The Sleep Challenge

For the last several weeks Aki Bear's night time schedule has been something like this:

7pm : Asleep
10:30pm : awake, nurse, back down at 11:30pm
2:30am : awake, nurse, back down at 3:15am
5:15am : awake, nurse, back down at 5:45am
6:05am : awake, nurse, we fall asleep in bed and wake up around 7 or 7:30am

That's 4 times that we get up and nurse. His max amount of sleep time on average is 3 hours 15 minutes. We haven't had a 4 hour or even a dreamy 5 or 6 hour sleep span in ages. What happened? I don't know. I feel like we've gotten into a really bad habit though.

During the day it's really hard to tuck him in (I try to use that term instead of "put him down" or "put him to sleep" because that sounds like I'm Dr. Kevorkian or a veterinarian.) Just now, for instance, it took 30 full minutes for him to fall asleep for a nap. That included swaddling, bouncing on the edge of the bed, rocking him back and forth, sitting in the rocking chair and then as soon as I put him down it's as if there is a on/off switch on his butt because as soon as it hits the crib he cries. AAAAAGGGGHHH!!!!! and then repeat 5 times. (Ooop, that'd be 6 times now.) Sometimes I get so frustrated that I just give up and we go without a nap.

I'm reading the book "The No Cry Sleep Solution" by Elizabeth Pantley. (I've been reading it for AGES.) I have finally gotten to the part where we try and change his sleep patterns or in our case his habits...or OUR habits, as I am just as much at fault if not more so than the wee one. Also, I must add that there are some other new changes for the lad. Since last Friday he has been sleeping in his crib at night. One of those nights he was swaddled but the rest of those nights he has remained "free!" I try not to swaddle him during his naps in the day time but Mike is still doing it or so I believe. I hope Aki B isn't getting confused. Anyhow, he seems to be sleeping just about the same at night un-swaddled as he was when he was swaddled...it's just harder to get him to sleep unswaddled because he more easily startles himself awake. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr. So Sunday night I started "Phase 1" to help him sleep longer. In the book she says we have to learn the difference between sleeping noises and awake noises. Sometimes he will cry but he's actually still sleeping. The only way I can tell is that he doesn't continue crying, it's usually one loud squawky cry and then silence. The other cries are continuous and will get louder and stronger if I don't do something about it. Here's Phase 1:

Comfort Until Baby's Almost Asleep
Once you determine your baby is really awake, go and get her. Sit in the rocking chair and rock, nurse, or bottle-feed Baby but only until her eyes close, her sucking rate slows, and she's falling asleep. Try not to wait until she is totally asleep. Stand up with her in your arms and rock or sway gently. When you lay her down, keep your arms around her for a few minutes, making gentle rocking motions. (Yes, this can be tough on your back, but it's only temporary.) She will accept the change from your lap to her bed if you don't abruptly "dump" her there. Keep in mind that, when she sleeps on you, you are moving and breathing, while the bed is still and silent. So gentle movement in the transition helps. Once she seems settled, gently slip your arms out from under her. If she stirs, put your hand on her; whisper your key words or turn on the soothing music; and rock, pat or touch her gently until she's asleep. If she wakes and cries, pick her up and repeat this process. You may have to do this two, three, four maybe five times, but that's OK - really. If you or your baby get upset at any point, just go ahead and put her to sleep in your usual way and ditch the plan for the moment. Eventually she will get more comfortable with your new routine and she will go to sleep. She will still be depending on you to help her go back to sleep but because she is finishing the falling-asleep process in her crib, she will be one step closer to being able to put her self to sleep when she wakes in the night. Remember, you are making a change. It may take a while for this to work, but this beats spending another year or more in a sleep-deprived stupor! When you feel that your new routine is working, go on to Phase Two.

So this is how my crappy Sunday night went:
6:45pm - nighty night cutie pie
9pm - up. WHAT!? rocked him without nursing, down
9:45pm - up, nursed. rocked, cried, nursed, rocked, cried, nursed, rocked, down. Then I went to re-read Phase 1, because it felt torturous.
12:58am - up, nursed, rocked - I did the thing where I kept my arms around him while placing him in the crib and man my back hurt but I did it and I moved my hands and arms out from under him as if I were slow, hot moving lava.
1:22am down - that was record nursing/rocking time - usually we both fall asleep and I wake up an hour later with him sometimes still latched on!
3:36am - up, nursed, rocked
4am - down
4:20am - up, rocked, down
4:45am - up, rocked, down
5:11am - up, nursed, rocked, down
5:40am - up, rocked
5:53am - down
7:18am - UP

As you can see my 4 - 7 was TERRIBLE. I think one positive is that he probably ate less, as we never fell asleep together. Hopefully that will allow him to eat more during the day. We'll see how Daddy Day Care went and I'll report back.