The Adventures of Grunty and Chubbs: Sleep woes

What's new, right? This has been the number one issue for me in raising kids (so far!). It's the thing that gets me the most frustrated. Lately, things have been especially challenging. The kids have been spending a lot of time playing at bedtime for months. Then we recently potty-trained, of course. Then we took the sides of the cribs a few weeks ago. Now, daddy has been out of town for a few days, and all these things have come together to prevent Jackson and Veronica from sleeping very well.

For the past few days they have been playing and playing when I put them down for nap or bedtime. I usually try to visit them every 20 minutes or so to remind them to lay quietly and try to sleep. Often they say they have to go potty. So, I spend five minutes in the bathroom with them both and then try to get them back in bed. Twenty minutes later we go through it all again.

I found a solution to the naptime playing this week by separating them. I've been putting one of the kids in my bed. I was surprised but happy that it worked! Without the distraction of a playmate, they've been falling asleep! Yay! But I didn't want to do that at nighttime... partly because I might want to go to bed! And I at least want to have access to my bedroom...

Last night was terrible tho! It was one of less than 10 times in our lives that I've YELLED at the kids in anger! (I felt terrible about it...) It took them over two hours to fall asleep. By 10 pm I was exhausted! But today I decided to take some advice and offer them incentive, a reward (not a bribe!) if they go to sleep quietly. So I told them if they go to sleep quietly with no playing for three days in a row they could get a new toy - one for each.

And guess what - it worked! At least tonight... They were super quiet at first but then started getting a little bit noisier. I went in their room to kindly remind them of our "deal." They asked to go potty and then went back to bed. And it's been quiet since! I hate to even "say" this "out loud" but my blog following is pretty small so... :-) I shouldn't jinx myself!

Of course I don't intend to give them toys for the rest of their lives for sleeping well. But I'm hoping it'll get them in the habit of going to sleep quietly again. I hope so!

It really stresses me out when they don't sleep well. I feel like I can't do anything - like talk on the phone because they might hear me, or go outside because I won't hear them if they call me or cry. And I end up visiting them so often when they're not sleeping that I can't do much of anything anyway!

Now, I just hope that Veronica doesn't wake up during the night. She's been waking up crying 3-4 times per night - often wet or asking to go potty.

And... both have been waking up wet daily.

But one thing at a time... :-)