Sleep….What’s That?

Harrison is completely going through the 4-month sleep regression…which is now turning into the 5-month sleep regression…which is ultimately making me lose my mind…

I think that I heard somewhere that the Army used crying babies to torture POW’s.  Don’t quote me on it, but I’m sure it could quite possibly make the most strongest of men buckle…

Anyway, all I can say is that sleep regression is no joke.   I am tired, real tired.  And I feel as if there is no end in sight.

I was extremely lucky with my first, because he loved to sleep.  He slept through the night around 8-weeks and continued.  I guess I thought all babies were like that.  I mean, don’t get me wrong he woke up once or twice every once in awhile, but nothing like this.

When other people would complain to me about how their baby was not sleeping, I would nod my head in agreement, but all I could think is babies sleep all the time…what are they talking about?!?

In comes Harrison. He was a great sleeper at first, and don’t get me wrong he is a very happy baby.  I was ecstatic when he began “sleeping through the night” .  Then about a week before he turned four months, just when I got used to getting decent sleep…WHAM!

NO sleep

NO naps

My once happy, smiley baby  has turned into a GIANT cranky pants.    He won’t let me put him down.  He wants mommy 24-7.  He is not sick or hurting and feeding, changing, rocking, walking doesn’t seems to help…

Having not really had a true 4-month wakeful period with my first, this was a total shock.  Of course, I go running to Google to try and figure out what is wrong with my baby.  Even worse figure out what I am doing wrong. All I keep thinking is how horrible I am for letting my baby get to this point where he is obviously super overtired.  Maybe co-sleeping isn’t working for us? Maybe Harrison is a kid that needs a strict nap schedule?

Most experts agree  that the 4-month wakeful period is when you baby is becoming more and more aware of their environment.  I see this with Harrison during the day.  He is extremely busy looking around and trying to figure everything out.  He has become an increasingly  lazy nurser during the day.  Obviously what his older brother is doing is WAY more important than eating.  Not eating as much during the day equals making up for it at night.

Also, this time is a developmental phase for working on and trying to perfect different gross-motor skills, such as rolling over and crawling. Everything is new and exciting for them, I can only imagine what is going on through their little heads.  Harrison has been rolling for quite some time, but I catch him waking at night pushing himself up on his hands and knees and trying to rock back and forth until he makes himself mad.

I keep having to remind myself that this is all temporary and in the grand scheme of things it truly is only a very short amount of time.

This too shall pass…hopefully, sooner than later.

Some great sleep resources that help me realize that I am not crazy:

Ask Moxie

Wonder Week 19

Kelly Mom: Wakeful 4 Month Olds

Secrets of Baby Behavior