Sleep Baby Sleep
I think it has been two years since I have felt as helpless, overwhelmed, and frustrated as I have felt in the past month. Gracie is going through another of her sleepless phases and it is stretching me very thin.
On average this past month I have spent 30 minutes to 3 hours a day trying to get her to take a nap. Somedays I am successful, others we live the horror of Gracie without a nap. At bedtime Gracie talks, cries, throws things on average for 1-4 hours before finally falling asleep from boredom or exhaustion. In the early morning hours; we spend an average of 1 to 2 hours; 2-3 times a week with a very awake Gracie who refuses to go back to sleep.
Now we all know that toddlers need sleep. Not as much as they once did. For Gracie's age, experts recommend 11-12 hours a day. That's 10-11 at night, and an hour nap. Gracie without a nap is not an option. She goes so hard all day, and by the last few hours of the day she is cranky, sleepy, and whines and cries practically non-stop. The pediatrician advised us a long time ago NOT to change the bedtime schedule. So for the past year or more we read and have milk at 7:30, brush teeth at 7:50, do good-nights and she is in her crib by 8.
Sleep has been a problem for Gracie since she was born. Most people tell me its because she is so smart and she wants to take in everything, others say its because she is so hyper and is afraid she will miss something, while others still say its the fact that I baby her and she has got dependent on me rocking her from birth to 9 months.
Right now Gracie is in her crib fussing and talking. She was put there 10 minutes ago after I fought with her for 45 minutes to talk a nap. She woke up this morning at 9am. Crib time will not work, I have learned that from experience. She is merely in there to give me a break. The only way Gracie sleeps is if she is cuddled so that she can't kick and talk and move about, and in a dark room where light and colors and objects distract her. For the past 2 years I have, in fact, cuddled her to sleep for a nap. I have tried this several different ways, like waiting for her to fall asleep on her own in her crib, or leaving her in my bed. Gracie is too rambunctious for either of these options. She either gets off the bed, opens the door and runs to play, or she will stay awake fussing and singing and talking in her crib for as many hours as I want to leave her in there.
I am at a loss, and I am terribly frustrated. I try very hard to stay calm and not negative during these sleep bouts, but after a month, I am losing myself, and Gracie has picked up on this. She is not worried by this, but in fact happy that she is winning. I think it adds insult to injury when I am firm with her about going to sleep and she laughs at me.
I know that toddlers will be toddlers and there are a few more tricks I have, but I certainly hope that this is not what us in store for me for the next year.
My short list of other options:
*Some sort of exercise/aerobics, running to wear her out before nap and before bedtime
*Having her stretch really well along with toddler/infant massage (skeptical because she won't/can't stay still for very long at all)
*Buy room darkening drapes or shades to help
*Start waking her up at 8am, keeping her awake until 1 for nap
If anyone else should have any other advise that might help me, I would greatly appreciate it.
On average this past month I have spent 30 minutes to 3 hours a day trying to get her to take a nap. Somedays I am successful, others we live the horror of Gracie without a nap. At bedtime Gracie talks, cries, throws things on average for 1-4 hours before finally falling asleep from boredom or exhaustion. In the early morning hours; we spend an average of 1 to 2 hours; 2-3 times a week with a very awake Gracie who refuses to go back to sleep.
Now we all know that toddlers need sleep. Not as much as they once did. For Gracie's age, experts recommend 11-12 hours a day. That's 10-11 at night, and an hour nap. Gracie without a nap is not an option. She goes so hard all day, and by the last few hours of the day she is cranky, sleepy, and whines and cries practically non-stop. The pediatrician advised us a long time ago NOT to change the bedtime schedule. So for the past year or more we read and have milk at 7:30, brush teeth at 7:50, do good-nights and she is in her crib by 8.
Sleep has been a problem for Gracie since she was born. Most people tell me its because she is so smart and she wants to take in everything, others say its because she is so hyper and is afraid she will miss something, while others still say its the fact that I baby her and she has got dependent on me rocking her from birth to 9 months.
Right now Gracie is in her crib fussing and talking. She was put there 10 minutes ago after I fought with her for 45 minutes to talk a nap. She woke up this morning at 9am. Crib time will not work, I have learned that from experience. She is merely in there to give me a break. The only way Gracie sleeps is if she is cuddled so that she can't kick and talk and move about, and in a dark room where light and colors and objects distract her. For the past 2 years I have, in fact, cuddled her to sleep for a nap. I have tried this several different ways, like waiting for her to fall asleep on her own in her crib, or leaving her in my bed. Gracie is too rambunctious for either of these options. She either gets off the bed, opens the door and runs to play, or she will stay awake fussing and singing and talking in her crib for as many hours as I want to leave her in there.
I am at a loss, and I am terribly frustrated. I try very hard to stay calm and not negative during these sleep bouts, but after a month, I am losing myself, and Gracie has picked up on this. She is not worried by this, but in fact happy that she is winning. I think it adds insult to injury when I am firm with her about going to sleep and she laughs at me.
I know that toddlers will be toddlers and there are a few more tricks I have, but I certainly hope that this is not what us in store for me for the next year.
My short list of other options:
*Some sort of exercise/aerobics, running to wear her out before nap and before bedtime
*Having her stretch really well along with toddler/infant massage (skeptical because she won't/can't stay still for very long at all)
*Buy room darkening drapes or shades to help
*Start waking her up at 8am, keeping her awake until 1 for nap
If anyone else should have any other advise that might help me, I would greatly appreciate it.
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