First Sleep Logs for Oliver and Caleb

Did you know that health professionals consider sleeping through the night to be a stretch of 5 hours without waking? 

As I mentioned recently we are beginning to focus on some sleep issues at our house.  What we have is minor.  I remember when Oliver was the baby and Daniel was the toddler - waking 6 times a night between the two was normal life.  Things are not nearly that exhausting now.

The issues we’re hoping to change:

1. Caleb still wakes 2-3 times per night.  He also doesn’t go to sleep unless he’s in someone’s arms. 
2. Oliver doesn’t fall asleep in his bed for nap or bedtime.  He lays down on the couch and goes to sleep (usually easily).  Then I have a 33 pound toddler to carry up to bed at night.

See, like I said, nothing major but still inconvenient.  I’ve got a few pages left to read in The No-Cry Sleep Solution, then I’ll be going through The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers as well as a new-to-me book also by the same author – The No-Cry Nap Solution.  I love her books for several reasons:

• They’re informative.  There is a lot of medical knowledge out there related to sleep, she puts it in one place in easy-to-read format. 
• The approach is gentle and respectful of the child and the parent.
• There are many solutions to choose from when making an individualized plan for your child’s individual needs.

Yesterday and last night I did sleep logs for Oliver and Caleb both.  I thought I would share them here because then I’ll be able to find them later and see how things are improving.

Oliver is 2 years 8 months old.  He woke yesterday morning at 8:30am and then went down for a nap on the couch with his pillow, blanket, and stuffed tarantula at 1:40pm.  He slept for 1 h. 35 m. and woke up on his own at 3:15pm.  He fell asleep on the couch at 9:25pm.  I moved him upstairs to his toddler bed, where he slept until 7:50am today, a 10 hour 25 minute stretch. 
Total sleep for the day: 12 hours. 
Recommended total sleep for his age: 12-13.5 hours. 

Caleb is 11 months old.  He woke yesterday morning at8:30am and went down in my arms for his nap at 12:46pm with a bottle and pacifier.  I put him in his crib where he slept peacefully for 2 hours and 50 minutes, until 3:35pm.  He went to bed in my arms (with a bottle and pacifier) at 7:50pm.  Caleb slept for 2 hours 8 minutes before waking at 9:58pm.  A diaper change, bottle, and pacifier had him asleep in 9 minutes.  He then slept for 3 hours 28 minutes until 1:35am.  Repeated the same diaper change, bottle, pacifier routine and he was asleep in 10 minutes.  His longest stretch of sleep happened – 4 whole hours – and he woke up at 5:45am for another diaper change, bottle, and pacifier(awake for 10 minutes).  2 hours and 45 minutes later he woke up for the day at 8:30am. 
Total night sleep: 12 hours 21 minutes.
Total sleep for the day: 15 hours and 11 minutes. 
Recommended total sleep for his age: 13-14 hours.

When you look at it like that you see that neither of my boys is especially lacking in sleep.  Even Caleb, with all the night waking, is getting plenty of sleep.  In all honesty, I know that as we address his sleep association with the bottle he will begin waking less for the simple fact that he won’t wake up with so many wet diapers.  Now seems to be an ideal time to address it as he’s about to say goodbye to bottles all together, and I’m currently in the semi-energetic middle of pregnancy months. 

I’m sitting down with my husband this evening to write out our sleep plan for each child.  Wish me luck!

Are there any sleep issues bothering your house right now?  Have you ever read any of Elizabeth Pantley’s books?  She’s got titles on sleep, discipline, and even picky eaters – some of which I hope to read soon.