Friday, July 4, 2008
Sleep...what is sleep?!?
I'm not sure I remember what a full night's sleep feels like. Just last week, Jackson slept through the night. That is a rarity. That night seems so far a way. It is 1:35 am and I can't seem to grasp what that night was like. The concept of a night without crying and screaming seems so far out of reach. Perhaps it is the lack of sleep. Perhaps it is that I haven't been this tired since Jackson was a newborn...seriously. Perhaps I am extremely frustrated because WE HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING!!! Crying it out hasn't worked. Non-crying methods haven't worked. Things we do out of desperation (like driving him to sleep...pulled that trick a couple weeks ago) haven't worked. Nothing has worked. I am pretty sure he isn't teething...we have assumed he's teething for 4 months now, just because he wakes up crying. He has no other symptoms of teething. Am I missing something here? Are there more tricks I don't know about? Did anyone else have trouble at nearly 8 months? Help!?!? Oh...wait...do I hear silence...maybe he is asleep. Perhaps I should go back to bed before he wakes up again. I'm glad I had somewhere to vent. I felt like screaming for a moment there. Phew.
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5 comments:
Oh Melissa. I'm sorry your so tired, I have been there sooo many times.
How is your daytime routine? Are you home for his naps? If I'm not real consistent with Jackson's naps then he doesn't sleep through the night.
Could you guys be catering too much to him during the day? When he is playing do you pick him up the second he fusses? I know this can be a habit of mine but it can also make for a child centered home. If he is used to not being the center of your world (I know that sounds cruel) maybe he will feel more secure if he wakes up.
I don't usually let my kids cry it out in the middle of the night because I just get too tired from laying awake listening to them when I could just go feed them. We will let them cry it out at bed time though.
I know this is all so hard. It's hard to know what to do, especially with the first. My Jackson is still not a great sleeper and that's just who he is. After having four I know that this will pass and that I will hardly remember the sleepless nights.
I have more to say so I would love to talk to you if you want. Give me a call if you need help or just someone to listen:)
Hey Melissa, here are a couple of my thoughts, in addition to Kimm's. I completely agree with what she wrote.
Is he teething? Given his age, it's very likely he is. Although it may not be what is actually keeping him up. But you could try giving him some tylenol right before bed and if he wakes up four (or more) hours later, give him another dose. Most of my babies, when teething, would be fine during the day but for some reason would have a really hard time sleeping at night with the pain. So I only had to give them Tylenol at night.
And the flip side of making sure he has his regular naps during the day, like Kimm wrote, would be is he getting too much sleep during the day? Do you nurse/bottle feed him to sleep? If so, sometimes that creates an issue if he wakes up (either day or nighttime) and then can't get back to sleep without being nursed/fed.
Infants are always trial by error unfortunately! That's why there are so many possiblities to what the "cure" could be. I'd give everything a try. Single out what you think is most likely and start with that for about five days. If that doesn't work, move on down the list.
Hang in there!!
Sorry.
Thanks Kimm and Jenny!
To answer your questions:
Yes, Jackson is VERY regular with his naps during the day. His feeding times are always the same as well.
Nope, no catering here. At least, I hope not. I am trying to teach him that even though his mommy loves him very much, he can sit and play while his mommy does the dishes. If he starts to whine or starts to through a fit (he started that this week), I tell him "no."
Yes, he may be teething. He doesn't show any symptoms during the day, but I will try the Tylenol thing...thanks! :)
No, he doesn't nurse/bottle feed to sleep. We have a routine that works great! He always goes to sleep wonderfully! We read 2-3 books and sing a couple songs, then we put him in his crib, turn out the light, and pray.
So, it looks like the best thing to try for now is the Tylenol.
Thanks everyone for your encouragement and for understanding my 1:30 in the morning rants!
Sounds like you guys are doing a great job! Keep us posted on the Tylenol. =0)
I TOTALLY understand. I'm right there with you with Cyrus. We are having the same problem. I haven't had a full night's sleep since I don't know when! I think as moms we are getting to the seriously exhausted point. Hang in there, it will get better, I promise! Probably just in time for you to have another one :)!
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