Friday, September 25, 2009

Sleep Training Chronicles, part 2

Previous reports of success at sleep training Zeke should be interpreted very narrowly. It remains true that Zeke generally falls asleep by himself, with no crying, at his scheduled bedtime and after his regular bedtime routine (which must be performed by Mike). Everything else about Zeke and sleeping, however, is not successful.
Picture above: Tina hits the bottle after a lousy day and in preparation for a much-disturbed night.
For those of you wondering what I do with myself now that I'm a stay-at-home-mom, the answer is that I manage Z. Is that all? Doesn't he nap? you ask. Yes, I reply, when I spend fifteen to twenty minutes bouncing and rocking him to sleep and then hold him in the rocking chair and continue with patting and rocking while he takes his nap. Then he will sleep until the FedEx truck rumbles by, or the street cleaner comes, or the grounds crew next door starts working.

Last week I resolved to break this cycle of abuse and began a very serious process of putting Zeke down for each nap in his crib after a brief nap routine but without the 20 minutes of standing and bouncing him to sleep. I would like to report that anyone who claims sleep training takes 3 days is a deluded, likely non-parent . Anyone who claims sleep training takes 5 days is a false prophet. Zeke is so determined to not fall asleep (even though he is exhausted when I put him down) that he crawls to the corner of the crib, pulls himself up, and then cries while standing in the corner and resting his head against the slanted crib board. He tricks me into thinking that he's stuck and can't get down so I go in to lay him down again and then the tears start afresh.
I must give a shout out to Nightingale, who has fielded more than one hysterical call from me this week, and without whose advice and kindness I would have turned into a puddle of mush. Holla.
I sure hope Zeke figures this out soon.

4 comments:

ol' Bob said...

Your tales of travail elicited some sympathy and much laughter.

That bottle is impressive, but it sounds as if you might need it. Dr. Pepper, right? To help keep you alert so you can try to get Z to sleep?

ol' Bob said...

Sounds like you need a night out at least for dinner. We will come down and give you a break for dinner and a movie sometime if you trust us. We need to arrange the night in advance of course! Unicorn mom

Tina said...

The bottle is filled with Rootbeer. It is from when we made our home brew, before we put up the bottles to let the yeast grow. It's mostly mad sugar.

Barbara Jackson said...

Tina............I know it is hard. But do not give up!!!!!!!!!!! I have witnessed it first hand as a Gran. It works!!! Although I never managed it as a mom. You my dear, can do this!!!!