Well , they aren't babies any more really, but they certainly are tired. Today started at 4 this morning and 15 hours later they are still on the go. The last 3 hours have been a bit full of screaming and battles at every turn.
It got me thinking about our sleep routines especially as I was chatting with some other mums today. We have all had struggles along the way with sleep, some people vying to achieve the perceived golden 12 hours sleep, and others simply looking for their sleep to be longer than an hour and a half. I like, where possible, to go with the flow and respond to the needs of my children, and mostly we've managed this with sleep, though we are again on the cusp of another bedtime routine, thankfully this one is fairly uninvolved. In fact I'm doing it now. We've had a bath, teeth brushing and a nu?ber of books. I'm sat between them writing this on my phone as they both lie cuddling their teddies on the edge of sleep. I thought it might be nice to catalogue a number of the bedtime routines that evolved for my 2 children over the years. They are not chronological, but give you a picture of the evolution of sleep in our household.
#1 feeding through the evening then coming up with both parwnts at bedtime for a feed to sleep
#2 feeding to sleep at 7ish, then returning through the evening for feeds when woken
#3 as 2 but couldn't be bothered to go downstairs inbetween times, decamped to bedroom with laptop!
#4 in wrap to be tapped and shushed to sleep whilst pounding the floor, or going on late night walk.
#5 lying next to in silence pretending to sleep
#6 trying everything then giving up and putting on sofa with blankets and instructed to not play or talk
#7 like #6 but not bothering to try anything beforehand
#8 in bed tapping and shushing and then gentling removing stimuli one by one, then leaving it an extra 5 minutes to be sure, creeping to the doorway, only to be bekoned back by a scream when the door is pulled open
#9 feeding to sleep in arms, then gently lowering into bed (hammock bed) then screaming and bounced in hammock only to continue screaming, trying the special soundas and lights thing, then changing nappy, then swaddling, then shushing, then screaming (me this time), then crying (still me), feeding again, then lying in bed with baby whilst feeding and finally getting some sleep.
#10 doing the "dippy dance" a friend showed me
#11 putting on Viva and dancing to Alexandra Burke at 2am in my living room with baby in wrap.
#12 feed 20 times on a usually 4 hour journey home
#13 kiss 15 teddies goodnight, then child, then say goodnight and leave (yes it did work, but that was one of our shortest phases at 2 nights)
#14 put in bed push covers up say goodnight and then leave in darkened room, straight sleep. OMG
#15 say goodnight downstairs, then they go up on there own and put selves to sleep straight away (yes, it did happen, but again, twice for this one)
#16 hold down with bedcover as if in swaddle whilst screaming then settling and relenting then sleeping takes place (far too often)
#17 get up 100 times for food and drink sending me crazy
#18 following a need for control, let child choose bedtime, remain playing for as long as is wanted until choice made to go to sleep alone, proviso was not allowed downstairs. (3 nights)
# ... Can't think of any more right now ,but I think you get the picture.
