My Good, Little Sleeper
My good, little sleeper. Oh, how I have desperately waited & wished to be able to say those words. As I was suffering through the throes of new motherhood, a lot of the advice that I received was along the lines of, “One day it will just get better.” And as ambiguous as the advice was, it gave me comfort. I held fast to the hope that one day it would just get better. I remember a very specific conversation with a friend in which she was empathizing with me over the initial pain of breastfeeding. She said, “One day it will just stop hurting.” She was right.
The “suffering” that lasted the longest for us was surely the lack of sleep. Sleep has always been a critical part of my ability to function. I know that a lot of people can go without sleep or run happily on just a few hours. In fact, my own father cannot sleep more than five hours a night. If he gets too much sleep, it makes him feel poorly. (I can’t even imagine that!?!?) But I’ve never been one of those people. Without sleep, my brain shuts down. I experience sharp, physical symptoms — dark, haze blurs my vision; I develop swollen glands; and my depression flares up intensely. That said, lack of sleep is simply a reality of new motherhood. You grin and bear it. For me, the fact that Roman James was the sweetest, most angelic baby for most of his waking hours made it easier to push through. I always knew that one day it would get better. And recently, it did.
To get a good night’s sleep, you always need a comfortable bed. A comfortable bed is always welcoming and makes you fresh when you awake in the morning. This applies to your child, as well. In fact, you have two reasons to choose a good crib mattress. One is to give your child the right level of comfort as the way you expect in your bed, and the other is a good night’s sleep.
We’ve got a nap time routine. I pop Roman in his swing; cover him with his blankie
It’s easy to spend a lot of time complaining about things like no sleep, no free time, etc. but it’s so important to count victories, too. My good, little sleeper is definitely a victory for me.
P.S. How cute is it that he sleeps with his hands behind his head like that? He’s been doing it since he was born! Also notice the link in his left hand. 😉 Amen for sleep! xo
. It had been on my “to-read” list for years, when by a stroke of fate a dear friend offered to lend me her audio copy. I plan to do a full review of the book in the coming weeks but for now I want to focus on one important element—
These are such darling photos you will cherish forever! If one thing is for certain, change is inevitable. These babies sleep habits change and change and change and we are constantly adjusting to the new normal. 🙂 I’m happy to hear you have a good routine going!
Thanks so much, Andrea. You’re so right about the change thing, too! xo
That pose is too cute!
I’m SO happy for you guys! And 7am?! Wow wow wow! Jealous!!
Right!? He sleeps like such a boss — the position and the hours. I really hope this keeps up and that it’s not a fluke. It’s Christmas-come-early ’round here. =D
He looks so peaceful & beautiful!
I just want to kiss & kiss & kiss him when he’s asleep. My little smoosh face.
We’re working on the same thing in our house! It’s harder to have a routine with the third, than it was with the first two. Always so much going on! Luckily my Plan B (baby carrier) always works 🙂
I wish Roman would have taken to a carrier. I tried so much in the beginning & he hated it. He’ll get in for playtime, hikes, out and about. But he refuses to nap in one! So glad it’s a great option for you, especially with three!! Ahhh. 😉
Thank you for posting about sleep! Jack is 8 weeks and the sleep is just getting worse with 30 min catnaps and I’m at my wits end. Everyone says it will get better but I, like you, NEED my sleep so am anxiously awaiting this day.
You are so welcome, love. I’ve written about it A LOT. You can check out all of the posts here: https://livelovesimple.com/tag/sleep-problems/.
xoxoxo