Re: sleep problem and bunks.. re-read

[Guest guest]

Just re read this and it sound awfully pompous and high handed. I

didn't mean to be, honestly just trying to help!

Ruthie

> > I'm just looking into bunks as the solution to a murderous sleep

> problem.

> > DD2 is 19 mths and for the last week has been waking every two

> hours,

> > beginning at midnight, and then screaming for me for at least half

> an hour.

> > You can imagine I'm on my uppers! We've got a referral to the

local

> sleep

> > clinic, as we've been battling with her sleep habits since she was

> born.

> > Basically, she's very needy at night and it seems to be that she

> just wants

> > to know that I'll come. We've tried controlled crying - it works

> after

> > about 3 days, but then the good sleep habit invariably wears off

> after two

> > or three weeks. I've tried giving her water rather than milk -

> ditto. I've

> > tried just checking on her and soothing and this seems most

> successful:

> > she's happy not to be lifted and cuddled, just patted and

> re-settled, but

> > she needs it to happen two or three times in a half hour time

frame.

> Then

> > she goes back to sleep. Ordinarily this happens once or maybe

twice

> in a

> > night, which is manageable, but as I say at the moment it's every

> other

> > hour - meaning my sleep is broken into three 1 1/2 hour chunks!!

> >

> > Anyway, I've got to thinking. What seems to have kicked this off

is

> that we

> > have just started going out with my friend and her DH once a week.

> They

> > bring their kids over here, and we share a babysitter - brilliant

> > arrangement all round. Except....Josh and Tara (friend's DD1)

> double up in

> > Josh's bed, while Freya is in her cot. This means that Josh and

> Tara have

> > great fun, putting their duvet on the floor and playing jumping

> games on the

> > bed, and generally being boisterous. Josh and Freya have always

had

> a

> > boisterous half hour after we put them to bed, where Josh hares

> around

> > creating havoc under Freya's creative direction. So far, she's

> always been

> > happy to orchestrate from her cot, but I think having Tara in the

> room has

> > introduced the idea into Freya's head that she, too, could be out

> and

> > bouncing. She's never expressed an interest in climbing out of

her

> cot, but

> > I think this horrible new habit is just that.

> >

> > So, we've been and bought some paint for their room, and I'm going

> to slap

> > it on this weekend. Then we'll investigate bunks. Josh is a bit

> young yet,

> > I think, but friends started their eldest in the top bunk at 3 and

> his

> > climbing is easily up to it, so provided I can find bunks with a

> good enough

> > guard rail I'll be happy. Then I plan to put them up, and leave

the

> cot in

> > the room, and let Freya choose where she sleeps.

> >

> > Does this plan suck?? Anybody got any other ideas???

> >

> > Vicki Portman

> >

> > http://www.plushpants.co.uk

[Guest guest]

Just re read this and it sound awfully pompous and high handed. I

didn't mean to be, honestly just trying to help!

Ruthie

> > I'm just looking into bunks as the solution to a murderous sleep

> problem.

> > DD2 is 19 mths and for the last week has been waking every two

> hours,

> > beginning at midnight, and then screaming for me for at least half

> an hour.

> > You can imagine I'm on my uppers! We've got a referral to the

local

> sleep

> > clinic, as we've been battling with her sleep habits since she was

> born.

> > Basically, she's very needy at night and it seems to be that she

> just wants

> > to know that I'll come. We've tried controlled crying - it works

> after

> > about 3 days, but then the good sleep habit invariably wears off

> after two

> > or three weeks. I've tried giving her water rather than milk -

> ditto. I've

> > tried just checking on her and soothing and this seems most

> successful:

> > she's happy not to be lifted and cuddled, just patted and

> re-settled, but

> > she needs it to happen two or three times in a half hour time

frame.

> Then

> > she goes back to sleep. Ordinarily this happens once or maybe

twice

> in a

> > night, which is manageable, but as I say at the moment it's every

> other

> > hour - meaning my sleep is broken into three 1 1/2 hour chunks!!

