Hannah slept in my bed with me when she first came home from China as I had read a lot about how it would help with attachment. She would begin each night in her crib but when she woke up I would bring her in bed with me. This pic was taken the 2nd night we were home together!
At first she liked her own space but soon was most comfortable snuggled up with Mom. It’s not unusual at night for her to reach out for me and want to hold my had and sometimes when I’m asleep I hear this little ‘Hand?’ and know she is searching for me. I reach out to her and all is right in her little world as it is in mine too!
For the first 10 months that we were home I went to bed when she did. She would fall asleep and I would work on blog posts or watch TV for a few hours. Whenever she opened her eyes mommy was always right there.
(May 2010 – Home 6 months)
As we neared the one year mark of her being home I began to venture downstairs when she went to sleep. I’d listen for her on the baby monitor and the moment she woke I was on my way upstairs to comfort her and help her fall back to sleep. At first this would happen 3-5 times each night until I went to bed for the night. As soon as I was in bed with her she settled and rarely woke again until the next morning. Truly she is an amazing sleeper!
Hannah still wakes a couple of times most nights before I go to bed but now she is sometimes asleep by the time I get up to her and more and more often she’s not waking at all.
One of our more recent challenges was helping her get to sleep. About 3 months ago she began falling asleep in our bed and not really using her crib at all. After bedtime prayers and her bottle she’d say, ‘no more sunny’ and I’d turn off the lights with the hopes that she’d fall asleep. That worked for a while but then she went through a long phase where she would flip and flop all over the bed. Unfortunately more than once this meant Mommy ended up with an accidental kick in the stomach or a bumped head when she’d sit up and then fall back with her head landing on mine. Ouch!! She’d always apologize and it was never purposeful but it was tough. I’d keep reminding her that it was ‘sleepy time’ and asking her to go to sleep and she always responded with her current fave ‘No!’ When it went on too long we’d see if her ‘comfy place’ was in her crib but this would only last for a few minutes and then she’d be in tears asking to come back into bed. It was not unusual for her to fight sleep for more than an hour and sometimes and hour and a half. It was rough as I knew she needed her sleep and truthfully, I had things I wanted to get done downstairs. I wasn’t always a happy mommy when we were in the midst of these not-sleeping battles.
Last weekend, after trying to think of options, I decided to try something new and see if it might work. It’s super simple but has worked well for us for an entire week so far!
Our current bedtime conversation after prayers, bottle and turning off ‘sunny’ goes something like this, ‘Hannah, Mommy loves you very, very much. It’s sleepy time so Mommy is going to go to sleep so won’t be talking any more. I’ll see you in the morning sweetheart. I love you!’ A hug and kiss and then I ‘go to sleep’ beside her.
It’s simple but it’s working like a charm! Our hour long
Me: Go to sleep
Hannah: NO!
Me: It’s sleepy time
Hannah: NO!
battles have come to an end and she’s falling asleep quickly and peacefully, normally within 10 short minutes!! It seems my interacting with her was helping her stay awake and now she’s learned a new, calmer way to put herself to sleep. Ahhhh…better!
The only night I added some extra interaction this week was the night when she leaned over when I was ‘sleeping’ and whispered, ‘I love you Mommy!’ and placed a sweet little kiss on my forehead. Oh man….who could resist that? I had to tell her that I love her too and returned her precious little kiss. Yes, she still melts me!!
Those pictures are so precious. I LOVE pics of kids sleeping - my favourite! I'm so glad you've found something that worked again for both of you . . . I know how frustrating sleep issues can be!
ReplyDeleteSweet dreams!
k
Love pics of sleeping kids too! I still sleep with Little T even though she just turned 5. She still reaches out a few times each night to make sure I'm there. One thing that helped her settle down is I tell her she has to let her body rest. Once she hears that from me she says "ok" and settles right down.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Carla
She is SO beautiful!!! The sleep issues are one of the toughest parts....aren't they? Lili's toddler bed is up against our bed. She reaches for my hand during the night to...so sweet!
ReplyDeleteLove and blessings,
Robin
Those pictures of sweet Hannah's face are drool-worthy!
ReplyDeleteSo many of us co-sleep with our babies (you and Hannah are actually co-bedding which is super-sweet) yet it's not really talked about a lot in Western culture. Since I've embraced our own situation (it took me a long time to admit that Pea needed a closer sleeping arrangement) I have come to love having him right beside me through the night.
Here's to continued success with the no chit chat rule!! You know, except when cuteness overrules it. :)
Look how much she has grown! What a sweet angel!!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE her middle of the night sweet comment.
When our son was little he decided that he needed to sleep with us after months of having successfully slept in his own bed in his own room. At that time (long ago) we had a waterbed that became a trampoline of sorts when he got in with us and proceeded to toss and turn and toss and turn..... so that none of us got any sleep. Well we laid down the law and a small mattress on the floor right beside the bed. he was welcome to sleep right beside us and hold my hand and have his back patted but not permitted to get in our bed and ruin everyones sleep. It seemed to be a phase he was going through where he needed extra reassurance that we were still there to love and comfort him even during the night, it lasted about 5 months before he stayed in his own bed again most nights.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Robins comment about having a toddler bed right up close to your bed or take one side off the crib and pull it right against the side of your bed, it might help with the transition of Hannah eventually sleeping on her own while still being close.