Sleep

The two big topics of conversation around my peers (aka other parents with babies) these days include 1) when people plan to have their next child and 2) sleep.  Ironically, people seem excited in general about having children and furious at how little they get to sleep.

People love to talk about their baby's sleeping patterns and schedules.  And that's because most every parent I've met is sleep deprived and wants to know the magic secret to having your children go to sleep, stay asleep, and sleep again during the day.

I've read loads on this topic.  I engage in these conversations enthusiastically.  I can complain with the best of them that, until recently, Rachel has not been good at napping for very long.  I dish out advice with the best of 'em.  I brag because Rachel can fall asleep well in a car seat, stroller, backpack, etc. and travels well during the day because of this. Lately have we really worked on a nap schedule in the crib, and I can safely say that she will now nap for a total of 2-3 hours during the day.  That is why I've been on the computer so much lately - it's a quiet activity that does not wake her up!

Night times have been all over the map for us.  In fact, we have statistics below to show it.  When she was a newborn, she didn't sleep all the time like other newborns.  She was alert and wanted to be up and play. I expected to sleep very little with a wee baby because that's what everyone talks about with newborns.  But quickly, she learned to sleep decently at night.  In fact, by 10 weeks old, life looked pretty good to us as she started sleeping well.  At 4 months old, we were celebrating what amazing parents we were because our baby had a great, early bedtime routine and went to sleep nicely and slept through the night well... often sleeping 11hrs straight.

At 5 months old, Rachel seemed starving to me.  I nursed through the night all the time and sleep escaped us.  After solid foods were started, we launched into some serious sleep training as we screamed and cried and tore our hair out letting her 'cry it out' and it worked brilliantly.  We entered the work day like normal people after a good night's rest.  We didn't even mind the 5am wake up because our baby slept well often from 7:30pm until 5am.  Life felt pretty normal.

Then Rachel learned to stand up in her crib, and problems returned.  We had to go in and lie her down over and over and over and this didn't work well for letting her cry if she woke up.  Then we moved and went on a long trip and she became used to snuggling in bed with mommy and nursing at night once again.  Then we moved into our new home and sleep training began again.  It didn't work at all this time and we came up with many reasons why: teething, stuffy nose, not being consistent, not waiting long enough, waiting too long, new environment, new schedule... etc.  It was rough.  We've been grumpy.  We have not been particularly on the ball with tasks or patient with others.  I think it is actually harder to be sleep deprived now than it was with a newborn because I got used to sleeping well again, briefly, and then had that taken away.

This past weekend Rachel slept 3 nights in a row for over 8 hours straight, and we breathed relief.  We smiled.  We slept in until 7am one morning and dreamed of morning snuggles for months to come.  We celebrated the fact that Rachel was now old enough to sleep through the night and our days of exhaustion were over.  

We were, of course, wrong.  Rachel has a new habit of pooping multiple times a night and has kept us awake plenty of times this week and we are TIRED.  I know we are luckier than other parents.  But still, the lucky parents who say that their baby has slept well through the night since they were 6 weeks old and nap for 3 hours IN A ROW every day... those parents almost make me cry.  (I'm only slightly exaggerating.)  

So I'll keep reading.  I'll keep talking about it.  I'll keep notes.  I'll celebrate any day that Rachel naps for longer than 90 min in a row.  I'll jump for joy after any night that she sleeps for 8 hours or more straight.  But, above all else, I'll keep hoping that we can return to sleeping through the night consistently, once again.

And until then, by the way, there will be no serious talks about having any more children in this household.

PS - Here are the 'stats'. 
Rachel slept 8 hours straight or more this many nights in these months over the last year:

Oct, Nov- 0
Dec - 2
Jan - 7
Feb - 8
Mar - 1
Apr - 2
May - 11
June - 29
July - 5
Aug - 0
Sept - 3