> >

> > Anyway, I've got to thinking. What seems to have kicked this off

is

> that we

> > have just started going out with my friend and her DH once a week.

> They

> > bring their kids over here, and we share a babysitter - brilliant

> > arrangement all round. Except....Josh and Tara (friend's DD1)

> double up in

> > Josh's bed, while Freya is in her cot. This means that Josh and

> Tara have

> > great fun, putting their duvet on the floor and playing jumping

> games on the

> > bed, and generally being boisterous. Josh and Freya have always

had

> a

> > boisterous half hour after we put them to bed, where Josh hares

> around

> > creating havoc under Freya's creative direction. So far, she's

> always been

> > happy to orchestrate from her cot, but I think having Tara in the

> room has

> > introduced the idea into Freya's head that she, too, could be out

> and

> > bouncing. She's never expressed an interest in climbing out of

her

> cot, but

> > I think this horrible new habit is just that.

> >

> > So, we've been and bought some paint for their room, and I'm going

> to slap

> > it on this weekend. Then we'll investigate bunks. Josh is a bit

> young yet,

> > I think, but friends started their eldest in the top bunk at 3 and

> his

> > climbing is easily up to it, so provided I can find bunks with a

> good enough

> > guard rail I'll be happy. Then I plan to put them up, and leave

the

> cot in

> > the room, and let Freya choose where she sleeps.

> >

> > Does this plan suck?? Anybody got any other ideas???

> >

> > Vicki Portman

> >

> > http://www.plushpants.co.uk

[Guest guest]

Oh, don't worry, Ruthie - I'm so desperate for ideas! Anyway, it didn't

come over pompous and high handed at all!

It's not exactly a sleepover party, either - it's not done for their

benefit, but ours and I'm reluctant to give up the shared babysitter

arrangement - this one evening a week constitutes the first external social

life we've had in almost two years!! Neither family involved could afford

to pay for a whole babysitter on our own once a week for a night out in the

pub, though half a babysitter is fine (does this make sense??). Also, if we

can get the kids used to sharing together, we can then go out on our own -

we could drop ours off at their house and they can drop theirs off at our

house, so trying to make it work seems like a good arrangement. And the

kids all know each other *really* well as she is my best friend and we

pracically live in each others' houses during the day.

Perhaps the solution might be to put Freya to bed in our room that night,

though... We've already moved their DD2 in her travel cot down to the

living room - she's 6 months.

Vicki Portman

http://www.plushpants.co.uk

> Just re read this and it sound awfully pompous and high handed. I

> didn't mean to be, honestly just trying to help!

>

> Ruthie

>

>

> > I'm not sure it's anything to do with cots or bunks, although it

> might

> > help. I think it's this " sleepover party " once a week which is

> > disrupting her sleep patterns. I would never allow a sleepover

> party,

> > for whatever reason, to take place in the room of a toddler.

> Everyone

> > concerned needs a week to recover probably (I know my kids did when

> > they stayed with friends for whatever reason!) and since this is a

> > regular occurence, it's just turned her inside out.

> >

> > If you MUST have this weekly arrangement is there *any* way you

> could

> > do it in another bedroom other than the one where this baby sleeps?

>

> > Or even on the living room floor with sleeping bags or quilts?

[Guest guest]

> Oh, don't worry, Ruthie - I'm so desperate for ideas! Anyway, it

didn't

> come over pompous and high handed at all!

Thanks!

>

> It's not exactly a sleepover party, either - it's not done for their

> benefit, but ours

I knew that, it was just a quick way of putting it, rather than an

appropriate way, I know what you meant tho!

I do understand that you are reluctant to give up the arrangement, and

why should you? Everyone loves to be able to get out. I haven't

needed a babysitter for years but I do remember that " stuck in

feeling " very well. So yes, maybe a good way would be to put Freya

into your bed for that night, so she can get to sleep without all the

rumpus going on!

Ruthie