Gettin' Some Zzzz's

When you have children, you know life is going to change. Your time as a couple changes and your time as a family changes - even your sleep changes.

Last night, like most other nights, our youngest daughter fell asleep in our bed. When she was fully asleep, we put her down in her own bed, where about an hour or so later, she woke up, realized she was in her own bed, climbed out and wandered into our room and crawled in bed with us. And like most nights, we vie for space on the bed. You would think that someone so small (a 3 year old) wouldnt take up so much space. Not her! She takes up most of the bed. She has a tendency to sleep in the weirdest positions. Thus making sleep for the parents not exactly comfortable.

Again, just like most nights, my husband will try to reposition our daughter in a way in which he can actually have space ON the bed and get some much needed rest. Most of the time, he can move her enough to get room to get into bed. If he cannot, he will go into her room and sleep. Not exactly something we like to do. Like most couples we would like to sleep not only in the same house and the same room, but in the same bed.

Im sure as you are reading this, you are saying "why not just put her back again in her own bed?" Easier said than done. You see, she will just get up and wander back into our room and our bed. We dont even know why this is - - she isnt having nighmares - - in fact, one night a few weeks ago, she was actually giggling in her sleep. That was a funny sight! So we dont know what is making her come into our room at night.

Ive read many articles about children at this age and their sleep patterns. I know their little brains are growing and they sleep oddly. And Ive read that you should put a child to sleep in such a way that they can sooth themselves back to sleep if they should wake up. But do we really need to put a TV in her room so that she can fall asleep in her bed therefore stay in it at night? If we do this, wont the other kids want TVs in their rooms too? How do you explain to the rest of the kids that because their little sister cant fall asleep without the TV on that SHE gets a TV in her room and because they stay asleep in their beds they dont need one? Such a dilemma!

So until then, my husband will most likely sleep either in our daughter's bed (while she is in ours) or on the couch. Hopefully while we are in Disney, since she will be sharing a bed with her older sister, our daughter will learn to sleep with her! After all, there's only one of her in THAT bed and much more space. My husband and I might even be "allowed" to share a bed - - we can only hope.

Only 10 more days til the mouse and some much needed sleep - at least for my husband!