Monday, September 03, 2007

8w3d - Two steps forward, one BIG step back.

We got the great sleep pattern one more night (down by 8, eat at 2 and 5, up at 7) but then last night, it all went to hell. We had some people over for Labor Day and right before we were ready to eat at about 6:15 or so, Tristan was showing early sleepy signs, so I took him upstairs for a nap while we ate. I was so excited that he timed it so well that I could eat in peace. By the time everyone left at 8-ish, it was clear that he didn't see this sleep session as a nap - he was down for the night. This wouldn't have been so bad except that he was not in PJs and was in a cloth diaper that would not have been absorbant enough to get us to 1 or 2am. I decided to go in at about 8:30 and carefully change him and feed him one more time. Even though my sleep book (Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child) says, "Never wake a sleeping baby." - more than once, I did it. Boy, was that a bad idea. Remind me to never do that again.

It took 3-4 times of me going back in w/in 30 min to put his pacifier back in his mouth to get him to finally settle. Even though he was asleep when I put him down. Then, he was up again at 12 something and again it took multiple binky rescues (about 7 I think) before I gave up and put him in the cosleeper next to me. He finally settled and was up again at 2:30 to eat. He would NOT settle after this though and by 3am I had had enough. My wonderful Hubby came in from the office (where he's taken to sleeping again to get some rest) and volunteered to stay up with Tristan for a while. He brought him back to me at 5am to eat again and I brought him back to Hubby afterwards in the family room where Hubby was watching a silly movie. I got up at 7-ish and Hubby said that Tristan had barely slept from 3-7. Oh boy. Today should be a fun day - not. Hubby just went to go take a nap - poor guy. I guess it's a right of passage as a parent to stay up for hours with a child who can't/won't sleep. I've done it with Ryan a few times when he's gotten croup and a few times with Tristan in the early weeks. It's no fun, no fun at all.

3 comments:

BigP's Heather said...

Don't ever do that again, ok? (that was me reminding you)

Hopefully, it was a one time deal and he will go back to being "regular" once again.

Linlee said...

I hope you get back on schedule soon.

Unknown said...

Ooh, I hope that you both got some good quality naps and that last night was better.

I've wondered about this, esp. when she's taking a marathon nap during the day. Weissbluth says NOT to wake the sleeping baby, but others (Sleep Lady, Baby Whisperer) encourage breaking up day sleep to preserve long sleep stretches for night and recommend dream feeds (which I've never managed to do). My experience has been like yours, though - when I have woken her, it's bitten me in the ass. So now I let her sleep whenever and for as long as she wants!