Sleep Issues
I need to do some research on sleep for infants. We are having sleep issues and have had them for the past few weeks. I have attributed it to sickness and the onset of separation anxiety. I really am not sure what is going on.
We start the bedtime routine with a bath almost every night. They love their bath and they love to play in the water. I think it helps wear them down by playing so hard. Then they are dressed and allowed to play for a few more minutes. They get a bottle and we have been rocking them to sleep since they were born. In the first few months, we had to swaddle them to get them to sleep. Swaddling worked well. They also take a pacifier when it is bed time. Rock and then once asleep, we put them in separate cribs.
4 nights a week, I work until 10 or 11 pm (sometimes later). If Cory is having an especially difficult night putting them to sleep, they will sometimes be awake when I get home. Recently, Cole has been the one Cory has had difficultly lying down in his bed. I have had this problem too.
Anyway, I want to help them learn how to soothe themselves to sleep. However, the methods I am aware of mean that the baby usually cries itself to sleep. Cole especially will get worked up very quickly. The boys share a bedroom so it would be difficult to let them cry even a little to try the self-soothing.
I probably just need to try to get my work schedule adjusted so that I can be at home in the evenings for bedtime. But some of this still occurs, even when I am at home.
Any advice/suggestions will be considered.
1 Comments:
Seperate them at bedtime if you must. I've been through this twice now, once with my 2.5yr old Annie and now with my 1yr old Abby.
Annie used to cry and complain a lot, but even though it hurts you must leave them alone to let themselves go to sleep. If they are in a bed, just like SuperNanny says, lead them straight back to it if they get up and cry (exceptions have been made, but rarely).
Abby used to cry a lot when going to bed, so much so that Annie had to sleep on the couch/Momma-and-dad's bed if necessary. However, it -was- necessary and now she drifts off to sleep on the couch and we transplant her into bed, or we put her down and she'll soothe herself to sleep with Annie in the room(!). That last part is great, because Annie likes having her sister in there and (for reasons I haven't really figured out), doesn't mind Abby making noises for 10-15min while she finally settles down for sleep.
Sometimes it hurts, but make each one settle themselves down, even if it is in seperate rooms. Let them cry for 10-15min, check in on them, try to lay them down/cover them up, then leave again. Sucky, but it works.
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