Thursday, April 12, 2012

Sleep, Sleep, Sleep...

Bedtime is my new spiritual practice.

It is for every parent.

Sleep is important.

It's important for good health and good moods.  Theirs and mine.

It's important as a break.  For them and me.

It's important for growing.

We all know that sleep changes as children grow.

Bedtimes get extended.

Naptimes change and wane.

The time it takes to go to sleep differs.

Rituals evolve.

I wasn't as good at bedtime when Z was a babe.  I'd nurse him to sleep and cuddle him until I went to bed.  He never awoke.  It worked just fine.

Bodhi loves routine, which has been awesome for us all.  Z has grown to love it because I started sticking to it.  Bodhi's been ready for bedtime at 7:00 - 7:30, almost since we brought him home.  He slept hours at a time from the get go.  He'd be asleep within about fifteen minutes.

I love it.  I never thought of myself as a schedule or routine person, but I am at heart.  It's taken me time to find our rhythm.

Enter daylight savings time.

Enter a whole new level of mobility.

Enter new teeth.

(Deep sigh)

Bodhi's cut down to two long naps, sometimes I can tease out number three if we're lucky.

Z rarely naps.  Thank goodness for "chill/rest time".

He has also pushed bedtime forward about an hour.

I've been fighting it.  I thought if I went upstairs and lay with him it would coax him to sleep.

Wrong!  I've been laying with him an hour or more most nights.  Even sometimes when we go up late.

I miss the hour or so we had with Z at night.  Daddy puts Z to sleep when I'm really late (other nights too, of course).  It's even really messed up dinnertime with our false starts, especially right after daylight savings time.  It puts cleaning way late.  I've had hardly any time to do anything I enjoy because I'm just tired and want to chill.

After fourteen hours on full time duty I. want. a. break.

The last few weeks it has really really got to me.  Even pissed me off.  And I feel guilty for my frustration.  He is an nine month old baby that's just changing right before me, as he should be.  

I guess after eight months of a schedule, I want it to remain the same.  Deep down, I know that's nuts of me.  I just wish it was more consistent.

I'm letting go.

Slowly surrendering.

The sweet babe is changing and I can't fight it.


Maybe it's a new way for me and Bodhi to have some time alone.

I've got to let him take the lead here and find what works for us all.

It's always best when I do.







4 comments:

  1. Rest. Easy. Love. My three favorite words.

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    1. I am sometimes blinded by the fog of frustration and expectation. I have to loosen my grip when those words appear before me. Thank you.

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  2. Oh man, I hear ya! Neva is teething like crazy lately and wants to be held A LOT. Some days I just get wiped out completely. I've been somewhat successful with doing a "family clean-up time" at the end of the day, which really helps cut down on after hours clean-up. Zoe is often down, especially if Mom and Dad both are, and I think it benefits her to see and participate in the work that actually goes into cleaning. The times it goes smoothly, its a nice win-win for both me and her :)

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    1. Bodhi loves close attention, and loves to be held too, a lot. Especially during this teething sleep changing time. He's excited to crawl and edge around everywhere, but when he wants to be held, boy, he wants it immediately!

      That's awesome. I agree, cleaning up works better if we do it together and if I do it all through out the day. And yes, at the end of the day I am wiped out. It bugs me if I don't do the dishes or pick up a little at night though, and I take my shower at night. Sometimes it feels like too much to cram into the end of a day when I just want to sit still!

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