Our sleep battle is raging on. Thanks everyone for the ideas/advice. It has given me some good resources to check out!
The past two nights our little darling has stayed up late. She went down just fine but then woke up multiple times within the first half hour of sleep, and then spent at least the next hour awake fussing, smiling, laughing or just fidgeting. The poor dear has been absolutely exhasted! Just look at these tired eyes!
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| Taken at about 10:00 last night. |
Her eyes were so red this morning that the receptionist at the doctor's office made a comment about how happy Charly was for having just been crying. Uh, nope, not crying. Just tired.
Throughout the night I've gotten, at the longest, a 2 1/2 hour stretch of sleep. Its rough. However, last night was better than the first, and I have a feeling tonight will be even better.
Why, you ask? Well, here's the deal. Remember that rash? That turned out to be eczema? Well, it also turned out to be a yeast infection. Yep, poor girl has been suffering through eczema AND a yeast infection. Um, I'd wake up squirmy too, if I had to deal with that! So basically, everything is probably related. I still think she is ready to not be swaddled at night (based on how much she is fighting it when we do try), she just has to learn how to sleep arms free and flailing.
When we went to the pediatrician this morning I mentioned the sleep changes, since I think it is smart to mention any behavior changes when visiting the doctor, even if it seems unrelated. She is the one who made the itchiness connection (duh, Holli!) and suggested we give her benadryl at night to help with that until the infection is gone.
I'm totally game.
I'm definitely a person who is careful about meds, for myself and my child, but the drowsiness benefits of benadryl could be just the thing to get me a good night's rest so I can be ready to battle on for naps. And since it is doctors orders I feel pretty great about it. Lack of sleep does interesting things to a person, and I've had some not-proud parenting moments in the depths of our sleepless peril. Bring on the benadryl!
