day!

Naps are usually only an hour if we are lucky. I am almost ready for her to get to one nap a day so I dont have to struggle with getting her down 2X. Most of the time she does go down for the naps and bedtimes without a fuss but it is keeping her asleep that is the problem. And "They" say that when she goes to one nap she will sleep longer for this nap...yeah I will bet money that it will still be one hour.

Yes I crave routine and I can only get things done with a schedule but more importantly I want my baby to get the rest and nutrition she needs and I just dont feel she is. I haven't obsessed over it like I have in the past but it still upsets me and I still cry right along with her when she cries. She is the most restlesss sleeping baby I have ever known and it would make me feel better if there were any other mothers with this same problem.

1 comment:

Brie said...

I feel like I should have some advice to offer because Tristan was a HORRIFIC sleeper, but we just became totally flexible and conformed to his needs. That doesn't include much of a schedule :(

I guess the one thing I've learned with all my struggles in having three children: THIS TOO SHALL PASS!

It's better now that he's older and has two siblings that he has to conform to.