Cheers to Sleep Again

Monday, April 27, 2009

Since Isabella was four months old she's been sleeping through the night. That is until four months ago when she began experiencing fear for the first time. It's hard to imagine what a kid goes through with their new wild imaginations and vivid view of the world. Since this turn of events our sleep has been disrupted. Isabella would wake up in the middle of the night and walk down to our room. We're on a different floor and she still would wind up in our bed. Then she became difficult to say goodnight as she was anticipating our departure she would start to cry. The crying became more theatrical as the weeks went on. She was so worked up it would take an hour to calm her down.

Ed and I caved little by little. At first we'd let her hang out with us after we said goodnight and after she fell asleep we'd take her to her room. When that stopped working, we'd lay in bed with her until she fell asleep (annoying when it's 8:30-9pm and you haven't eaten dinner yet, let alone cooked anything). I got fed up and we finally found a solution. My doctor told me another parent held the door closed until the kid fell asleep on the floor. And he continued for the next few days. I tried this and it didn't work to hold the door. As soon as she woke up because it was uncomfortable she'd try to open the door again and if I weren't holding it she'd get out. It was more tortous on us.

Side note: we have lever handles with an unusual decorative plate and no door safety lock has worked and I tried them all.

So I finally got Ed to reverse the lock on the door so we could lock her in. Wow, why didn't I think of this months ago??? I did, but eh-hm...I couldn't get a certain someone to help me out.

Anyways, she cried for an hour the first day and slept on the floor all night. The next morning she said, "High five mommy. I slept all night."

The second day she cried for 45 minutes and took herself to her bed and fell asleep. On the third night she cried for 2 minutes and got up to check the door once. And ever since she hasn't cried or even gotten out of bed to check the door. It has now been a little over a week and we have our bed again! And we don't need to lock her in anymore now that she stays in bed.

1 comments:

Call Family said...

Lack of sleep is not fun for anybody in the family-I discovered-ok someone mentioned they did this and I thought duh why didn't I think of that trick a year or so ago when Shane would not stay in time out and I needed him to for my sanity-works awesome except now Chase goes and lets his brother out-ARG!!!

I'm glad she is sleeping again-poor thing-it has to suck to feel afraid but I also now how much it sucks to sleep with a foot in your back and no ability to turn over in your own bed haha.