MMM: Sleep like a Baby

Recently that phrase meant very little to me. It felt like Zeke was awake SO much and only slept for 4-5 hour spurts at night. I thought it was just something I had to deal with because he's so little and that he'll eventually learn to sleep more. Well, to a certain extent, I still believe that is true. He is still growing and needs to eat at fairly regular intervals. But after a recent visit from a friend, I discovered that maybe there was more I could do to help him sleep better... and in turn, I would get more sleep! She told me she had used the "Babywise" book with her baby and that it worked really well. I have had this book for many months, but I never thought to read it AHEAD of time (please don't ask me why! I honestly don't know)! I figured, well once he's a couple months old then I'll read it because I can't get him into any sort of schedule before then. According to this book, that belief is wrong, wrong, wrong. I dove into the book that very afternoon and figured out the basic points of it and started trying it immediately with Baby Z... and I just couldn't stick with it. I laid him down for a nap, let him cry, and it just hurt my heart. Something about letting him cry to sleep, I just couldn't handle, at least not at 7 weeks old. I read some more and tried it once more for putting him to bed that night, he cried off and on for 45 minutes before I couldn't take it and rocked him to sleep, as usual. Something in this method just did not resound with me. And my pediatrician as well as several other mothers encouraged me to use my common sense and mother's instinct.

So I presented my question onto a group on facebook and the responses I received were such a blessing to me! Other mothers told me their stories of how they get their babies to sleep; the plans that they follow; the books they have read; the methods they have tried. It was such an encouragement! As much as I know that I can't be the only mother wondering how in the world to get my baby to sleep, when you're sitting in a dark room, rocking and rocking your crying baby, you do feel alone. It was just wonderful to get this feedback.

After reading Babywise though, one thing I did take from it, and will continue to implement is the Feed/Play/Sleep method. Zeke had actually fallen into this pattern semi-naturally, so it hasn't been too hard to enforce. But I realized I needed to take a stronger initiative to have him sleep at regular intervals throughout the day. I thought he was just an alert and awake baby, but every night he would be fussy and it would be so hard to get him to fall asleep at night. But just in the past few days I have been more aware of his need for sleep (even if it's only 30 min. at a time) and he is already sleeping more throughout the day AND the night! It's really so cool how once you become aware of something, it's rather obvious. So the past couple days he will wake up, eat, I'll play with him or put him on his tummy mat or in his bouncy seat, then after he's been awake an hour or so, I will try to get him to sleep and nearly every time he does! I'm thankful I learned this now while it's still early and before he became extremely sleep deprived.

Some of the methods/books the mothers gave me were the Ferber method, the shush-pat method, the Baby Whisperer, and what I have just started reading this morning, "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child." The ladies suggested to me that I try a method for awhile and then if it's not working, I can move to the next one. So far, this book is making sense and helping me to truly understand how important sleep is for infants, toddlers, and children. And tonight, I'm going to start implementing one of the things I've read about this morning: an earlier bedtime. It says many parents fear that if they put their baby to bed earlier, he'll wake up earlier in the morning (I do); that they'll wake up in the middle of the night more (I do); and that they'll fight going to sleep at such an early time (I do); but Dr. Weissbluth says these problems will actually be CORRECTED by an earlier bedtime. That's good enough for me, I plan to try it immediately!

I'm extremely thankful I have decided to start reading books on sleeping and asking questions while Zeke is still so young. I feel like I haven't missed the boat, but I might have, had I waited just too much longer. Sleep habits can be corrected at just about any time (I think), but it seems to get harder as children age. I'm glad I decided to ask questions now instead of just leaving it up to "chance." Sleep habits need to be intentional in the beginning so that infants, toddlers, and children grow into well-adjusted, alert teens and adults.

**Great sleeping news: Zeke slept from 11:45 pm - 6:50 am last night!**


I have a feeling this topic is one that will be re-visited and evaluated at regular intervals throughout Baby Z's life. Especially as I read more of this book and others. But for today, these are my insights into what I have learned and experienced just in the past 5 days! 5 days? I feel like so much has happened in these past 5 days! But I bring this proudly to you as my baby is napping...

To life... full of teaching my baby to sleep like a baby!