I am not a patient person by nature, and being a parent has tests this weaknesses of mine on a daily basis, multiple times a day. I am getting better, but I have a long ways to go.
I have talked about this a lot lately, but we are really struggling with the sleep department in our house. Every day it gets worse, and my patience gets thinner. I don't know what I am doing wrong and how to fix this. I feel like I have tried everything, but nothing is working. Something has got to be up, but I just don't know what it is.
It is depressing waking up knowing I am going to fight with him over naps all day, and that he will be overly tired and cranky all day long because he won't nap. And because he is overly tired, he won't sleep well at night and will want to nurse all night. It is a cycle we repeat everyday, and it is really wearing on me.
I am not an advocate of just letting kids cry themselves to sleep, but lately I feel like I will do anything.
I am trying to stay calm but it is not easy for me. What am I doing wrong??????
5 comments:
Awww, sorry to hear Kayden is being such a stinker! Do you have "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child"? That's basically what we've been using and Ryland has become a great napper (although still waking up at night, I figure we'll put that on extinction when he turns 1.)
Hope he shapes up for you soon! I know a bad-nap day turns into a bad-sleep night :(
Hey lady,
I don't have much experience in the kid department but I'm a troubled sleeper and hadn't realised it until a couple of years ago. I thought it was normal to wake up 7 - 10 times a night. There's a few things I've changed in order to sleep more soundly - I only wake up 3 - 5 times now ;)
I don't know what your routine is with the boys but for me, routine is really important. I need to be in bed by 10 in order to get the sleep I need in order to get up at 6 and be able to function. It takes me 45 minutes to actually fall asleep.
Before bed if I feel like I'm going to have problems getting to sleep I'll take a really nice hot bath to help me settle down. Then I use bath and bodyworks lavender pillow spray on my pillow and sheets. I lay down and try to keep myself from being distracted - yoga breathing and meditation help AKA counting sheep. Sometimes when I wake up during the night and I really can't sleep I try to go through the alphabet and name animals/objects/names for each letter. Sleep is HARD work for me!
If I nap through the day it abolishes my sleep schedule - maybe the wee man doesn't need the naps? My nephew was never much of a napper at all and it made it easier for him to go down earlier and sleep more solidly. I don't think there's a rule that kids have to nap through the day.
He might feel your frustration too which might make it harder for him to settle down - he most likely does want to go to sleep, you know?
You're totally not doing anything wrong and he's doing his best.
Try and notice what it takes when does manage to sleep and don't feel bad - he might need a good cry in order to get to sleep. I always sleep better after crying.
So my advice is a hot bath, warm milk, one on one quiet/cuddle time. You can also try kiddy massage after the bath.
I hope it gets better soon Michelle. Good luck and try not to get frustrated :) x
So I could be wrong, but I've been told by many pediatricians that because they know you'll get up every time, they cry longer. If you know he's not hungry, cold, or hurt...close his door, close your door, and turn on a fan so you can't hear him. He will go to sleep. It will get worse before it gets better, but within a week, he should be sleeping much better. It worked with both of my kids. And it may make you feel mean at first, but in the long run THEY are much happier because they got the sleep they need, and they have a mama who isn't ready to jump off a cliff :) Sometimes letting them cry really is what is best for them. For naps, make sure you are stimulating them a lot a few hours before nap(not right before because that just gets them wound up). For example, we'll do a physical activity like the park, come in and do a craft or game, then eat lunch, then it's nap. If they aren't burning up energy before nap, they won't want to nap. I try to keep this schedule very regular...I'm a clock nazi. And don't let them watch any cartoons until AFTER nap. If they're laying around watching TV, again, they won't nap. That's what works for me. Good luck, mama. This too, shall pass :)
oh I wish I could say something to help, but I have NO experience in this department. So sorry it has been hard. Pray for strength and patience and where to find an answer. It will come. {Virtual hugs!}
Michelle - did we talk about Clark's sleep issues ever? His were TERRIBLE! We went the first year without doing cry-it-out, and it was terrible. Then we finally gave in and did cry-it-out and it wasn't any better. Clark was 2 before we resolved the issue - I had been getting up at least 2x/night pretty regularly for 2 years and naps weren't any better. He was tired and cranky but wouldn't sleep. I was exhausted to say the least - and angry, and depressed. But we finally learned about sensory processing disorder, and someone recommended giving him melatonin. I was against it for a while, but it TOTALLY reset his clock in 3 months. Now he goes to bed without it. I'm not sure at all how things are for you with your kids - but whether SPD has anything to do with it, at least try the melatonin. You can get it at wegman's for like 8 bucks, and you cut the pills in 1/4's for a kid his age and have him take it with water or if he won't swallow it, dissolve it and have him drink it. I'm serious, we tried EVERYTHING, every book out there. Some kids just have something wrong with their clocks and need it reset. Don't feel bad that you are doing something wrong. I know what that's like and it's NOT WORTH IT! You don't have to try melatonin, but it was a miracle for us!
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