They used to call me the sleep whisperer. I once met a mum {at a job interview} who was beyond frustrated and overwhelmed with her teeny baby who wouldn’t sleep. I walked in, held her baby and hushed her to sleep in her cot. Her mum declared it a miracle and hired me on the spot.
They used to call me the sleep whisperer, but now I’ve lost my touch.
My daughter is allergic to sleep. I’ve fought the battle night after night, after night. And I’ve lost.
“Let’s go to bed,” I half-heartedly declare war on the sleep battle. I say ‘let’s’ because it’s not her, it’s always us. There’s no going to bed without me.
“The moon not up!” She fights back and the battle begins.
For hours she fights back the inevitable. I rock. I pat. I bribe. I will. I fight.
Eventually she starts to quieten and her eyes grow weary. Sleep starts to win.
I exhale. She’s asleep. Finally. The battle is over, for another night anyway.
Sleep Whisperer, I'm sure it's just a phase, your skills will magically return and you will once again reign supreme. Even Robert Redford had a couple of moments…..right? She is seriously cute though!
Kirsty
@Kristy: I hope so. I think I need to play tough mum. 🙁
Hi Chantelle, these photos are just fantastic, totally gorgeous; please, please tell us how you did them one day in a post, pretty please.
I needed you when you were a Sleep Whisperer, but thank goodness mine are older now. I have had to be pretty tough in a cruel-to-be-kind way at times… it's painful but better than the urge to strangle them all which is what sleep deprivation brings.
But… no point worrying when you have a big trip ahead, sort it out when home. Have a wonderful time.
My girl is going through a phase….she just comes out time and again asking to be covered up (cuppacup). So frustrating, but I know it'll be over one day….as will your sleep woes!!!
I am EXACTLY the same, I hear you loud and clear. Monte and me “us” going to sleep, in my bed. When will it end??????! How will it end?!
How did it end for me? Having another baby. When you have two to juggle, there's no choice. They have to go to bed, in their bed, without me.
It's taken a lot of persistence and hard work, but my two crawl happily into their beds and go to sleep now. They don't always stay there all night, but the stress of bed time antics is much relieved.
I am truly thankful for mothers group and the blogging community because you realise you are not the only parent who still has a child with sleeping issues. Raya fights the night sleep and then wakes and gets into our bed during the night – at least 4 nights per week.
I think each child is genetically resistant to their own parents sleep skills – Raya can go to sleep no issues at other places
I suffer the same, we bathe, have a cup of milk, brush her teeth, read 5 books some days more, listen to soft music & when I think I have won she decided its time to play with her soft toys.
I have to lay next her as quite as I can so she thinks I'm sleeping & then she falls asleep patting my back.
But apparently I was the same when I was a child & I still struggle to fall asleep now.
Hopefully its a stage.
Hi Chantelle,
You are not alone. I am in your space right now too.
Our 3 year old… who was always a brilliant sleeper, until number 2 bubs came along… ends up coming into our room every. single. night. I take him back to bed. Comfort. Soothe. Sneak back to my own bed. Only to have him back in our room within an hour or less. It's frustrating, tiring and I don't know what to do either. Hopefully, it will pass sooner than later, as he does have us over a barrel a little bit, with his baby brother sharing his room. The last thing we want is for BOTH children to be disrupted and crying! Good luck my dear :o)
Oh Chantelle, how exhausting for you both! She will grow out of it. Time.
I am exhausted for you. I shouldn't tell you this, but the sleep-fighters are always fighters. No matter the age, no matter the circumastances. Good cop, bad cop – you can't make them sleep! Especially your own, who over the years has grown immune to all your sleep charms and brushes them off like a crumb.
I get the feeling, though, that this is a window of opportunity for you. Now is your chance to make it clear that if she carries on, she sleeps alone. Mum only comes in for good sleepers… And even then… Two birds with one tough Mumma? No more Mum at all?
Remember this – helping our children learn good sleep patterns is one of the best things we can ever do for them. Be tough to be kind.
Thinking of you. I have been there. I AM there! x
Hi Chantelle,
had this on and off with every one of my three kids. It's a phase, your magic will be back soon ;-). Break the routine if you have a tough time. Especially with our first we were easy with the bedtime. As long as you can live with it ;-). When they get older “sleeping” will be easier!
Actually to be honest this sounds like me last night. I went to the bathroom, i turned on the fan, i put cream on my feet, i went to the bathroom again, i wrote down my thoughts and feelings, i read, i put on my eye mask, but i still tossed and turned and rolled and yawned desperate to get an early night sleep 🙁
I can only imagine how fustrating this is for you Chantelle im sure its just a phase Lacy is going through. Have you bribed her with the gift of dreaming – no sleep, no wonderful dreams?
All the best xx
Commiserations… I haven't been at it as long as you, but my 10 month old has never been a great sleeper, and is currently going through a very rough patch. Here's hoping that good sleep is just around the corner for all of us 😉
Hope you have a great trip!
It's funny you know, I seem to have that talent with other people's children. I honestly never have trouble with bed time and kids even if they're stirring a little. But I can just imagine if I ever had my own they would be terrible sleepers! lol
Good luck with daylight savings, that is purely annoying!! My husband is a baby whisperer, he takes them off ladies with screaming babies in restaurants & brings them back to our table (this has happened many times) & gets them to sleep – he's not looking at being a 'manny' he's busy being a soldier, i know, most unlikely baby-calm-inducer-ever.
Tricks to get them to sleep, short of making them run themselves into the ground, leave her with books, that is always a good one, tell her if she gets up or is noisey, she will lose the special reading treat tonight, bribe her with education!! If possible, make her room really unstimulating, i know, ruins the decor & pretty ornaments, but it's less distracting. Warm calming bathes . . . anything that keeps them quiet & cruisey.
Then there are days when i think children are only perfect for those who are paid to be with them – that is not their own mothers!! Good lucky, love Posie
I have 3 bubs 10,5 & 9.5mths and all of them have been held to sleep… well that was until recently when I started to put Aston my youngest into his bed when he seems tired. He is slowly getting use to it but oh gosh the looks he was first giving me were heartbreaking. I just had to do it though cause I was getting next to no sleep as well. After doing the cuddle thing with my first and not knowing any better I swore I wouldn't do it with my second but when she arrived 3months premature at just 27weeks gestation and was in hospital for months I just thought stuff it! Do what ever works for you. Aston still gets cuddles too but now its like he wants to go to his bed. I had to lay with my older 2 till they were both about 4years old before they would start going to sleep by themselves.
Good Luck.