You know that song "50 ways to leave your lover"? I feel this song truly speaks to me. Not really about leaving a lover but trying to get my child to sleep. It feels like there are 50 ways I can get him to sleep but never know which of the 50 will work at what time.
The real problem is that without a nap my three year old will (99% of the time) have a night terror. It corresponds almost exactly.
To actually get my son to fall asleep I have tried many methods (including: stories, music, dvds, darkness, light, silence, noise, dancing and bribing are among the easiest to explain in one word) I don't know how to cut his nap. We did try for about a week and that was a HUGE mistake. Is there something that's more tired than over tired?? Dropping this nap just doesn't seem to be happening as quickly as all my friends said it would.
I should be careful what I wish for though. Cause the minute he stops having his naps is the day I become more exhausted than a sloth trying to make a deadline.
So,
1) I have to get him to sleep, at the very least 1 hour. If no nap, bad night.
2) Yes, we have a gate on his door. I do not cage my children.... I "gate" them. Not in a cattle kind of way, more like a "Iloveyoubutyoucan'thandlebeinganywhereelseinthehousewithoutfreakingout" kinda way.
3) My son rarely has naps when his 9 month old sister does..... I'm just gonna let that sink in for a minute.
4) Over tired is a given after fighting him for 20 minutes to have a nap, even when I try to put him down for a nap 20 minutes before he will be tired.
These are the obstacles we face each day. The real question for me is: Is it worth it? Is the two hour fight worth the good sleep between 7-11pm?
The answer changes. After he has fallen asleep for his nap, the answer is yes. While being yelled and kicked at before falling asleep for his nap, the answer is no.
If for no other reason than my sanity, I think I'm gonna stop thinking about this.... it just makes me sleepy.
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