The Freedom of a Sleep Schedule
When our oldest was born, we were determined to not lose our freedom to a rigid nap schedule. We took her everywhere and she was awesome – slept in the car, stroller, car seat, etc. We didn’t provide a lot of daytime structure, but I did diligently try to implement a sleep training method during the night. Things started out okay, then slowly but surely everything began to unravel. I won’t go into all the details of what ended up being nearly 2 years of total sleep deprivation, but as time went on we completely lost the ability to confidently make any plans, and, just like that, our freedom to do things outside of the house was gone.
We had no idea how our daughter would sleep at night or when she would nap. When she did nap, we had no idea how long the nap would last. While she would easily go to bed, she was up several times during the night and wanted to start her day at 4:30 AM! Her nap times varied daily and they rarely lasted long. She became more and more irritable and she no longer behaved at restaurants or during other outings. We got nervous about taking her anywhere. Trips out of town to visit family and friends were stressful and exhausting, and left me feeling like we never should have left our home.
Sleep deprivation was not bringing out the best in me either. I was not the patient parent I had envisioned being. One day in a sleep deprived haze, I noticed a friend of mine liked a sleep consultant’s Facebook post. I immediately purchased a package. I got the sleep plan and was a little taken aback by how “strict” I was told my daughter’s schedule needed to be. In fact, I didn’t even implement the plan right away because it was the holiday season and we had committed to attending a few things. I don’t recall exactly what happened during the couple of weeks after I got the plan, but one day I woke up and decided something had to change. I implemented the plan to a tee, including leaving work early for two weeks to get my daughter in bed at a very early bedtime. It was challenging. I had moments of frustration and doubt, but 11 days later my daughter was sleeping 11.5 hours a night and taking two good naps each day. I couldn’t believe it.
What my husband and I came to realize in the months that followed, was that we had much more freedom living by the consistent sleep schedule than we did before the schedule. We could confidently make plans during the day and evening around her schedule because we knew when she would be sleeping and for how long, and that she would generally be in good spirits during her awake time. We started going out to restaurants again and taking her to friends’ houses, the park, classes, etc., and we enjoyed our outings! Not only did her temperament improve, but so did mine. I was a better and happier parent and she was a well-rested and happier child.
As crazy as it sounds, committing to a sleep schedule for your child can be a freeing experience.