I know, because we are not getting enough of it. Elliot has always been a really good sleeper--not award winning, maybe, but nothing to complain about. He's slept from about 8 until about 6 for months. So complacent had we become about Elliot's sleep habits that I offered to give away my copy of Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child because I figured it should go to someone who, you know, needed it. Someone whose child did not have healthy sleep habits.
Well, friends: pride goeth before a fit of screaming at 3 am, because Elliot's sleep habits have become much less healthy. Certainly as a result of Elliot's screaming, my sleep habits are less healthy. So here's the deal: a series of things have conspired all at once to, somehow among them, screw up Elliot's sleep:
*I was gone
*my parents were here, and now are gone
*he's got some teething issues (we seem to be working on eye teeth)
*he kicks off his covers, and then gets cold, because the house is cold at night
*for the first couple of nights of weird sleeping we thought it was just an abberation from his normal, solid sleeper self, and thus indulged him, and thus he LEARNED WE MIGHT INDULGE HIS MIDDLE-OF-THE-NIGHT SOCIAL WHIMS, the sneaky devil.
Anyway, none of these obstacles are insurmountable, but they are a bother, and they do mean that today: I am tired. And I am a little torn about how to handle the cold issue. We have a space heater for Elliot's room, and I guess we'll just start using that, though it seems wasteful. But what else to do for a toddler much too active for a blanket sleeper, but not coordinated enough to cover himsself up with real blankets? If there's an obvious strategy here, and I am too tired to think of it, let me know.
But, lest I wallow in my "only getting five hours of sleep!" misery, let me give a big shout out to two people we know who are getting much much less sleep than me. Our friend's Kelli and Karen both had babies in the last couple of days. Good luck, mamas! You will be tired, but it will be worth it.
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2 comments:
We do still use a sleepsack for Ant, and he's a fairly active sleeper. (And actually walks around in it the crib which I think is fairly impressive!) What makes you say you can't use it with Elliot?
You could also try two sets of pj's, if you're using the ones with feet. If you're not using the ones with feet, maybe some socks to at least keep his toes warm?
wrt teething, do you give him any pain killer at bedtime? We haven't had to with Ant, but a friend who's kid is getting his two-year molars now says that it really helps him.
Whatever you do, I hope it gets better soon!!!
so weird- ANni has just started waking at 5am screaming, not like her at all (but we have been gone so much so we felt bad). We too indulged her the first few times by bringing her in with us but this AM she decded sleeping was not as fun as kicking and poking us. Hmmmm, what to do? Coffee for me today but I shall have to think of a better way! Let me know what you come up with, we did get Anni 2 fleece sleepers that tend to keep her warmer at night.
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