We have officially made the transition to one nap a day! Over the course of the last couple of weeks, Lilah was skipping her afternoon nap more often than she was taking one so I decided it must be time. We have been on the one-nap-a-day schedule for about 3 days now and things seem to be working themselves out. Lilah has been eating an earlier lunch at around 11:30am and then going down for her nap at about 12:00/12:15pm. Ideally, I would like her to be eating lunch closer to noon and going down for her nap at about 1:00pm. I will try to push her a little later each day and we will get there eventually. As with any transition, I need to be patient.
Of course, there are pros and cons to our new routine...
Pros:
+She has been falling asleep almost instantly because she is dead tired come nap time and she has been sleeping for about 2 hours which is about the same amount of time she was sleeping for when she was taking two naps.
+She is getting a solid chunk of sleep rather than two shorter stints which I think is more beneficial as far as sleep goes.
+We have a much longer chunk of time in the morning to get out and/or play
Cons:
-Lunch time has become a little more challenging because she is quite tired and, therefore, more fussy and less likely to eat a decent lunch (I am hoping this will change as we settle into our new routine).
-I haven't been getting through the shower and ready for the day until after noon which needs to change. I am planning on getting into the routine of showering before my husband leaves for work which should solve this particular problem.
-I am still adjusting to not having a break in the morning. The days seem much longer, but I am sure I will adjust as well.
Other notes:
-The change in nap schedule has had no effect on her nighttime wakings. I had hoped that perhaps giving up one of her naps would lead to longer stretches of sleep at night. No such luck!
-I have decided to drop her mid-morning nursing session and replace it with a snack. I am not ready to give up nursing, but because she would normally nurse when she woke from her morning nap it just seemed to make sense to drop that particular feeding along with the nap. She isn't asking to be nursed and doesn't seem to miss it. I felt as though she needed to be eating a little more solid food than she was so this should help with that as well.
This is only the beginning of a year of constant change! Hold onto your hats, hopefully it is not going to be too bumpy of a ride.
On a different note, it is becoming more challenging to find time to sit down and write these days, but stay tuned because one of my resolutions was to make more time to blog. I have a lot of ideas for posts and several in the works!
Showing posts with label sleeping patterns. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sleeping patterns. Show all posts
Friday, January 14, 2011
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Dropping a Night Feed
My daughter hit the 8 month mark. I can't believe it! Time is flying by so quickly! The lack of sleep is also finally catching up with me. I have been tired ever since I started having to get up to pee several times a night when I was pregnant...if we do the math that means I have been tired for the past 17 months! However, it was only recently that I started to feel truly exhausted! As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have never been a napper and have rarely taken naps since Lilah was born. Over the last few weeks, naps have been essential.
It is the case that nursing mothers tend to find they are more exhausted during their baby's second half of the first year. There are a number of reasons for this:
1) Our baby's become more active and, therefore, we become more active, but we don't make up for it by resting any more than we had been resting.
2) Menstruation returns for many women in the second half of the first year when baby becomes more reliant on solid foods and is nursing less. I was lucky to have 8 period-free months, but alas this is now contributing to my lack of energy!
3) Many mothers pay less attention to what they are eating as time goes on and/or decide it is time to lose some weight and eat less. However, because we are still nursing, we need to continue to fuel our bodies properly so that milk production does not drop off.
As an aside...in a recent post I talked about the common drop in milk production many women experience around the 7 month mark. Shortly after writing that post, I started menstruating again which helped explain why I was having trouble producing enough milk. I failed to mention in that post that the return of menses is a very common cause of low milk production. It tends to be the case that your milk supply will drop most drastically before your first cycle and for some women it many continue to drop before each cycle.
Anyway, back to the main reason for my exhaustion...My daughter was still waking 3 times a night to nurse. She goes to bed at 7:00pm and would wake to nurse around 10:00pm, 1:00am, and 4:00am and then wake for the day between 6:00am and 7:00am. I was fine continuing with this schedule up until a few weeks ago when the extreme exhaustion set in.
As I mentioned in a previous post, it is completely normal for a breastfed baby to wake 1-3 times per night well into the second year of life if they continue to breastfeed. Now that my daughter has been eating 3 solid meals a day, however, I decided that I would like to attempt to get her to drop one of her night feedings. I am happy to continue nursing her 1-2 times a night for the time being, but I no longer feel 3 feedings is necessary given that she is a good eater during the day (nursing 4-5 times and eating 3 solids meals and occasionally a small snack).
