Last week our sweet, normally great little napper decided that she had much more interesting things to do during the day than sleep. :-) Needless to say, that made for some long days for me and my girl. I have read that while they are going through major developmental milestones (like sitting, which she is sooo close to doing) that they have more REM sleep which equals more night awakenings and shorter naps. Well, that sounded exactly like what was going on with us. So on Friday afternoon I decided on a whim to try to lay her in her crib when I knew she was tired and let her fall asleep on her own. She enjoys laying in her crib so she talked and played for a while and then started to fuss. I went in a gave her the pacifier and left. I repeated this process a few times and eventually she went to sleep! I couldn't believe that it actually worked! It is now Monday and I have done this all weekend for her naps and it has been incredible. She has learned that when I lay her down in her crib that it is time to sleep. And her normally 20-30 minute naps have turned into an hour or more! I am just so proud of my girl! :-) As of right now she seems to be able to be up for about 2 hours before she starts showing signs of sleepiness. So I just time it from the time she wakes up and 2 hours later we start winding down for nap. I know all of this could change tomorrow but for right now it is working for us and I could not be happier.
I am also trying to introduce a lovey to her. From about 2 months to 4.5 months our precious girl would go to bed around 9:00 and sleep until around 9:30 the next morning. She slept like a rock all night and didn't make a peep. It was glorious! Well we had several transitions around that 4.5 month mark like weaning from the swaddle and eventually moving her to her crib. Since then she has started crying out for her paci throughout the night. She doesn't really fully wake up but it just seems like she can't soothe herself back into a deep sleep when she starts to stir. I give her the paci and she goes right back to sleep. Sometimes we do this 20 times a night while other nights just once or twice. It can be pretty frustrating to say the least (LOL) so I am hoping by introducing a lovey she will find comfort in that when she starts to stir and be able to eventually go back to sleep without her paci. I know she may not take to it and that is fine but I think its worth a try. We have been holding the lovey while we eat and keeping it in her crib while she sleeps. We will see if she starts to take to it. :-) I have considered trying to wean her from her paci but honestly I am just not up for that and I don't think Sarah is either. She loves her paci (aka her baby) and it just comes in so handy for sleeping and in the car and other times when she is overwhelmed. So I will continue my job as night time paci popper! :-) (And know that someday she will learn to put it back in herself) :-)
Well that is the big update in our lives right now! And I can hear my little girl waking up from her almost TWO HOUR NAP! Score! :-)
Happy Monday everyone! :-)
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