The Power of Sleep

My big developmental milestone this week is that I learned how to go to sleep all by myself!!!

Let me give you a little background....In July after we found out my test results were normal, I began sleeping through the night (about 7-8 hours) and going to sleep on my own in my crib. That lasted about a month before I started teething. At this point I began demanding to be rocked to sleep, and I woke several times each night for my pacifier and also to eat once or twice during the night. At my 6 month check up, the doctor said I was old enough and big enough to be sleeping around 10-12 hours without eating. But, I still didn't want to. I liked being rocked and cuddled to sleep and attended to each time I stirred in the night. This led to severe sleep deprivation, exhaustion, and sometimes even crankiness for everyone in the Fox household.

Well, this week M&D got tough on me. They read all the books in the library about sleep and picked a theory they liked best. The book is called: The Sleepeasy Solution: The Exhausted Parent's Guide to Sleep-from birth to age 5. The basic premise is:
1. Establishing a bedtime routine
2. Maintaining a consistent bedtime
3. Getting rid of unhealthy sleep aids (bye bye pacifier for sleep!!)
4. Going to bed awake
5. Allowing me to put myself to sleep for bed and naps, checking on me at specific intervals for reassurance
6. Keeping me in my crib for at least 11 hours
7. Weaning the nighttime feedings

Mommy tried this with me starting on Monday night. It took me 20 minutes to fall asleep--some of the longest 20 minutes of Mommy's life! But, I am a quick learner. Each night after that it has only taken me 2-5 minutes to fall asleep and I am not waking up in the middle of the night!! I have slept for 11-12 hours for three nights in a row!!!!!!!

M&D are so proud of me, and we all feel so much more rested and relaxed. Before Monday I was only getting around 8 hours of sleep at night, broken up by 5-6 wakings. M&D were only getting around 6 total hours of sleep at night since they go to bed later than I do.

This could not have happened at a better time. I have had to be a good girl this week because Mommy's time and energy have been spread between taking care of me and taking care of Grammy in the hospital. Grammy had her total knee replacement surgery on Monday. Everything went well on Monday, but then on Tuesday and Wednesday she had severe pain and some breathing complications. Now she is feeling better, but it was a rough two days! We are so proud of Grammy and her strength. We know she will have a speedy recovery and be playing on the ground with me in no time!

Thank you to all the friends and family who have called, visited, written, sent flowers, helped babysit, and generally given us huge support. We appreciate it!