***see update at bottom of post.
Ok people, here is the deal. For the most part, January was not good to us. It brought us one family death, and two deaths of people as close as family. It started with a week of waking up to a puking kid, had two ear infections in the middle, and ended with a coughing virus. What does all of this mean as a parent??? NO SLEEP!
Griffin has lost all of his good sleeping habits. All of them.
So I am appealing to the masses. Any sleeping advice is welcome!
Here is a quick rundown of Griffin's sleep deal:
- he slept thru the night till 5 months, then started waking several times a night until he was maybe 10 months old
- he has mostly sleep thru the night since then, occasionally waking once for a minute or so
- he has always been good at going to sleep. We do our bedtime routine (we read him a story, pray, kiss goodnight then I lay him in his crib awake) and he goes to sleep.
- he goes to bed at 7:30 and used to wake at 6:15ish
- he no longer uses a pacifier
- NOW he is all over the place! Some nights he won't go to sleep without one of us laying with him, other nights he goes right to sleep but then wakes up around 1am and won't go back to sleep unless we lay with him or bring him to our bed, and then some nights he goes to sleep and wakes up at 4:30 and will not go to sleep!!!
- we have tried letting him cry in the morning, but he never stopped (an hour and a half!), we have not CIO at night bc I am just worried about another ear infection and haven't taken the plunge.
So how did you get your kid to sleep? Did you CIO? (If so, how long did they cry?) Anyone just lay with them and they suddenly didn't need it anymore? Give us some advice people!
*** Update: Shortly after this post I reached my limit and decided to let him CIO. He was finally not sick and I knew he was waking completely out of habit. He woke at around midnight and I went in to assure him I was here and make sure he was fine. Then I left and he cried for 2 & 1/2 hours!! Longest night of my life. It was horrid. But I reminded myself over and over that he needed sleep too. After that he has slept thru the night like a dream! Woo hoo!
Is he in a toddler bed now? If so, that's a whole different game. We spanked our kids if they got up out of the toddler bed (in fact, Lawson is up crying at the gate now, and I'm hoping Eli will take care of it so I don't have to!). Since moving here, Lawson has been tougher to get to sleep and has been waking earlier in the morning. His doorknob is messed up and we're waiting on the builder to come fix it so we can put a door lock inside his door again. If he knows he can't open the door, he stays in better.
ReplyDeleteIn the crib, once we took the paci away, we let them cry. I know it's hard when you're coming off sickness, but we lost sleep for six months straight with Hannah because I kept assuming something must have been ailing her for her to wake up since she had been a great sleeper before. The truth was she had formed bad habits, and because she was older, she became more manipulative about getting up and out of bed! Once we let her cry, after two nights she didn't make a peep.
Every time we do loosen up, we end up back at square one having to just let them cry again. So hang in there!
p.s. I had to go get Lawson after sending that post. He was standing at the gate, SPITTING on my carpet! I asked what he was doing, and he held his hands up to me and said, "SNOT." He had also pooped. Oh, the joys of raising boys! Good luck with your little man! Our hands are FULL with ours!
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