I know it doesn't sound as nice as Seattle, but we don't live in Seattle. We live in Bloomingdale, and here sleep is elusive, not because we are mourning a loss, or for the excitement of new love, but because we have children. Lots of them! For some reason, they don't want to sleep at night. Actually, they go to sleep just fine. It's keeping them that way that is the challenge.
Occasionally, I'll wake up in the morning having heard not one peep from the girls room all night. I'll ask Sam "Did you have to get up for the girls?" He'll look at me, astonished and say, "No!" and that will be the end of a wonderful night of blissful sleep. But these nights are rare and unpredictable.
We've tried lots of things, but here is our latest strategy. We have one of those soothing noise makers which we have set to "crickets" and that helps mask the noise from the neighbors upstairs. Last night, we added a night light to the equation, which might have helped. Katie still woke up around 1:30, but Josie slept through the night. Only time will tell if the night light is having a positive effect.
Also, we are trying to make lovies out of a few stuffed animals we have. Josie has a duck and Katie has a bear. Maybe if they get used to falling asleep with them, they will wake up at night, snuggle with their animal and drift off peacefully back to sleep without ever needing the intervention of a parent to cuddle with! (I might be dreaming here, but it just might work!)
Well, enough complaining from me. I'll let you all know if Sam and I stumble onto some amazing sleep secret, but until then, please enjoy a few extra minutes of sleep for me. Preferably around 2:00 in the morning . . . That's when I'll be awake wishing I wasn't!
2 comments:
I wish I could feel some kind of sympathy for you, really, I do. But all my mind keeps saying is, "Oh, thank goodness we're not the only ones suffering!". If they only wake up once, consider yourself lucky. In fact, it is rare for babies to sleep a full 10 or 12 hours in a row without waking or needing some kind of help. Ours awakens every two hours, almost to the minute, requiring loving or nursing or both. I've even resorted to bringing her into bed with me around midnight because she'll sleep for around three hours, maybe four, if she's with us. But alas, sleep is not a given for us either. I do hope something works for you.
Sorry, dear sisters, but it has been my experience that the wee ones don't actually sleep throught the night regularly until about two and a half years. Rosie is nearing two and still wakes me at least twice a night. No sympathy from me, either! Just a reminder that it is a stage they will outgrow. What does help sometimes is a fan for background noise, if you think noise is waking them. (Do not point it directly at the offending child, as the chill will counter the soothing sound!) As for magic sleep potions, David suggests a bit of rum; it's good for coughs, sore gums, and sleeplessness. For the record, I have not actually tested this!
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