Elliot has been sleeping really well for the past couple of days. The night before last he stayed in his crib withouth fussing from 9 to 6 the next morning. And last night he woke up at 4 to eat, went back to sleep until 7 (to eat again), and finally woke up for the day a bit after 9. We couldn't be happier!
We've been experimenting with different conditions to help him sleep better at night. Well, actually, we made a bunch of changes all at once and one or more of them worked. We now have a set bedtime and bedtime routine that we try to follow, which includes washing his face, rubbing lotion on his face and chest, changing into pajamas, and sometimes reading a book. He eats a few times in there, also. We bought a small oil space heater for his room to keep it warmer, and a fleece crib sheet so his bed isn't so cold when he's first put down. And we've been keeping the radio on all night (on a classical music station).
I am putting my money on the fleece crib sheet for the best change, since it's now possible to put him down in his crib most of the time without him instantly crying. And I have to say, I don't like getting into a cold bed myself, why should a baby be any different?
Last night he had trouble falling asleep, so we put him in his swing for about 10-15 minutes, then moved him to his crib. Eventually he'll learn to fall asleep in his crib (and he sometimes does), but Gary and I decided that when he's obviously really tired and we've tried for over half an hour to get him to fall asleep, the swing is fine.
Posted by Jen at October 26, 2005 11:49 AMWhat is an oil space heater? Are you still keeping the feet of the crib in cans of kerosene to ward off bedbugs?
Did you get the idea for the classical music from the Port Authority Bus Terminal? They use it to keep out the riffraff, but I never saw riffraff on Mello Way.
Anyway, we want his life to have meaning, and it won't mean a thing if he ain't got that swing.
Posted by: Jessica at October 26, 2005 04:31 PMTell him to stop drinking so much caffeine and then he won't even need the swing to fall asleep. Lately I've had trouble falling asleep because I've been drinking coffee and soda to stay awake in class. Tell Elliot to lay off the Mountain Dew!
Posted by: Alana at October 27, 2005 11:38 AMAn oil-heater is a type of space heater that has a sealed oil resevoir. The oil is heated up and circulates inside the heater. It's safer than a typical space heater because the heating elements aren't exposed.
I'll monitor Elliot's caffeine consumption and try to reduce it, good idea!
Posted by: Elliot's Mom at October 27, 2005 05:20 PMI must comment on the use of "mom" as a synonym for "mother." Why do it? Is the word mother too long? Too sexist? "Mom" is a term of address, not a noun. I don't allow it to be used to mean mother in anything I edit, unless L.P. wrote it, because I let her do whatever she wants and never try to make her look good. But that's another story.
I'm aware that 300 million Americans disagree with me, but they are wrong.
Posted by: Jessica at October 27, 2005 07:12 PMWhen Elliot is fussing about going to sleep, try putting something that has your or Gary's smell on it in the crib with him for a while. I found my bathrobe worked wonders. Just leave it until he falls asleep. And put it where he can't get tangled in it if he moves around. The music and reading are great, I used the same ideas myself. Sometimes I'd read poems. We were never sure, but my friend swore that they were just bored into sleeping. Maggie
Posted by: Maggie at October 29, 2005 02:49 PMJen when Gary was about 6
months he had one of the jumpers look like a canvas swing but don't swing it set
in the living room and he use to scare me to death because he would touchthe floor with his feet and it would really jump up and he was strong
and he love to bounce. something to think about as he gets a couple of month older .