Keeley doesn't sleep. I think this has been well established. This morning she started the day at 5:30. At 9:20 (after 15 minutes of crying in her crib), she finally surrendered to her first nap. This nap last an entire 40 minutes. We then went to lunch and the mall and returned home at 1:40. She was not interested in sleeping and cried and fussed for 30 minutes before surrendering to sleep. This nap also lasted 40 minutes.
Needless to say, an 11 month old needs more than 80 minutes of sleep to make it to a reasonable bedtime. She can't be napping any later than 4 or she puts up a huge fight to go to bed. So we were left to power through the afternoon. Finally, at about 6, she rubbed her eyes and face planted into the carpet so we started getting ready for bed. She didn't even want to play in her bath. I laid her in her crib at 6:22 and haven't heard a peep since. In all fairness to Keeley, her day was 13 hours long and that is a long day for a baby (especially when she got less than 11 hours of sleep the night before). It would just be nice if the 13 hours of daytime ended later than dinner!
There is something that just feels wrong about putting her to sleep so early. In my head, I know that she only needs about 12 hours of sleep at night so this will mean she is awake at around 6:30 tomorrow morning...only to make tomorrow's bedtime early again. But, I also know that if kids are too tired they don't sleep well during the night and will wake up tired. What's a mom to do? She's simply too busy for sleep so much of the time. I don't know how to fix it (and goodness knows I've read everything I can about "good" sleep habits - she is simply not falling for it).
I guess I should just be grateful that my husband is home early enough to see her before she goes to bed at 6:30 and that I have the entire evening to spend with him (at home since Keeley is sleeping...)
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