As I am not a fan of any kind of cry-it-out sleep approach, my husband and I decided that we would simply try to gradually stretch the time between feedings by comforting Lilah in other ways (ie. rocking her). I was prepared for this to take some time, but after only a few rough nights we have now had 2 nights in a row during which she only woke to nurse at 10:00pm and 2:30am! This is still a work in progress because she is still waking in the night at other times, but she is getting better at putting herself back to sleep (we are now trying to eliminate the rocking and letting her try to fall back asleep on her own which has been successful).
I think that after a few weeks of nursing only twice a night, I would like to attempt to get Lilah to drop yet another feeding so that she is nursing only once each night ideally right before I head off to bed (10:00pm). As she consumes more and more solid foods, I will feel more comfortable doing this.
My ultimate goal is to continue to breastfeed until she is a year old. I may continue for longer, but at that point, I would only like to be nursing once in the morning and once before bed. This gives us a few months to gradually wean her off of night feedings altogether. Wish me luck and good luck to all of the parents out there that are feeling as exhausted as I am!
It is the case that nursing mothers tend to find they are more exhausted during their baby's second half of the first year. There are a number of reasons for this:
1) Our baby's become more active and, therefore, we become more active, but we don't make up for it by resting any more than we had been resting.
2) Menstruation returns for many women in the second half of the first year when baby becomes more reliant on solid foods and is nursing less. I was lucky to have 8 period-free months, but alas this is now contributing to my lack of energy!
3) Many mothers pay less attention to what they are eating as time goes on and/or decide it is time to lose some weight and eat less. However, because we are still nursing, we need to continue to fuel our bodies properly so that milk production does not drop off.
As an aside...in a recent post I talked about the common drop in milk production many women experience around the 7 month mark. Shortly after writing that post, I started menstruating again which helped explain why I was having trouble producing enough milk. I failed to mention in that post that the return of menses is a very common cause of low milk production. It tends to be the case that your milk supply will drop most drastically before your first cycle and for some women it many continue to drop before each cycle.
Anyway, back to the main reason for my exhaustion...My daughter was still waking 3 times a night to nurse. She goes to bed at 7:00pm and would wake to nurse around 10:00pm, 1:00am, and 4:00am and then wake for the day between 6:00am and 7:00am. I was fine continuing with this schedule up until a few weeks ago when the extreme exhaustion set in.
As I mentioned in a previous post, it is completely normal for a breastfed baby to wake 1-3 times per night well into the second year of life if they continue to breastfeed. Now that my daughter has been eating 3 solid meals a day, however, I decided that I would like to attempt to get her to drop one of her night feedings. I am happy to continue nursing her 1-2 times a night for the time being, but I no longer feel 3 feedings is necessary given that she is a good eater during the day (nursing 4-5 times and eating 3 solids meals and occasionally a small snack).
As I am not a fan of any kind of cry-it-out sleep approach, my husband and I decided that we would simply try to gradually stretch the time between feedings by comforting Lilah in other ways (ie. rocking her). I was prepared for this to take some time, but after only a few rough nights we have now had 2 nights in a row during which she only woke to nurse at 10:00pm and 2:30am! This is still a work in progress because she is still waking in the night at other times, but she is getting better at putting herself back to sleep (we are now trying to eliminate the rocking and letting her try to fall back asleep on her own which has been successful).
I think that after a few weeks of nursing only twice a night, I would like to attempt to get Lilah to drop yet another feeding so that she is nursing only once each night ideally right before I head off to bed (10:00pm). As she consumes more and more solid foods, I will feel more comfortable doing this.
My ultimate goal is to continue to breastfeed until she is a year old. I may continue for longer, but at that point, I would only like to be nursing once in the morning and once before bed. This gives us a few months to gradually wean her off of night feedings altogether. Wish me luck and good luck to all of the parents out there that are feeling as exhausted as I am!
Monday, July 5, 2010
The Sleeping Through the Night Myth
Yes, there are babies out there that sleep through the night. This, however, is not the norm.
