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The past couple of nights have been difficult for me and my little one. He has not been sleeping well because he is sick with a cold virus. It is always difficult for the mom when your baby isn’t sleeping will. Sometimes, it can make you feel downright crazy.
Well, lately, his naps have been a challenge, too. Yesterday, he spent almost two hours fighting his nap. I went in there several times to figure out what to do to help him. I even offered a second bottle. Yet, he wasn’t hungry. I’m not sure what he needed exactly, except to wear himself out. He was obviously tired, but just not ready to go to sleep. He wasn’t crying to get out, so I just let him fuss a little and make noise until he eventually took a very long nap.
Today, he went down very easily. I knew he was tired because last night he didn’t sleep that great, either. So, I was surprised when 45 minutes into his nap, he woke up screaming. I went in there immediately to check on him, and he did not seem feverish. He was, however, very mad. I tried giving him his pacifier again and that just made him more mad. I tried picking him up and that didn’t work either. But, when I laid him down again, he grew even angrier. I was at a loss. What was I supposed to do?
Ultimately, I spoke soothingly to him, gave him his blanket and pacifier and left the room. I stood right outside the door listening. It took a few minutes, but he eventually fell asleep. I knew he would because he was not crying non-stop but would cry for just a few seconds and then stop. He did this over and over until he eventually fell asleep.
Figuring out what your baby needs when it comes to sleep is so difficult. There is no easy answer. Sometimes even the best sleeping babies have times when their sleep is suddenly interrupted. The best thing to do as a Mom is to try and keep calm yourself, do everything you can to help them, and then sometimes, just let go and let them figure it out on their own.