The Light

Sometimes I could just kick myself. I doubt myself too much and then when I realize that I should have listened to my gut I get annoyed. I have mentioned on the blog that my baby was having a hard time going to sleep every night. Since he was about 6 months old we have done the same routine with him - bath, books, songs, jammies and night night time. We swaddled him when he was a baby and as he got bigger and rolled over he was able to make himself comfortable so we were able to just put him down in the crib on his belly and rub his back to get him to sleep. He also found his thumb at this point so that helped. He stopped sucking his thumb overnight but still had no big problems falling asleep. At some point when it started taking him longer to go to sleep I started leaving the room. He was fine - would whine at times but for the most part comforted himself to sleep. Then all of a sudden recently when we left he would start screaming. I couldn't figure out what was wrong. He had two night lights in his room, and I was still doing the same routines with him so he was still on the same sleep schedule. I searched online for days for advice. Starting seeing all the same things about routine at bedtime, quiet time, etc.. but we were already doing this. Then I read where some people mentioned it just being a phase and it would pass in time. No such luck for me. Suddenly last night a light bulb went off in my head. When I was a little girl I was terrified of falling asleep with just the nightlight. There was a hall light outside of my bedroom door and I needed to have that on every night. It was my comfort light so I would know that my parents were still out there. So I tried that last night and miracle of all miracles - he didn't cry! He fell asleep within 10 minutes and I was relieved. I did the same thing tonight and again he was fine!! I am so happy about this! Although like I said I could just kick myself because I kept thinking before that he was scared but I doubted myself. I really have to learn to trust my instincts a little more. For now though I will just be happy that I finally figured it out and he is falling asleep peacefully again!