At some point in time, Western society adopted this idea that babies and toddlers should sleep through the night despite the scientific fact that they are not supposed to.
In fact, this belief is so prevalent in today's society that many mothers are made to feel like there is something wrong with their baby if he or she does not sleep through the night. Even health care professionals will tell you that your baby should be sleeping for 6 hour stretches at night (the actual definition of "sleeping through the night"). A million things are suggested as the cause of night waking from teething to digestive problems to separation anxiety. In addition, suggestions as to how you can get your baby to sleep through the night are abound and range from stuffing them with solids right before bed to letting them cry it out.
The Fact is that Babies Sleep Differently
Babies have shorter sleep cycles and twice as much light sleep as adults. In the early months, their sleep cycles are about an hour long and the period of light sleep in which they are vulnerable to waking is longer. As they get older, their sleep cycles get longer and the length of time they are in the stage of light sleep gets shorter. Why do babies have such short cycles and spend so much time in light sleep? Imagine your baby was unable to wake when he or she was cold, hungry, or when his/her nose was plugged and breathing compromised. Babies are designed to awaken easily in the early months for exactly these reasons. It is also believed that this light sleep is good for babies' development because it provides mental exercise in the form of dreaming (which happens during the light sleep phase).
In general, a baby's sleep habits will reflect their eating habits. In the early months (0-3 months) when babies are feeding frequently, you can expect them to also sleep frequently and for short periods. Older infants (3-6 months) are generally awake for longer periods of time and may also sleep for longer periods as well, but you can expect at least one or two night wakings. As your baby gets older, his or her sleep habits will mature and begin to resemble a more adult-like sleep pattern. Here is the kicker...once a baby starts to sleep better, developmental milestones, teething, illness, and separation anxiety begin to interrupt sleep. Night wakings should lessen over time, but you will never truly be off the hook at night!
Breastfed Babies Sleep Differently than Formula Fed Babies
The simple fact is that night waking is normal for breastfed babies. Babies that do not wake in the night are atypical (and usually formula fed). It is completely normal for a breastfed baby to continue waking two or more times a night until the age of 2 years. Stretches of sleep for the breastfed baby typically last between 4 and 6 hours. Research has shown that babies that are formula fed from birth have what is called "poor vagal tone". This basically means that their nervous system is disordered and they tend to be sleepier and less alert than breastfed newborns. Babies that are weaned after several months also tend to sleep for longer periods, but the jury is still out on the reason for this. It has been suggested that it is probably the case that weaned babies that sleep for longer periods have learned to go back to sleep using their thumb, a pacifier or bottle, some method whereby feedings are scheduled and slowly eliminated or some sleep technique like 'cry it out'. Whatever the reason, it is rarely a naturally occurring phenomenon.
Sleep Techniques
Sleep problems have reached epidemic proportions in our society and the amount of time parents spend trying to end night waking by forcing their children to sleep is quite alarming. Additionally, many of these efforts do not work. Using comfort objects (pacifier, bottle) usually means you are still getting up in the night to help baby find the object. The 'cry it out' technique does work for some parents, although this method is seen as quite harsh by many. The kinder "No Cry Sleep Solution" is also an option by which you gradually shorten the amount of time baby is at the breast with the aim of ending nursing. If you are desperate for your baby to sleep through the night, you could try one of these techniques as they have worked for many families.
A better alternative in my opinion, is to:
1) Provide baby with a variety of healthy sleep associations (ie. people, objects, events) that help baby to get to sleep/back to sleep when awakened until baby is old enough to do so without these associations.
2) Parent baby to sleep until they are ready to put themselves to sleep. Too often, babies are forced to become self-soothers before they are ready which can lead to a fear of sleeping in addition to more severe sleeping problems down the road.
3) If baby has begun to 'enjoy' the attention he or she receives at night rather than 'needing' the attention (ie. they are waking to nurse more than once or twice each night), steps may need to be taken to rectify the situation. If you are going to try out a 'technique', make sure you thoroughly research the benefits and consequences of the technique before hand and remember to be flexible.
*The information in this posting comes from:
The Nursing Mother's Companion - Kathleen Huggins
What To Expect the The First Year - Heidi Murkoff
The Baby Book - Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby From Birth to Age Two -William Sears & Martha Sears
At some point in time, Western society adopted this idea that babies and toddlers should sleep through the night despite the scientific fact that they are not supposed to.
