SLEEP!

Right now, sleep trumps everything.  Everything!!!  I think about it all day long; the moment I can lay my head on my pillow and go to sleep.  Do you ever find yourself dreaming about your bed?  We went out to dinner on Friday night and at one point, my eyes were crossing and I drifted away.  I thought about my warm covers and big fluffy, cozy pillow.  I could.not.wait until I got home to bed.  I had a wonderful time at dinner with great company, but my precious sleep was calling my name.  Loudly!!  Enticing me with its warmth and love; waving its finger at me telling me to come home this instant.  I’m watching the clock.  It is getting late.  How many hours of sleep will I have if we leave NOW?  It is so funny because I used to be a night owl.  The party would start at 9 pm.  But now, I will gladly get up at 6:30 am if it means I’m in bed by 9 pm sharp!  When did that happen?  One answer: BABIES! 

Last night, the baby woke up and cried a few times between 9:30 and 10:30 pm.  Was it going to be a bad night?  I hurried up and closed my eyes tight.  Please Lord let me have a good night??!!  I just want to sleep through the night.  I want a deep, dark sleep.  I’m making deals with a higher power.  “5:30 would even be ok,” I’ll say out loud.  “As long as I don’t wake up once during the night!”  I want to dream and forget about my kids for the night.    That is all I ask.  Here’s my thing; I will love and hug my children all day long from morning until bedtime, but once the night hits; you are on your own kid.  C-YA!  My kids will sleep.  I will make them sleep somehow.  Because, the truth is; I’m really not a barrel of laughs without my 8 hours.  I need it to feel human.  Don’t we all??!! 

I sleep trained both of my children.  For me, it worked.  I trained my toddler when she was 9 months old.  I remember driving around for her naps when she was 4 or 5 months old.  I literally was bending over backwards to get this child to sleep.   I would sit in the car and read a book.  Not a bad deal; but not for me.  My mom gave me good advice.  She said, “it worked for the time,” but now you just have to create new habits.”  So, I decided that I had to change this situation.  So, I sleep trained her so that she would nap in her crib and go to bed well.  I got tired of rocking her to sleep and then cautiously putting her in the crib, only to have her scream and repeat the process. Repeat.  Rock.  Put down.  Scream.  Repeat.  Arg!  Blart. Snarf! Crap! GO TO SLEEP!!!!!!!!!!

 I love my children, but I am not going to spend 2 hours getting them to sleep.  Sorry, I have lots of TV to watch.  The training took her 2 weeks and it was hard.  But, when it was over, I created a good sleeper.  I sleep trained my second baby at 5 months.  It took a while, because she was so young, but it was successful.  And now, she takes 2 consistent naps a day and goes to bed at 7, without a peep.  Thank heaven. They both know how to self soothe which I feel helps them getting to sleep but also in day to day life.  It creates independence.  And there is also a consistent routine. I think that kids rely on routine.  In my opinion, knowing what to expect is important in creating healthy habits, growth, and intelligence.  So for me, it worked.  Thank goodness. Because, I need to sleep and forget about the day…just for the night.  Leave me alone.     

But, it’s a crap shoot, right?!  We never know what the night will bring.  When the sky darkens and the lights go down, we never know who will cry; who will wake up; will we get a full night’s sleep?  We never know.  So, we can sleep train, and close our eyes tight, and pray and make deals, but it doesn’t matter in the end.  Our kids will wake us up! And, we will rub our eyes and drag our feet to their rooms; trying to make it better so that they can lay back down and let us get back to sleep.  Please.  Let us sleep.  We need it.  We love it.  We are owed it.  We work so hard as parents and this is our one indulgence; beautiful, wonderful, sweet sleep.   Let us have it!