Over the last 2+ years the most consistent thorn in my side has been a baby who will not sleep. People who have experienced it in person realize that she is not your typical “don’t wanna go to bed” baby (I already had 3 of those), but an entirely different creation. I have secretly wondered (more times than I would like to admit) if I screwed up her brain by taking Zoloft while I was pregnant with her. But according to Dr. Google, there is no existing correlation between in-utero Zoloft exposure and the inability to sleep so maybe it’s not my fault after all.
Over the years I have googled countless times: “average sleep times 6 months (1 year) (toddler) (2 year old)” or “sleep disturbances infant (baby) (toddler) (preschooler) solutions” and all related variations with no success. She was never even close to the number of hours that a growing child should be sleeping AND she was emotional and crabby during the day so it’s not like she was Martha Stewart and thriving on minimal sleep (did you know Martha only sleeps 4 hours a night? Crazy lady).
Both Josh and I have been at the end of our rope for oh, about the last 2 years. When you hang on for that long you’re left with only some frayed ends . . . To make it even worse she would go to sleep screaming and wake up screaming — not what I needed at the beginning and end of my day. But sometime in the last 2 months it’s as if a switch has flipped. She is now at a place where she is going to sleep without screaming for 2 to 3 hours and waking up with a smile on her face. And she’s been absolutely charming during the day (as much as a 2 year old can be). It just proves that she has been chronically sleep deprived for over 2 years. Poor girl. Poor me.
So what sort of sorcery did it require? First it took her becoming old enough to understand the concept of bribery. Up until now just coming within 10 feet of her bedroom door any time after lunch or dinner caused her to lose her mind and nothing was getting through that mess of wailing and thrashing to the logical part of her brain. I guess that’s because babies and toddlers aren’t exactly known for their logic, are they? Anyway, we started telling her if she went to sleep “nicely” she could have a chocolate chip treat when she woke up in the morning or after her nap (about 10 to 12 in a little cup). It took several unsuccessful tries and a long weekend when Josh and the boys were out of the house (Josh working nights and the boys all at sleepovers) before she put 2 and 2 together. It’s still a work in progress — the last 2 nights she’s gone to bed at 8 and is still wandering around her room at 10 and yelling for water, but we’re getting closer to normal. I’ve also realized she’s a bit OCD (in the best way of course) and she has to have her sleeping bag adjusted perfectly and the “correct” pjs and the exact same songs sung in the exact same order and if things aren’t just right she thinks its a disaster and lets you know it. I’m positive our unpredictable life (especially since she was born) was a big contributor to her sleep dysfunction. At least now she’s getting old enough to express her “needs” with words. (I would quantify her wanting her tent moved over 10 inches as a “want,” but she clearly sees it as a need and will not sleep until it is moved, even if she has to drag it herself.)
So yeah, I might be jumping through 17 hoops a day, but if that’s all that stands between me and a good night’s sleep, I’ll be saying “how high?” until she’s old enough to put herself to bed. Cause this? Totally worth it.
Good morning Sunshine!
My, what big teeth you have!
So this is what it feels like to wake up well rested . . .
I love my doggie
