It’s amazing the difference one bad night of sleep can have on my mommying skills versus a good one. The night before last was very very bad. Last night was a good, or I should say, typical night for me and my newborn.
Did you know that the definition for “sleeping through the night” is actually 5 hours of consecutive sleep by a baby? Some parents fool themselves into thinking that a baby should be sleeping through the night when their other mommy friends brag about their super sleeping babies. But, we have to be careful to define what they are considering as sleeping through the night.
Technically, my 2 month old has slept through the night a few times now. However, his night starts at 8:30ish. So, that means a 1:30 wake up time for him, and then he wakes up about every two hours after that until about 8 am. While that may sound rough, I have learned with number three that I have to go to bed when he does, or at least close to it, if I’m going to get a decent night’s sleep. There are no late night TV watching events for myself and my hubby anymore. We’ve learned that when baby sleeps, we need to sleep.
And, let me tell you, it does make a world of difference.
My poor little one had some tummy troubles the night before last. We are experimenting with his food sensitivity issues right now, and I think his tummy got upset by some brownies I ate. But, boy was that brownie just not worth it. He woke up every two hours consistently, and although I went to bed early with him, it was rough. As a result, yesterday was a bad Mommy day. I felt frustrated with my older two, tired beyond belief, and very impatient.
Last night, we had a good night. I went to bed at 9pm on the dot, and slept until 1am. That felt like heaven. And, today has been a good day.
Those first few months of a new baby in the house can be so rough, but the key is to take care of yourself. Don’t think of yourself as a wimp if you have to go to bed at 8pm. Think of yourself as a great Mom who wants to be an even better Mom in the morning!
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