Ahhhh Sleep!
Last Tuesday night Punky made the move from our room to her own room for overnight sleeps. She was already sleeping in her own room in the big cot for her day sleeps (when she would have them!) but the time had arrived to move her into her own room for all sleeps.
The first three nights she slept in there in the bassinette. I borrowed the bassinette off my good friend K, and with the birth of her third baby imminent, I need to return it so she can get everything ready for her own bundle of joy. Her baby shower is on Sunday so it will be going back then.
The first night she was in there was really hard. Not for her, but for me! I was so nervous and worried, worried that she would choke or stop breathing and I wouldn't be there to help her. But I needn't have worried as all was good, she slept fine, and I slept a little better than I had since she was born because I wasn't constantly being disturbed by all her noises.
So on Friday night, after 3 nights in her room in the bassinette, it was time to make the move to the big cot. And O.M.G! It was a revelation! She went down at about 9:30 and slept right through till 5:30am! 8 continuous hours! I could not believe it! When she woke up I got her up for a feed and she fell back to sleep, so I popped her back in the cot and she continued to sleep till almost 9am! It was amazing! I woke up feeling so good. More rested than I had since long before she was born.
Dave and Punky playing 'Snapping Turtles', where Dave rubs his nose around Punky's face and Mia latches on to it with her mouth, it's very cute! |
The best part is, she then did the same thing on Saturday and Sunday night. On Monday however she was asleep by 9:15pm, then woke for a feed at 1am, 4am and 8am, which wasn't too bad, but not as good as the big long sleeps she'd had previously. Luckily, she was back to what I am hoping is normal, on Tuesday night and was again sleeping till 5:30-6amish, waking for a feed then falling back asleep again till around 9am and she has continued that for the rest of this week. In fact she woke up at 6am this morning, had a feed and then slept till 10:30am! I was up before her and managed to eat breakfast before she woke up!
I am counting my lucky stars that has she has slept so well in the big cot, and almost wishing I had moved her in sooner. The only problem was/is day sleeps. She doesn't seem to like them, hasn't for the last 6 weeks, resists them at all costs, cries until I give in and give up. Also, while she was sleeping fantastically once she was asleep for the night, getting her to sleep was a challenge and took quite a while.
But after a big chat to my Mum and my sister E on Wednesday night (she doesn't have any kids but she has worked a lot in childcare and is fantastic with kids and knows soooo much, she was also called the Sleep Whisperer at her work because she was the only one that could get the most difficult kids to sleep) I've started on a new strategy of getting her to sleep, and so far so good.
It involves me keeping myself a lot more calm when she cries, not letting myself get frustrated, angry or upset with Punky, as she was definitely picking up on those emotions and getting herself more worked up; putting her down before she is actually asleep, when she is drowsy, and not picking her up when she cries while trying to get her off to sleep, but being there, comforting her and stroking her head and patting her till she calms again, but not picking her up.
I started on this new strategy yesterday and I've used it three times so far and it seems to be working. She definitely calms down a lot quicker because I am staying calm and in control, and she had a much longer sleep yesterday afternoon as well, about an hour and a half rather than the usual 45mins. It's hard to resist picking her up but I know it's for the best. I have also incorporated some bedtime music into the routine as well, in the hopes that eventually I'll be able to put her down with the bedtime music going and she will just go straight off to sleep.
Dave's work gave us a stuffed puppy called Violet, which you plug in to the computer to personalise (you tell it your child's name and can pick the different songs and bedtime songs it plays, as well as tell it your child's favourite colour, food and animal which it then uses in a song, and it sings a song spelling your child's name, it's awesome!) and it has music and bedtime songs and talks to your child. The good thing about it is it just takes regular batteries to keep it going, and you can choose from 2, 5 or 10 minutes of bedtime music. Plus it's the perfect size that it can go anywhere with us so when she eventually gets babysat at Mum or my mother-in-law's place overnight Violet will go with Punky.
It's amazing how much better I've been feeling now that I have started to get some decent sleep. I am really hoping and praying that these long night sleeps keep up and become Punky's normal because it makes such a difference to my frame of mind and makes me a much happier Mummy!
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Comments
Thats what they taught me at the TResillian sleep clinic - consistency and a calm, but firm, tone of voice is key!
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