Do you remember the first weeks of parenthood – when you doubtlessly awoke 4+ times each night to soothe, feed or change your baby? Even if you followed the advice to “sleep when the baby sleeps” you likely never felt well-rested or fully alert. There’s just something about broken sleep that fails to truly restore.
I’ll take 6 hours of uninterrupted shut-eye over 8 hours of broken-up snoozing any day – and I’m not a short sleeper. If I had my choice, I’d sleep 9 hours a night. (Don’t hate me for this – I don’t get 9 hours of sleep a night. Actually, I don’t even get 6 uninterrupted hours of sleep these days, but that’s another story.)
I don’t know where the phrase “you’ll sleep like a baby” came from, but I say “No, thanks!” I want to sleep like a toddler.
When my toddler falls asleep, he sleeps hard. There’s no struggle to let go and sleep, no waking up fussing, no restless movement that needs swaddling. His busy, explorative energy depleted, he’ll sleep in the car seat despite the honking of impatient DC area drivers. He’ll sleep on my shoulder as I carry him up three flights of creaky wood stairs. When he’s really worn out, he’ll crash in the high chair only seconds after he finishes his lunch, his head bent over in a clearly uncomfortable position.
At night, we nudge him toward sleep with a (somewhat flexible) nighttime routine. We play and read while cooking dinner. After eating together, he plays with his trains and then takes a bath with his turtles and boats. He splashes with abandon. Next it’s time for his jammies (with non-slip feet, of course). Snuggled into the mountain of pillows on our king-sized bed, he has movie time with Dad (complete with ice cream). Current favorites include Finding Nemo and Cars.
His final 15 minutes are spent reading on Mom’s lap. As I kiss him goodnight, I hand him the stuffed doggie/blanket he’s grown attached to and tell him “I love you. I’ll see you in the morning.” He rolls over happily, smiles at me, and snuggles in to doggie for the night.
When he wakes up, 10+ hours later, he heads straight for the side of his crib, pulls himself up, and jumps up and down to announce his excitement. Today is going to be so much fun, he can’t wait to get started.
Perhaps the best measure of a good night’s rest is boundless enthusiasm for the day ahead. That’s why I want to sleep like a toddler.
