The Art of Sleeping

I just helped my little girl learn how to get back to sleep after a sleep cycle. She would, as she previously had, wake up any where from 12 midnight to 2 am for a feeding and then be back down till around 5 am. This was perfect for us and I got much needed sleep! But now, as happens with young babies, it has regressed yet again. Only this time it was for something much more obvious as parents to see why. Shaley just broke through her first tooth yesterday! It's definitely there and through the gums. But it may also still be moving and what's causing her to still wake frequently at night. Even sleeping next to me she will let out a few whimpers in her sleep. Perhaps tonight I will give her a dose of Tylenol to help her sleep better.

As she still goes down to sleep okay, I'm not too worried about the work I've done in that area. But getting her to stay asleep is another issue. She loves my breast more than anything in the world. And she will wake for it even when she doesn't need to eat, she just wants to be near it. Co-sleeping while feeding her is not very comfortable for me physically and mentally. Sometimes we do it just so I can get some shut-eye too. When you're sleep deprived, other ways of getting sleep (even possibly unsafe) may look appealing.

Since her father works early mornings it's difficult to listen to her and decide if she's trying to get back to sleep, or if she's in need of something more. She's pretty loud. Some days it'll be a few moans and others it will be a sharp cry and then back to sleep. After last night with him getting good sleep I'm wondering if this is really a problem after all.

So after this tooth comes through I hope she'll sleep better and we can go back to the good sleep for the third time in her short life. I truly am beginning to find out that "If it isn't one thing, it's another"! They grow so fast that everything changes before you get used to the way they were. You can't predict anything because they'll just throw you something new!

I love that little girl.