Sleep regression nightmares...

Last week, I wrote about D's bedtime and I would like to point out that this is still fine.

However.

We've hit the four-month sleep regression stage. I'd sort of read about it, but didn't think it was a serious thing. Oh, how wrong I was.

Image: AP via elliegarrett.blogspot

We did everything to make his 7.30 bedtime pleasant for D- bathtime, low-lights, lavender scented body lotion, making sure his monkey, Barry, was in the crib, me gently 'singing' Daydream Believer over and over again (seriously, it gets him to sleep. AND I know all the words. Bonus.) D would drift into a deep, cute sleep.

At 1 a.m., he woke up. "Oh, OK, he's having a growth spurt. He's adjusting to weaning. Cool. Let's make up a bottle, he'll go back to sleep- hopefully until 7am, as normal." I'd like to say that this was done pragmatically and without hesitation, but it's normally after D's dad and I pretend we're both asleep for a couple of minutes.

This is fine, except it happened again at 4 a.m. Now, we were completely taken aback, as D hasn't had a sleep pattern like this since two months old. At that point, you're sort of used to the broken nights and you actually feel more exhausted after the first few nights the baby sleeps though. 

The worst thing about this sleep disruption is that it was also affecting D's naps. He's never been a big napper, which can be maddening, as it means he gets tired, cranky and screamy and I have battles with him to try and persuade him to sleep. I thought maybe, just maybe, a lack of night-time sleep would mean more sleep during the day. Haha, as if. It just means he fights even harder to fall asleep (even though we BOTH KNOW he's tired, he refuses it as much as possible and then when he least expects it, he's sparko.)

Mums on Twitter confirm it's probably a combination of growth spurt and regression and so I started doing some research. Another element that makes it really hard is that D has his third cold in three weeks too. Ach. Snotty and grumpy isn't a good combo!

Anyway, I found this blog post which made PERFECT sense. We're not out of the woods yet, but this has made me feel a bit better. If anyone has any tips, please do let me know!

Bedtime...

Image: Disney Clips

A couple of weeks ago, my health visitor made her final visit to us; D had dropped a little in weight the month before and, although he still resembled a French rugby player in (relative) size and stature, she wanted to check on him. I also think she wanted to keep an eye on me, as I'd had some really tough days where I'd felt like I was struggling.

Anyway, over a cup of tea, we were talking about D's bedtime. I said that we'd not started to putting him to bed at a regular time, but were finding that he fell asleep earlier and earlier and wouldn't nap during the day. She told me that, really, we should have started earlier on a sleep routine. She talked about how it might be harder now to get him to go to sleep and, if we started a new sleep routine, it was maybe better to warn the neighbours in advance. (These are the neighbours who had to put up with hours of nightly screaming when D was tiny and colic-infested. I figured they wouldn't know the difference...)

I had visions of screaming, of D's dad and I clinging to each other, weeping with exhaustion. We'd been warned it would be hard. We braced ourselves.

And, to be honest, it was the complete opposite of what we were expecting. Yes, we had to go upstairs a couple of times on the first night and soothe D to sleep. We went up once the next night. But then, after that, D found his own rhythm. He's going to sleep earlier and earlier and 7pm seems to be the optimal time. We're not doing anything, other than giving him his last bottle, playing Ewan and providing a dummy if he wants it. He's started cuddling a stripy monkey for comfort, which is very cute, even if it sometimes looks like he's snogging it a bit.

He did have a cold for a few nights which has disrupted it slightly, but then I've had the same cold, so I figure we can be martyrs together. He generally wakes up at 3am and coos until either his D or I give in at pretending we're asleep and make a bottle. We've recently started him on solids, which may mean he forgoes this bottle as well. Which would be utterly excellent.

Naptimes are still hit and miss. He will generally sleep an hour and a half after getting up (and watching Pingu during tummy time!), but I've yet to get him into a stricter routine with afternoons. Any advice on this is welcome!

