I know this is the way ds is...*but*

[herbalwriter]

it wears me out sometimes! and I have no one to vent to about it so you ladies are my victims of choice. Aren't you lucky.

Ds is the type that processes big feelings, problems, interests, etc. at night. I know there are some temperaments like this; I know it's normal. But it is making me nuts. From birth to 6 months he slept beautifully - then when he started really being cognisant of and analyzing his surroundings, he started sleeping less at a stretch and needing me more to sleep.

Say we have a big day with lots of activity and ds is tired and worn out - I used to think, oh boy, he'll sleep tonight! :no2but experience has taught me that no, he will be restless all night as he processes the experiences of the day/week...when we went to the beach last September, he slept *fabulously* for naps an bedtime while we were there, but when we came home he was up and down all night for a week.

He is going to be 3 in July and he rarely sleeps more than 2.5 hours at a time without needing me/my breast to sleep. His SA is like it was when he was 8 mo - it hasn't always been like this, but for the last few months I can't even slip out to pee in the middle of the night without him coming with me. It is making me :crazy :crazy2 :hissyfit by turns.

And it's not teething. All of the above gets *worse* when he is teething.

[mammal_mama]

:hug My 2yo currently nurses a few times a night -- but I don't actually time it, so she may go for at least one stretch of longer than 2 hours without nursing. Sometimes she wakes when I get up to pee, but usually not; I know how hard it is when it happens.

I generally seem to get enough sleep. I think that's because I stay in bed the whole 10 hours my daughters are in bed -- and I lie down with my 2yo for her afternoon nap, too. If my 7yo (we homeschool) likes, I can read to her while we're lying in bed with my 2yo; this way she can get some extra one-on-one attention and snuggling while her sister sleeps, but I still get to rest. I think it's harder if you feel like you should "take advantage" of part of your son's sleep-time by doing housework. Just go easy on yourself. If you've had an especially restless night, consider that you were working a night-shift, and let yourself have a more relaxing day. Since it sounds like busy days don't necessarily help your ds sleep better, maybe he'd do better with a mellower pace sometimes, too.

If our husbands have to work over-time at their jobs, we're sympathetic and let them relax as much as possible while they're home. We need to cut ourselves the same amount of slack when we've been on night-duty. It's only fair.

[herbalwriter]

Good point about night duty. But I am a single mom and there is no one to give me a break with nighttime parenting. And daytimes are as mellow as I can make them, but what with work and visiting his dad it's not the calmest existence. :/ Ds is like I am - he prefers quiet without a great deal of hoopla. But unfortunately, there's gonna have to be some hoopla! And really, things are a lot calmer than they are for a lot of little ones his age. But other's lives aren't the standard - ds would probably do better if things were calmer.

Thanks so much for reading and listening. I will try to give myself a break!

[mammal_mama]

I'm sorry, Leah! I forgot to read your siggy, and did all that spouting about "taking it easy" the next day. Well, God STILL made that promise to give rest to the weary, so here's to believing He's got some refreshing times ahead for you. :hug

[herbalwriter]

Thanks sweet mama! :kiss

I have been so long in "survival mode" that the idea of doing something restful for myself is like, :hunh :hunh I mean, it's like offering a fillet mignon dinner to a drowning man. Put down the steak and get me a life preserver!!!!

[Amber]

:hug2