Sleep Update

It's been awhile since I've updated about sleep. After all the drama and turmoil related to the transition to toddler beds, things have calmed down a bit and we've gotten into more of a routine. They can still get rowdy, and sometimes they still need to be separated into pack n' plays in different rooms, but they don't destroy their room like they used to (no more empty dresser drawers and diaper bins, thank goodness). Our usual routine is milk/snack, brush teeth, try to pee on potty, diaper/jammies, books in the reading corner, then in their own beds.

Getting crazy before bedtime

Unfortunately, they don't go to bed as early as they used to. Now we rarely get them in bed before 8pm, and they don't usually fall asleep right away unless they have skipped their nap. As I am typing this at 9:15pm I am still hearing thumps from their room above.  Lately they have been disagreeing about whether to leave the lamp on - Lucas likes to stay up and read, and seems a little afraid of the dark, while the girls just like to go to sleep. We usually leave the light on for a little while and then go turn it off. We also have the bunny alarm clock and turtle night light. Lucas also seems to like to cuddle with his sisters.

The bunny alarm clock has finally  started to work for them, I think. They now get excited when they sleep until the bunny wakes up, and if they wake up before the bunny does, they either stay quiet, or we go in and sit with them until the bunny wakes up. We haven't dared move the alarm past 6:30, but there have been days when they have slept until 7 lately. Heaven!

He also likes to sleep on the floor in their reading corner. He just doesn't seem to like to sleep in his bed. As long as he's sleeping, we don't care where he does it!

I've always heard other parents talk about how their kids wake up in the morning and happily stay in their beds and talk and play. I didn't think my kids would ever do that - they usually yell for mommy or daddy and don't want to stay put. But lately, they have been waking up and chatting with each other and not calling for us. It's great because it keeps us from having to leap out of bed when we hear the yelling (to try to keep the yeller from waking up the others). The other day, I heard Lucas and Abby talking and walked in to find them reading together in bed. Total sweetness.

Early morning reading

I guess I should say something about naps. They nap much better for the babysitter than they do for us - reliably 2.5-3 hours. They tend to fight us about going down for nap, have to be put in separate rooms, and sometimes simply refuse nap altogether. I am not ready to give up naps!!! I'm starting to try to work with them on the idea of "quiet time" in their rooms even if they don't sleep, but inevitably somebody starts bothering somebody else and I have to intervene. Hopefully they will get the hang of it.