Walking into the garden . . .

Friday, May 28, 2010

The No-Nap/Late Nap & Irregular Bedtime Girl, and her Tired, Disorganized Mama

Ah, the striving for structure/routine/order in my life and in T's life has evolved into seemingly endless sleep struggle. She is not into any sort of structure with her sleep and it is driving me a bit mad. Both her naps and her bedtime are super irregular, which I know ultimately is fine. For her anyways. I do feel she could benefit from regularity in sleep-land though. Mostly I want to preserve my sanity. I mean, come on, over two years as a single bicycling/busing Mama? I am slightly tired and going a tad bit insane!! Tonight she told me she was ready to sleep, we went through the whole bed-prep business(though I confess my tiredness is resulting in a lacking of a solid routine, which is to say on tired nights, I skip the bath). After nursing and then laying and singing and back-rubbing, then listening to a relaxation/visualization CD for toddlers I found at the library, giving her a soother(which until late has been soley a teething pain reliever), putting a blanket in the window, leaving her on her own, sitting with her and rubbing her, reminding her to be calm, etc, etc, etc, she still came out of bed in the end.
Currently (9:00pm), Chris is out with her on a stroller "Sleep Walk", as I dubbed them when she was around 5 months and having trouble sleeping for a bit. I would put her on my body and nurse/walk her to sleep--Sleep Walks. Hopefully this will work tonight, though I have to say that more-so in the last few months, Sleep Walks as a last resort are not as effective as they once were and I often return or have returned to me a wide-awake or cranky milk-demanding toddler(which, I must say, I am also tiring of...*sigh*).

I pray that soon I will no longer have these issues eating away at my energy and such. The sleep thing is huge. I know it will be okay. I am grounded, I am strong. I will get through this and so will T, and I know it really isn't that bad.

Still, any advice is highly desired.

Thank you for reading!

-Sarah

2 comments:

  1. Your days need routine and one of steady rhythum will bring your dreams (literally) true Sarah.
    Walk slower yourself.
    Quieten down sooner yourself.
    She may be going through a rough patch and this too shall pass if you just walk on solid and steady and quiet like the sound of rain on a tin roof.
    Shhhh yourself and she will snuggle into shhh too.
    Also wake up early and get some free time is good.
    You could try waking her up earlier in an effort to find a re-set button.
    Watch for her routine. The windows of sleep are easily missed with the hub-bub of a day.
    Watch for them and act gently smoothly quietly and with resolve act upon those little tiny windows.

    Often Children are mirroring what they feel sense and see in us.
    Wind down Sarah-Mama.
    From a
    Mama of Many
    oxox

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  2. I know I know. But in this state of insanity and deprivation of different kinds, it's hard to be that. It seems to be something of your nature. I seem to be quite loud and less observant. I am sooo tired.
    I will try though. I just fear my sanity is a bit shaken to control myself well...
    >.<
    Oooh, it's late and T was awake from 6:30am all the way through until 10:00pm, morning swim at the pool and all! Oh my!
    One frazzled Mama!
    I hope we're through the mud soooon!!!
    Thank you for your words and love!
    -me
    (ps-I highly value you and all you say. so thank you)

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