Last week Samantha and I had a very, very, rough sleep week. Samantha was running a pretty high fever (101-103) all week and we had my best friend Ryan and her boyfriend and daughter in town for the week. Samantha was waking up every two hours and I was going to get her pretty quickly as not to wake the entire house. By the end of the week I was bordering on insanity and ready to make some changes.
For the most part Samantha is a great sleeper but we all get into bad habits and this week I am working on breaking some of ours. My mom is also on vacation this week which means that I am also taking the week off to watch Samantha. I'm using this week to focus on sleep training and setting more strict schedules.
The past few nights I've had to go sleep in our basement so I can't hear Samantha wake up in the night - she goes back to sleep pretty quickly, I don't get woken up, Dave sleeps through the whole thing and we are all happy. I'm also implementing some set nap times in the day. Ever since Samantha had the flu, she NEVER lays down for naps with my mom, my mom holds her the entire day! This week mean old mom is making her lay down for two set naps.
I really believe that routines are good and teaching a child to sleep is a gift that will help her throughout her life. Plus, when Momma is happy and rested, everyone is a lot happier! Here's to some good snoozing!
2 comments:
Good luck, and stick to your guns! Being consistent was the key for us. It can be done!
It is common after an infant has an illness for her to revert back to previous behaviors. It has been called: "Behavioral Insomnia."
It is hard for mothers to hear their kids crying at night. And, Sam might not be totally well, even though her flu symptoms are gone. I think it takes about three nights of letting your kid cry (I know that sounds bad) before they go back to sleeping thru the night again. And sometimes, the night time awakenings start back for no apparent reasons. Call me if you want for these things and I will tell you what I know.
Best,
Kevin M. Passer, M.D.
Board Certified,
Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist
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