So, what have I learnt? To not count my chickens- I know he could go back to being a sleep-refuser (seriously, this baby will FIGHT sleep if he thinks he'll miss something!) To be grateful for the time I get with D's dad in an evening- it's nice to relax a bit. It's also really, really nice not to dread a 9pm screaming fit. I'm taking advantage of the peace before he becomes more mobile!

Stuff We Like: Ewan the Dream Sheep

I'm trying to persuade (read: win through bloody-minded persistence) D into a bedtime routine. Yes, he's only twelve weeks old, but I reckon if we get some things to be part of bedtime now, he'll associate them with sleeping as he gets older. Enter Ewan the Dream Sheep.

Image: Sweet Dreamers

My mother-in-law had seen the celebrity endorsements in a newspaper and decided to buy it for us and I'm really pleased she did. I think I might love it more than the baby does (there's often been a night when my husband and I have nodded off to the soothing sounds of, er, white noise.) Ewan has four sounds- harp, womb, rain and vacuum cleaner, all with a heartbeat underneath and an optional pink light. We started using it when D was about three weeks old and, at first, we weren't sure that it was working. However, now I find that if I play the harp sequence when we put him down, followed by the vacuum, he tends to nod off fairly quickly. If he's really stressed, I play it while I comfort him. 

You can buy Ewan the Dream Sheep from here for £29.99

Stuff we like: Summer Infant body pillow

About 5 weeks ago (week 16 ish) sleeping became a bit more of a problem for me, with lower back pain, and more annoyingly hip pain on whichever side I slept on (which for me is normally the right side, as I like to sleep facing outwards, not towards the sleeping chunk of man that is my Humongous husband)

I knew that pregnancy pillows existed purely because there is a film/tv program embedded deep in my memory where the husband is annoyed that the woman gets so attached to this pillow and sleeps hugging it every night, even after the baby comes. Anyway, I knew I wanted one so did a bit of research into them and ordered one from Argos (its an 'extra' product, but will be delivered free, or you can collect from your local store)

Basically the idea is that the pillow supports your bump/back/legs whilst sleeping. You can see a little more info about sleeping during pregnancy on the NHS website here and on the Bounty website here.

I ordered the ‘Summer Infant Body Support Pillow’ and it cost me £34.99. I chose it because it has three different uses and I thought I'd get my moneys worth! The main use is obviously as a pregnancy pillow, but also zipped together as a baby chair/support and also as a breast feeding aide.

 

(both images from SI website)

It comes with a removable cotton cover which can be washed, and a zip on/off centre section (slightly padded) which is where the baby would be placed when you use it as a seat.
The 'bump' support is more curved, and the ends tuck back round under your neck/legs to support the back, which hopefully you can see in my artfully posed picture!

  

With then without the removable support bit, and zipped together to form a ‘chair’ (With a small sized water bottle as a make shift baby)

 

Pros:

• supports the back as well as the bump, and I imagine when the bump is bigger it will stop you from rolling onto your back in your sleep, if this were to happen. (I imagine it might!?)
• fairly firm support, so a second pillow probably isn't necessary (when used in the position above)
• you can remove the cover to clean, and could make a more aesthetically pleasing cover without too much hassle, if sewing is your thing
• can be used for sleeping on either side of the body.
• It can be used as a lower back support whilst sitting up in bed (and you can balance a plate of toast on the bit that goes over your legs! It was a godsend when bedridden for a week with flu last week!)

Cons:

• Difficult to untangle yourself when you are half asleep and on a nocturnal visit to the toilet. Once or twice I have sleepily tried to get back in it after a piddle and flung it on the floor in annoyance.
• fairly firm support, some people might find it a bit TOO firm, personally for me it works, but I've read a few review sites where this has been mentioned.
• takes up a fair amount of space (the pictures above are of 5’2 me on a king size bed, for comparison)

Overall: I really like it, and think as I get bigger it will become more invaluable, and hopefully I'll get good use out of it when the sprog comes too.