Jul 16 2006
Headphones in Sleepytown
(I posted the second part of “Falcon” on my story blog, and it will finish over there as I write it. Thanks to those who have commented on it so far. See part one here.)
With all these health issues popping up, I started a new poll. See it in the sidebar.
The boy still is having sleep issues, and it has us scratching our collective parental head. Tuesday night went like this:
I read Ben his bedtime stories and put him to bed at about 8 p.m., leaving his door open on my way out. He goes to sleep. The phone rings and he sleeps through it. The doorbell rings (oblivious people ringing doorbells at 8:45), and a minute after I tell the unscheduled visitor that we have no cash or checks on hand for that tub of delicious white chocolate macadamia nut cookie dough of which we could use a big dose, Ben wakes up.
He announces loudly, “That doorbell woke me up.”
We wait, orifices puckered.
A few seconds later, “I wanna sleep in Mommy’s bed.” It’s my bed, too, but for some reason his seeing me in it several times has not convinced him.
I walk to his door and tell him that he needs to sleep in his bed, and he gives in after telling me, “You need to check e-mail.” Our only guess why he says this each time we put him to bed, whether for a nap or for the evening? Because the computer/guest room is next to his. I naturally tell him I will do that, because at some point in the evening I certainly will.
Until Ben has a while to get back to sleep, Shannon and I don headphones hooked to a Y adapter and a long audio cable (which I scrounged up a few nights ago for just this situation). We no doubt look a little funny sitting on the couch wearing our black electronic eargear, staring at a silent TV. Midway through the program, we shut his door and shed the headphones.
Later, I open his door and close ours before going to bed, so my alarm clock will not wake him in the morning. Despite our bedroom being diagonally opposite from his, sounds carry through our small house. He wakes up, either coincidentally or not, about a minute after my alarm clock sounds. His mommy is not happy about that, but in a short time cheers up and enjoys morning Ben.
This is a marked improvement over the better part of this two-week period, when he usually wakes us about 30 minutes before my alarm clock (that’s 5:45 a.m., for anyone who’s counting), and Shannon waits hopefully for a few minutes to see if he will return to sleep, while I vainly attempt to do the same. She graciously arises (sometimes after an unintelligible but universally understandable grunt from me), turns off his baby monitor, and goes to continue her wishful thinking on the living room couch. I drift into something slightly resembling sleep and then my alarm jolts me.
Ben has bucked the brief trend of asking to sleep in our bed after waking in the morning, so we haven’t figured out what’s behind this new pattern. It all started on the weekend preceding July 4th, and although it has improved, he hasn’t had a full night’s rest since. That makes for a little monster Ben during Shannon’s daily activities. His irregularity continues, in spite of his eating high-fiber cereal every morning, so we suspect that may be part of the problem.
There’s also good news on the digestive front. Ben has taken a liking to Hamburger Helper Cheesy Enchilada dinner. Until now, we have not been able to get him to eat any meat besides bacon or processed, breaded chicken nuggets, so despite the high sodium content of HH, we delighted at seeing our boy guttle huge spoonfuls. His quick willingness to try it, attributable in part to the recognizable rice, is encouraging.
Update: Wednesday night he wolfed down a PB&J sandwiched, crusts and all, and then wanted some of the green peas I was eating with my fish. Everything, with the notable exception of toy cleanup time, went off without a hitch, and when he woke at a very late hour with bad congestion, we dosed him and he faded back to sleep until about 7 a.m. That’s progress. And a long sentence.
Just tonight, I watched Shaun of the Dead with the headphones. On the upside, it makes for great stereo separation.
Well, as for Ben’s sleeping problems, that will work itself out. As to his constipation, have you taken him to the doctor, or at last called him?
If it’s gone on for more than a few days, I would.
Have a great day bud.. and check your yahoo mail.
I wouldn’t get too overly concerned about the sleep schedule. Instead of focusing on trying to get him to adhere to a strict schedule, look at alternatives. From what we’ve seen, kids go in cycles. One week Charles insists on trying to sleep with us, and then the very next week he tells us that he had a good sleep in his own bed, and brags to us saying he “slept in my bed all night.”
When he does one of those early mornings, shorten his nap and then wear him out. Get him in the pool or doing something active until he’ll be happy to get in his bed at night, and sleep more soundly. Have him play how fast can you run across the backyard, or something that really gets him worn out.
They’re just like us. If you give them something physical to do they will be more tired at the end of the day. If you get him up earlier, then make sure that you don’t let him nap too long…restrict it and make sure he gets up after say an hour.
As they get older, they don’t need as much sleep unless they’re going through a growth cycle. The 12 hours a night lessens, and naps should be a little shorter.
He’s adjusting, so you probably need to adjust too Marcus. It sounds like you’re trying to stick with the strict schedule that has worked well thus far, but with him changing you probably just need to find alternative ways to get everyone’s sleep back in order.
I’m not sure on the regularity thing. I’d check to make sure he’s not getting too much calcium…the usual culprit.
Chuck - I think that’s the longest comment here at Regular Life. We definitely have been working on the wearing him out thing. I just sit there while he runs from his room, down the hall, to behind the couch (you know the area I mean, right under that one surround speaker you crawled way into the tiny space of our attic to mount?) and tackles me. Many, many times. Sometimes, of course, he sits while I “run” and tackle him. The sleeping definitely is getting better, but as with anything, there are rough patches (like asking Shannon to sleep in his room “on his turtle”), and I think he’s figured out in the past few days that he needs naps. He’s been going down for them a little easier now. Also, a big dump Sunday morning and another one Monday morning (neither of which I knew about when I posted this). That’s pretty good.