A Long Peaceful Night...

Finally, Finally, Finally. Max is sleeping. Alot. I feel like a new woman. How did this happen you say....well it all began with a little book called, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. Teresa has actually been telling me about this book for quite some time and I kept meaning to get online and buy it but for some reason never did.

Well last weekend when we were at Kristin's superbowl party she said that she had the book and I could borrow it if I wanted to. I was sceptical but she swore that her little Olivia was the same way and now she slept for like 12 hours at a time....I was still un sure. But Monday morning I got up and started reading....I was a sponge. I couldn't stop. Basically this doctor says that teaching your child healthy sleep habits is no different than making sure they have a well balanced diet and proper nutrition. He also says that babies have to learn how to fall asleep on thier own, which would entail a process I said I would never do ~ crying it out. I was devastated, but not enough to not give it a try. I just had to, I couldn't keep going on the schedule I was doing. Max would sleep good one night and then for two or three nights in a row sleep horrible. His naps during the day were getting shorter and shorter and I truly feel it was because he was sleep deprived.

The book had a suggested sleep schedule for a baby around his age. Up at 7 am, 1st nap at around 9 am., preferably a nap of at least an hour...then he is up for a few hours playing and the 2nd nap at around 1 pm. Again a cyle of about 2 hours of playing and then in bed between 6-7 pm. One of the things that the doctor stresses is that a lot of parents think that by putting their children to sleep later in the evening they will sleep longer during the night. Well I can attest to the fact that doesn't work.

Monday he was up just about 7 am., he usually would wake up as Karl was getting ready to walk out the door. So I got him up played with him for about a 1/2 hour. We had breakfast at about 8:30 am. and at 8:45 am I put him in his crib, gave him a kiss and told him I loved him and walked out. He cried for 15 minutes straight. I gave in and gave him his nuk and he went right to sleep. He slept for 45 minutes. He has never slept in his crib for that long during the day. He got up we played for a bit and about 12:00 pm he started rubbing his eyes and yawning so we had some lunch and I put him back in his crib. This time he cried for 20 min., I again caved when in and gave him his nuk. He slept for an hour this time. He got up around 1 pm and we played some more and at 2:30 pm he was rubbing his eyes yet again, (the book suggests 2 or 3 naps a day for his age) so I scooped him up, gave him his kiss & hug and put him down and walked out. He whimpered for about 10 minutes and was alseep. No nuk, no me, no music, nothing. He slept for an hour and a half. I was floored.

Once he woke up we got up and played some more and at 5 pm I gave him his dinner and he took a bath and was in bed at 6 pm. He was instantly asleep. He did not make a peep until 12:30 am. He fussed for about 10 minutes, feel back to sleep and did not make a sound until 5 am. I gave him a bottle and he was back to sleep in seconds and did not get up until 7 am. Again I was floored. Let me just say that this week I have got more sleep than I know what to do with. I feel like a completely new person.

He is at this moment taking his morning nap and I have already done the dishes, put a load of laundry in and I am sipping on my coffee thinking of what else I can do. I have decided that I am not going to do anything but just enjoy the silence. Thank you Dr. Weissbluth, thank you Teresa for insisiting that I should read this book, and thank you Kristin for actually letting me read yours.

Just in case you are all wondering he has slept through the night all week. Woo_hoo, ok back to coffeee......