Sleep Smackdown

Well, Z is still out of town and I'm still tired. So last night I thought I'd try a different tactic. I fed H at his normal 7:30/8ish and put him to bed easily. Then, around 10, when I was ready to go to bed I decided to go with the dreamfeed (pick him up still asleep & rouse him just enough to eat) to see if doing this would eliminate a wake-up. Dreamfeed went well - took 3.5 oz and drifted back off to sleep easily. Off to bed I went.

At 12:15 - guess who's awake?!?! So I went to check on him. Not stinky. Not in a weird place in his crib. Just fine. Now I'm convinced little man just wants me and my trusty bottle to come & put him back to sleep. And thus the smackdown begins. I wasn't really planning on it, but I just decided to go for it. I didn't pick him up, I patted him a bit, offered a paci (which he didn't take & never will if he's mad) and then left. He got quiet for a second and then the wailing began! It was solid for about 12 minutes. Then quiet. Then on & off for another 15 or 20 or so. Then little man conked out. It was not easy. I laid there with my jaw clamped so tight I nearly gave myself a headache. I almost gave in at one point. But I reminded myself it was worse to go back in, because it would only start the cycle over and he would only learn that if he cried long enough I would come.

He was up again around 2. But it was interesting - he didn't escalate to the extremely loud wail he had been doing lately. I was able to get up, heat a bottle and then go in after I had the bottle ready. I figured at 2 a.m. it had been 4 hours since he last ate, so I'd feed him then. I took a long time feeding him, paused midway through and changed his diaper (which he wasn't too keen on since I don't normally change him in the middle of the night) to wake him back up a bit so he'd eat plenty. He took a solid 4.5 oz and drifted back off to sleep with just a tiny bit of fussing. And the best part - he didn't get up again until 6:50 a.m.!!!

As tough as all this way - I think we are heading down the right path. As much as I hate putting the smackdown - it's going to be better for HDog in the long run!