sleep

I update my blog far too much lately.

Anyways, now that Zeke is healthy and back at home and life is somewhat normal I am finally going to put him on that schedule I've been considering. I really really enjoyed him doing his own thing. You know, falling asleep when he felt like it and all. It used to work. He woke up around 8, napped thru-out the day, and went to bed at 8.

But these days its not working. Mostly because he doesn't fall asleep anymore. He's become far far too busy for such things apparently. Sometimes he'll take a good nap at like 6pm (yes, that late nap that all mothers know about and dread) Then he's up until 11. Most days he just sleeps 15 minutes here and there. And he's cranky. And I'm cranky. Also Josh is cranky because he comes home to 2 very cranky people.

Sooooo. 2 naps a day, buddy. From here on out! (haha, Im probably dreaming!)

The plan is thus: I figure he almost always wakes up between 8 and 8:30 (except crazy mornings like this one when he slept in until almost 10...but he was also up until almost 2 am...yeah...). But Anyways, if he wakes up around 8 I can get him to stay up until 12 easy. We are very busy in the mornings and generally head home from somewhere or another around that time. He always falls asleep in the car. I cant stop this so I will use it. It will be his first nap. Today this worked wonders. He woke up in his seat when we got home but it was easy to just nurse him back down.

Then he'll do a second nap at like 4 I think. I'm not sure about this yet. It may not be long enough from his first one for him to accept it, but I don't want it to be too late or he wont go to sleep and while Josh and I aren't totally set on 8 like it used to be we want him down by 9 at least. And he definately needs 2 naps Im pretty sure. He's only 4 months.

THEN at 8 or 8:30 we will reinstate out bedtime routine! We kinda did this for a while but then realized it was silly since he went to sleep with or without it. But we will re-instate because this is important in all the books. I think mine will go bath, nurse, and rock (with book or songs). Even though most books say NOT to nurse and NOT to rock...I dont care. Their reasoning is you don't want to do it forever but I wont mind nursing at night until he's 18 months or so and Im sure he'll oppose rocking before I do!

So yeah, sound good?

Any advice?

2 comments:

Domrese Family Blog said...

Hope this isn't TMI. I wrote the boys schedules down at various times in their lives starting at 10 months, so with our next kiddo I could not be freaked out when they were the same. :) My boys were heavy sleepers. Here is their schedule at 10 months:

6:00 AM Nurse
6:00-7:00AM Change diapers, prepare breakfast, free play
-Eat breakfast (fruits, grains)
7:00-7:45 AM Go for a walk
7:45-8:00 AM Quiet Time
8:00-9:00 AM Nap
9:00-10:00 AM Active Play (get dressed)
10:00-10:30 AM Nurse
10:30-11:00 AM Active Play (clean-up)
11:00-11:30 AM Lunch (fruits, veggies, meat, grain)
11:30-12:30 PM Nap
12:30-2:00 PM Active Play
2:00-2:30 PM Nurse
2:30-3:30 PM Nap
3:30-4:00 PM Snack (crackers, fruit, yogurt, juice)
4:00-5:00 PM Prepare dinner, play in kitchen/dining room
5:00-6:00 PM Dinner, play, clean up
6:00-6:30 PM Family play time
6:30-7:00 PM Bath (pajamas, watch sign language video)
7:00-7:30 PM Read stories in bedroom, sing songs, nurse
7:30 PM Sleep!!!!

Kaitlin said...

Here's Molly's schedule she's on now:

6:30 wake up - 6 oz bottle fall asleep
8:00 - 10:00wake up again diaper, dressed
10:00 - 12:00 nap
12:00 baby food and dressed
1:00 - 4:00 6 oz bottle and nap
4:00 snack, 6oz bottle
5:00 - 7:00 6 oz bottle and nap
7:30 bath
8:00 bed
As you can see I"m actually on the opposite side of the fence trying to get her to stay wake more. When she was first born she would only be awake for 20 minutes at a time and slept about 20 hours a day. she was tested for mono and stuff and when she's a little older, I think they said 2 they'll test for that sleeping disease where they can't stay awake...
Anywhoo good luck on the naps!