Staying Asleep

Things are progressing with Callum's sleep but it isn't going exactly as planned. He is falling asleep much easier - on his own without assistance after being laid down. His crying is usually minimal- 5-10 minutes tops. However, he's not staying asleep as long as I'd like him to. The past two nights he has gone to sleep by 8 p.m. to wake up at 12:30 a.m. for a feeding and then again at 3:45 a.m. for second feeding. He is then awake from 3:45 a.m. until 5:30 a.m. when he falls asleep for his first nap of the day. Although this might sound good compared to him waking up every two hours as he did when he was a newborn, this is certainly no way for me to get a decent night's rest. Especially because I am normally wide awake after his 12:30 a.m. feeding and up until about 2 a.m. We are going to try some variations to his nighttime routine tonight to see if we can get him sleeping a bit longer before his first feeding. I realize that it seems as if I am complaining, and I am, but this is really tough! I do get maybe 7-8 hours of sleep each night but when it is broken up over a span of several hours, I definitely do not feel rested! I can see why sleep deprivation is a form of torture. Sorry to scare my friends who are planning to have children or those who are expecting. I would advise that you read up on the following subjects in advance because you likely won't have time to do so once the blessed event occurs:

• Caring for yourself postpartum
• First six weeks of caring for a newborn including bathing, nail clipping and diapers
• Breastfeeding (if you plan to do so)
• Getting an infant to sleep

Also, for those of you thinking, where is Iain?, please note that he is currently working full time outside of the house so I handle Callum at night. Iain greets me first thing at 5 or 6 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings so that I can return to bed for a couple of straight hours of shut eye. I could not still be sane or typing this blog without him. He is a terrific dad. Single parents are a whole new type of saint in my book. Finally, a book on sleep I recommend is called: Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems: Revised Addition by Dr. Richard Ferber (Amazon $10.85). You may have heard of the "Ferber" method and possibly have an opinion on it, but nonetheless, his book is excellent. He explains so many different concepts associated with helping your child sleep that it is worth reading if you plan on having kids and want them to sleep at some point during childhood. He also tackles subjects like nightmares, sleep apnea and bed wetting. Until next time, get some shut eye for me!