A Lesson in Sleep

Every new baby is an adjustment, and this one is no exception. It takes time to learn how to “read” your baby’s cues, doesn’t it?

We’ve had a few fussy days recently, exhausting days that can leave you feeling completely overwhelmed. As I held and rocked Lily in the evenings and she continued to stiffen her little body and scream, the dreaded word was in my mind… was she developing colic?

We’ve struggled through a fussy newborn stage before. When my firstborn was this age, he slept so little that I read every book on sleep that I could get my hands on. Though it seemed that what these authors did best was contradict each other, I did learn some important lessons on sleep: I learned that your baby tends to be happier and more content if she is well-rested, and that timing is everything. But even though I new this, it still took me some time to realize that my baby girl was not hungry or gassy, but just overtired.

One morning after Lily awoke to eat, I noticed that she started yawning and dozing off right after I fed her. So I decided to try rocking her back to sleep, rather than changing her and playing with her like I usually did. And it worked! I stayed on top of her sleepy times as much as possible that day, and as she became more rested, she became more and more content. She was actually letting me put her down to sleep!

So now we’ve had some quieter and happier evenings around here. Though it’s impossible to be completely on top of her nap schedule, especially with two other children in the house, at least I know now what to expect. If we miss a “sleepy window” when she’s first getting drowsy, she’s going to cry and struggle to fall asleep. But then we can just do our best to help her settle down and try again the next time.

My baby is much less fussy now, and mommy is much more relaxed!

What baby lessons have you learned?