I want to write and blog so bad but I’m finding it difficult to grasp even the slightest coherent thought today. All I’m capable of is jibberish because my son Mylo decided to not let me sleep one iota last night.
It all started with putting him to bed, which is usually quite painless. My husband Jason was at work and I began his usual bedtime routine at 7:00. I bathed him, changed him, read to him, sang to him and then nursed him. I then put him in the crib awake, and he flipped out.
Before I could even collect his damp towel and leave the room he hoisted himself up the bars of his bed. (Jason recently lowered his crib to the lowest level since Mylo’s learned to pull himself up to standing.)
As I closed the door behind me he was holding on to the side of the crib, peering through the bars like a caged animal, protesting at the top of his lungs. I left the room and waited 10 minutes. Waiting, hoping, praying that he would settle down. He didn’t. I returned to the bedroom after 15 minutes and nursed him some more. I put him back down and he repeated his climb up the side of the crib followed by his freak out routine, yet again.
Defeated, I sat down at my desk in the living room questioning if I should have left and wondering if and when I should go back. Unable to write and unable to think after almost 45 minutes of what sounded like sheer distress, I picked up the phone and called my mom. An advocate for crying it out, she suggested I go in and hold him like Jason does on the rare night I am not home to put our son to bed.
Looking for any excuse to have my motherly instincts validated, I hung up the phone and ran right in to my baby.
It took a while but he eventually settled down with his head on my chest and the remnants of his hard-earned cries dissipating with each breath.
Getting him to sleep last night, which is usually the easiest part, was tough. Don’t even get me started about the middle of the night. I’m not so sure that will ever be a walk in the park.
I’m minutes away from his bedtime routine. If tonight is anything like last night, then rest assured that there will two of us screaming and crying at the top of their lungs.
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We have had so many sleep problems in our house, I totally feel your pain! It’s so hard to figure out what’s going on or what the right way to respond is. Good luck. I hope tonight was better!
Oh NO! I hope it went much better last night, and I hope you were able to sneak in a nap. Sleep challenges are so frustrating!!!
Ree! The memories of the those nights have been the best birth control — ever! My son did this at 4 months and people thought I was nuts when I said “I think he’s teething!” They said, no — too young.
But they were fools and I was so glad I at least tried to comfort him in his distress because he popped a tooth a few weeks later. He was in pain and trying to tell me. Anyway, I don’t know your situation but try putting some Orajel in his mouth and see if it helps. It took me way, way too many long, miserable nights to figure that one out. Orajel worked like a charm!
Hope you have a better night ahead. If he’s a child that hurts alot with teething, then it will be rough for awhile without: ORAJEL!
Heather you bring up some great points. I didn’t even think of that. He got his bottom two teeth around 5 months of age and that went so smoothly that I never considered the fact that he might be uncomfortable as his two top teeth pop through. But I wonder would they be in pain as they are cutting through or some time before? In any case you make a good case for Orajel so I am going to get some today! Thank you!! ~Ree
Hope you have an easier night!
Have you read The Baby Whisperer? My son was a terrible sleeper and I ended up reading every book out there on sleep. I found that book the most helpful. Good luck! Sleep problems suck.