Sleeping

So, sleep seems to be a topic that comes up I think from the most people since Cole has been born, with advice from his doctor, nurse practitioner, my mom, friends, and so on. I would first like to start out by saying that everyone should do what they feel is right for their child. You know your child better than anyone.

I have been told by a lot of people that its ok to let him cry. My doctor seemed to be more so just telling me its alright if its what I choose to do, and the nurse practioner was suggesting I do it. My mom has told me that it is important to get him to the point where he can calm himself, and get himself to sleep without my help.

Now, I agree with my moms point of view. I think it is important, that he gets to a point where falling asleep by himself can be done. With this in mind, I will put him in his crib for naps, or down to bed for the night in his nap nanny when he is tired and try to get him to go to sleep by himself. He has done it and can do it. What I will not do, and can't bring myself to do, is to just let him full on cry. Sometimes he just goes to sleep quietly, and others he kind of 'sings' himself to sleep, vocalizing and making raspberry sounds. Sometimes, he does a fake cry for about 15 seconds. Thats different. But, I just can't bring myself to just let him cry it out, and I know a lot of people use this method.

The reason? I'm not convinced its ok for him. I have read some things (and of course I won't be able to find the exact links right now) that have said that crying it out doesn't have any scientific backing that it is ok for a baby's mental state, and that a lot of babies who have 'learned' to not cry and get themselves to sleep that way, have actually become kind of depressed. (Not all, some). I know I wouldn't want my baby crying thinking "mommy doesn't want to come get me, she doesn't care that I'm crying, so I guess I'll just deal with it myself even though I'm not even 6 months old".

I know that if hes crying, he wants me for some reason or another. Either because his teeth hurt, because he has a little cold, because he wants SOMETHING. So, I'm going to provide that for him. That doesn't mean, that what I choose to do now, isn't going to change later on. If I'm ok with him needing me a lot when hes sleeping/getting to sleep now, and if I'm ok with co-sleeping still now, that does not mean that its going to be the same thing when he is a teenager. I've been asked the question of 'when'. Well, when I feel hes ready, and I feels he actually has more of an understanding than he does now.

When it comes to co-sleeping, if it gets to the point where its possible for him to try to get up and crawl and fall off of the bed while I'm sleeping, then thats when hes going to start sleeping in his crib. I don't know when that is going to be, so I can't place a label on that.

When it comes to him crying, if he is able to walk around and its obvious that his crying for me to help him get to sleep, or him not wanting to sleep, is somewhere along the lines of a temper tantrum, thats also a different story.

I know full well that this means I'm getting a whole lot less sleep then a lot of people out there, but I'm ok with what. I am hoping that this among other things I do, is what is helping my son to be such a happy silly baby most of the time too (and the biggest flirt in the grocery store!)