For the first time, I have some good news to share when it comes to my sleep. After numerous trials and tribulations, my parents have made two major breakthroughs!!!
Things came to a head last week when my parents invited a potential nanny candidate to take care of me for a few hours. When it came time for her to put me to sleep, saying things did not go well would be the understatement of the year!!! I had a major breakdown characterized by hysterical and uncontrolled crying without even the smallest inkling of shut eye. And when the clearly stunned nanny candidate asked mom and dad for advice on what works for me, dad looked at mom and mom looked at dad and all they came up with was "the bag." It was time for "Sleep Boot Camp!" mom decided: no going outside the apartment, no sleeping in the stroller, no time in the"bag". Focus, focus, focus on my naps, bed-time routines, looking for anything that would work for me.
Breakthrough #1 - 'Burn out'
Mom and Dad both had done a lot of reading to try to get me on the right track. One of the most popular sleep books, " Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Childs" by Marc Weissbluth is five hundred plus pages devoted entirely to optimizing baby sleep. Reading it usually puts mom to sleep (everytime!). One of Weissbluth's major themes is to keep periods of wakefulness short so as not to lead to an overtired baby. It turns out I must be the exception to this rule!! I actually sleep much better when I am exhausted. When I start to show signs of being tired (rubbing my eyes, yawning, gentle fussing, etc.), it is NOT time to put me to sleep; on the contrary, it is time for even more aggressive playing. Once I am burned out, I can fall asleep much more easily.
Breakthrough #2 - 'Reset'
If I am fussing and fussing when it is time for me to sleep, mom and dad discovered a way to do a "reset". A typical reset goes something like this: leave me alone in my co-sleeper for three to five minutes (as you can predict it I cry), then quickly return and soothe me (a good hug and some gentle pats on my shoulders usually do the trick!). The "reset" somehow relaxes and quiets me, allowing sleep to overwhelm me. It is unbelievable to my parents that I can fall asleep in ten minutes or less!!
So, things are better. More consistent naps, less time getting me to fall asleep, less use of of "the bag", happier mom and dad. I'll keep you posted as things develop.....maybe a new sleep book is in the making written by Master Niam Kaufman.
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