In fact, this belief is so prevalent in today's society that many mothers are made to feel like there is something wrong with their baby if he or she does not sleep through the night. Even health care professionals will tell you that your baby should be sleeping for 6 hour stretches at night (the actual definition of "sleeping through the night"). A million things are suggested as the cause of night waking from teething to digestive problems to separation anxiety. In addition, suggestions as to how you can get your baby to sleep through the night are abound and range from stuffing them with solids right before bed to letting them cry it out.
The Fact is that Babies Sleep Differently
Babies have shorter sleep cycles and twice as much light sleep as adults. In the early months, their sleep cycles are about an hour long and the period of light sleep in which they are vulnerable to waking is longer. As they get older, their sleep cycles get longer and the length of time they are in the stage of light sleep gets shorter. Why do babies have such short cycles and spend so much time in light sleep? Imagine your baby was unable to wake when he or she was cold, hungry, or when his/her nose was plugged and breathing compromised. Babies are designed to awaken easily in the early months for exactly these reasons. It is also believed that this light sleep is good for babies' development because it provides mental exercise in the form of dreaming (which happens during the light sleep phase).
In general, a baby's sleep habits will reflect their eating habits. In the early months (0-3 months) when babies are feeding frequently, you can expect them to also sleep frequently and for short periods. Older infants (3-6 months) are generally awake for longer periods of time and may also sleep for longer periods as well, but you can expect at least one or two night wakings. As your baby gets older, his or her sleep habits will mature and begin to resemble a more adult-like sleep pattern. Here is the kicker...once a baby starts to sleep better, developmental milestones, teething, illness, and separation anxiety begin to interrupt sleep. Night wakings should lessen over time, but you will never truly be off the hook at night!
Breastfed Babies Sleep Differently than Formula Fed Babies
The simple fact is that night waking is normal for breastfed babies. Babies that do not wake in the night are atypical (and usually formula fed). It is completely normal for a breastfed baby to continue waking two or more times a night until the age of 2 years. Stretches of sleep for the breastfed baby typically last between 4 and 6 hours. Research has shown that babies that are formula fed from birth have what is called "poor vagal tone". This basically means that their nervous system is disordered and they tend to be sleepier and less alert than breastfed newborns. Babies that are weaned after several months also tend to sleep for longer periods, but the jury is still out on the reason for this. It has been suggested that it is probably the case that weaned babies that sleep for longer periods have learned to go back to sleep using their thumb, a pacifier or bottle, some method whereby feedings are scheduled and slowly eliminated or some sleep technique like 'cry it out'. Whatever the reason, it is rarely a naturally occurring phenomenon.
Sleep Techniques
Sleep problems have reached epidemic proportions in our society and the amount of time parents spend trying to end night waking by forcing their children to sleep is quite alarming. Additionally, many of these efforts do not work. Using comfort objects (pacifier, bottle) usually means you are still getting up in the night to help baby find the object. The 'cry it out' technique does work for some parents, although this method is seen as quite harsh by many. The kinder "No Cry Sleep Solution" is also an option by which you gradually shorten the amount of time baby is at the breast with the aim of ending nursing. If you are desperate for your baby to sleep through the night, you could try one of these techniques as they have worked for many families.
A better alternative in my opinion, is to:
1) Provide baby with a variety of healthy sleep associations (ie. people, objects, events) that help baby to get to sleep/back to sleep when awakened until baby is old enough to do so without these associations.
2) Parent baby to sleep until they are ready to put themselves to sleep. Too often, babies are forced to become self-soothers before they are ready which can lead to a fear of sleeping in addition to more severe sleeping problems down the road.
3) If baby has begun to 'enjoy' the attention he or she receives at night rather than 'needing' the attention (ie. they are waking to nurse more than once or twice each night), steps may need to be taken to rectify the situation. If you are going to try out a 'technique', make sure you thoroughly research the benefits and consequences of the technique before hand and remember to be flexible.
*The information in this posting comes from:
The Nursing Mother's Companion - Kathleen Huggins
What To Expect the The First Year - Heidi Murkoff
The Baby Book - Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby From Birth to Age Two -William Sears & Martha Sears
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