Eighteen minutes. That is how long it took my little guy to fall asleep tonight. When I first decided to teach my son how to fall asleep by himself, I was fully prepared to wait an hour or more. I’m so glad this has not been the case so far.
Today was very difficult, yet everything confirmed my suspicions that he was not getting enough sleep. Last night he fell asleep a little after 8:30 and he did not wake up to eat until 11:30. He awoke at 3am, 6:30am, and 8am. He slept nearly 12 hours instead of his usual 9. He also woke up less frequently. He slept for three hour stretches instead of 1 or 2 hour stretches. I believe the earlier bed time helped with this.
The first two naps of the day were stressful, since he cried a lot before falling asleep, but the third nap was a charm. I laid him down at just the right time and he fell asleep on his own with no crying. Even though it was hard for him to fall asleep the first two naps, his naps were twice as long as they have been.
I’m not trying to force him into a schedule that works for me; the nap times are not rigid. I’m trying to find the rhythm that works for his internal clock. I’m looking at his behavior more than I’m looking at the clock. All babies have cycles of alert times and sleepy times. If I put him to sleep at just the right time, he’ll have more sleep and better sleep. I’m also trying to teach him how to fall asleep on his own. Putting oneself to sleep is an important skill for babies, children and adults.
If you’re like I was, you may not even realize that your baby’s fussy behavior is actually a sign that she is not getting enough rest. Signs that your baby is tired include fussing, whining, crying, screaming, rubbing her eyes, pulling her ears, nose or hair, and yawning. An overtired baby will not be soothed. She may arch her back, scream, or hit. She will not be content unless you are holding her and constantly moving around. After a certain point she will cry whether you hold her or not.
