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Go With Your Gut When it Comes to Schedules |
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My daughter is 2 now and every day, while I am putting her to bed for the night, I thank the universe for schedules. I had my daughter in 2006 during my second year teaching in a very high needs school. I was going to graduate school at night and
my husband worked the overnight shift. At times, life was very stressful. And while my daughter was a good sleeper from the start (meaning she slept like a normal baby) eventually, we realized that nothing good could last forever. Lo and behold, she began a 7:00 PM witching hour that seemed to last forever.
One night after crying hysterically because she would not sleep, I realized something: iif 7 PM was her witching hour, then she needed to be put to sleep before that. If we never made it to 7, then her witching hour would not exist. It sounded logical, but sometimes, logical is not always right. I put her to bed at 6:45 PM but at 7 she was up and screaming. What the heck is wrong?
Then it suddenly occurred to me that she needed to be in a DEEP sleep at 7. So the next night I put her to bed at 5:45 pm. I had a killer paper to write and she needed to sleep so that I could work. I went out into the living room and started my paper. I looked up at the clock and it was 6:58 PM. I held my breath think that this was the make or break point. At 7:00 PM she stirred a little, but she did not wake up. I stood outside her door for almost an hour and she did budge. I continued this routine for a week thinking that it was only a matter of time before the fit hit the shan. But it never did.
At two years old my daughter is a ball of energy. But even on the nights when we have to be out past her bed time, she falls asleep as soon as she can. If we are in the car or at some one's house, she falls asleep. New moms often ask me how I get her to fall asleep every night at the same time and so early. My response is always the same: go with your gut.
You know your child better than any one and you know what you need. Many people will tell you not to use schedules. Some will say that it is the only way to get sanity. For me, that was true. I had to make sure that my daughter was in bed every night at the same time. She goes to bed between 5-6:30 every night and she sleeps all night. I am adamant that she is not up past her bed time because I know that we will both go crazy. Do what works for you and don;t be afraid to try something new if all else fails. But once you find what works for you, don't fight it. Stick to and you will see that life gets easier.
(June 2008) (
