Sleep Tight

Some people claim to do well on little or no sleep. I am not one of those people.

We've just moved Rowan into his crib and moved the crib in another room. Rowan is going to sleep in the the crib to begin the night and we are gently working on helping him self sooth. I've struggled with this move as Jonah stayed in our room for the entire first year (not to mention the fact he's slept part of the night in our bed for 3 1/2 years - though this is now ending as he is often sleeping through the night). I like having my baby nearby at night. But, Rowan is a a light sleeper and I think we've been waking each other up through the night and he is still expecting to nurse every two to three hours. I'm living in a haze of sleep deprivation (for seven months now), so it is time (probably past time) to work on his sleep patterns.

We've been staying with him while he settles, but leaving him in his crib until he falls asleep this past week. He was pretty unhappy the first couple nights, but is mostly content now. He fusses and talks a bit as he falls asleep, but he often did that in our bed too. He still joins us in our bed at some point in the night, but we are hopeful he'll begin to sleep through the night (or at least go down to one wake up) in the near future.

Changing up the sleeping arrangement has been part of a larger process of letting go of what worked with my first babe and adjusting our methods and expectations to fit the needs of our growing family this time around. It is hard sometimes, but I'm feeling more and more confident that this is right for now. And I'm really hopeful that more sleep is in my future!