Not Sleeping Through the Night, But Screaming Through the Night

Monday, 14 April 2008

Chase did a number on us last night and was up screaming his head off every hour or so last night. When he's screaming like that, I can only let him cry it out for like half an hour tops and then I just pick him up and nursing him back to sleep. I'm trying to stick to my guns and not give in to him and let him work us, but it's tough....When we try to bring him into bed, he thinks it's play time and gets all overstimulated (even with the lights out and everything.). Last night, we'd walk him around and up the stairs to put him to sleep, but then the moment we transferred him to the crib, he bounced back up like one of those punching bag toys and just started screaming his head off...Either that, he started wanting to play. I was like, geez, is he that light of a sleeper? It drove us nuts all night long.

It's just this roller coaster..this sleep thing. He does fine some weeks, then will take a setback the next. He actually slept through the night recently, but only because he was sick...so he was probably not feeling good and sleeping more. I'd rather have a healthy, happy baby.

I tried to take a nap later this afternoon when he was playing on the floor with his toys. But, he only wanted me to join in the fun too and he would grab at my face, pull my hair and jump on me. So, the "nap" wasn't too restful.

Chris went to work tonight at McCully Bike for the first time in months. So, I was solo tonight with Chase. We went up to visit Auntie Stevi in the late afternoon. She watched Chase a little so I could lay down, but I couldn't really nap. He ended up falling asleep on her shoulder for a twenty minute nap. But, this was at 5:30 pm so I was thinking, oh no, is this going to screw up his nighttime routine?! I managed to feed him and give him a bath (successfully) in the snug tub in the bathtub, with minimal whining and complaining. We played a little before I put him in the crib. Then he thought it was playtime all over again. As we read books, he laughed and screamed in excitement. He stood up and held on to the edge of the crib. I thought, "Great. Overstimulated baby again." I tried to put him in the swing to calm him down. But of course that only made him angry and scream even louder (this time, not out of excitement). He screamed for half an hour before I gave in and picked him up. The little guy just stopped instantly though once I came in the room. He knew I was going to pick him up...the little sucker! He eventually fell asleep nursing by 8:20 pm, and I put him down in the crib. So far he's been asleep an hour and a half. Chris just got home from work(s), and I'm ready to get some shut eye myself. Let's hope tonight he sleeps a bit more than last night.