Reflections on sleep
Dan passed his generals on 5/6/05! Yay!!!
John is asleep. John, it seems, is usually asleep. Or smiling. Or eating. Sometimes he cries, but not very frequently.
I think the best advice I've gotten (OK, so the advice that currently is the most applicable) is to feed John for as long as he wants upon waking but then to put him down for a nap at his first fuss after eating. Would this work with all babies? I don't know. I think John has an easy temperment and is usually quite content which may be what makes it work. Days I haven't done this (due to planned outings which have to be cone at very specific times), naptimes have been horrible.
Before John was born, my Aunt told me, "Do what you feel is right." The comment seemed wrong at the time (our feelings are so frequently selfish or sinful) but as I prepared for John's birth and read books about baby care, I began to appreciate my Aunt's wisdom. Each book (I read many and varied books!) told me that I would harm my baby for life if I didn't follow that philosophy. Huh? Each philosophy claimed to be the older one. Huh again.
So I tried parts of each and have settled down into something which works for me. I experimented with nursing John to sleep but found that he would wake up and scream the moment I got up from nursing him. I haven't ever really needed to nap during the day unless I've been sick, so taking three little naps with him each day didn't work for me. Instead, I began putting him to down for a nap (with a head and tummy rub) at the first sign of fussiness. Usually, he settles himself down to sleep almost immediately.
Right now, we're on a 1.75 hour "rhythm" - John is awake for 45 minutes (he usually only nurses for about 10 minutes before becoming totally disinterested) before napping for an hour. In the evening he breaks this to play with Dan for a while. I'm beginning to encourage him to take longer naps now because he's started getting into the habit of a 1.75 hour night rhythm. Today was successful (1h 20m awake before 2 hour nap twice!). We'll see how tonight goes!
John is a fairly flexible sleeper, willing to sleep on my bed, in the crib, in a pack-n-play, or in his carseat. I'm hoping to get him used to a blanket (on a soft floor) so that he can be content at my grandma's house on his blanket.
John is asleep. John, it seems, is usually asleep. Or smiling. Or eating. Sometimes he cries, but not very frequently.
I think the best advice I've gotten (OK, so the advice that currently is the most applicable) is to feed John for as long as he wants upon waking but then to put him down for a nap at his first fuss after eating. Would this work with all babies? I don't know. I think John has an easy temperment and is usually quite content which may be what makes it work. Days I haven't done this (due to planned outings which have to be cone at very specific times), naptimes have been horrible.
Before John was born, my Aunt told me, "Do what you feel is right." The comment seemed wrong at the time (our feelings are so frequently selfish or sinful) but as I prepared for John's birth and read books about baby care, I began to appreciate my Aunt's wisdom. Each book (I read many and varied books!) told me that I would harm my baby for life if I didn't follow that philosophy. Huh? Each philosophy claimed to be the older one. Huh again.
So I tried parts of each and have settled down into something which works for me. I experimented with nursing John to sleep but found that he would wake up and scream the moment I got up from nursing him. I haven't ever really needed to nap during the day unless I've been sick, so taking three little naps with him each day didn't work for me. Instead, I began putting him to down for a nap (with a head and tummy rub) at the first sign of fussiness. Usually, he settles himself down to sleep almost immediately.
Right now, we're on a 1.75 hour "rhythm" - John is awake for 45 minutes (he usually only nurses for about 10 minutes before becoming totally disinterested) before napping for an hour. In the evening he breaks this to play with Dan for a while. I'm beginning to encourage him to take longer naps now because he's started getting into the habit of a 1.75 hour night rhythm. Today was successful (1h 20m awake before 2 hour nap twice!). We'll see how tonight goes!
John is a fairly flexible sleeper, willing to sleep on my bed, in the crib, in a pack-n-play, or in his carseat. I'm hoping to get him used to a blanket (on a soft floor) so that he can be content at my grandma's house on his blanket.
