All Through the Night

Andrew doesn't sleep through the night consistently. Most nights are better than others. On those nights that are painful, I wonder what damage I'm doing and what I'm doing wrong. And that's what I'm frustrated about.

I'm frustrated with the scare tactics that authors, and in some cases, doctors use to guilt you into using their specific method. My eyes were opened early on to the crap that's out there, so I read with a grain of salt. I wonder where their credibility lies. I wonder how useful their sources are. Where is their expertise? Do they even have children of their own? Basically, I look for reason why I should(n't) listen to their argument.

Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby (by Marc Weissbluth, M.D.) states: "If your child does not learn to sleep well, he may become an incurable adult insomniac, chronically disabled from sleepiness and dependent on sleeping pills." (p. xix, of the Introduction)

One "popular" opinion is to let your child Cry It Out (CIO). Dr. Weissbluth supports the extinction method, which is pretty clear in his book. But, the more real people, real parents I talk to don't use this method. It's just too dang hard on the heart. Without getting into my own issues, I can't do this. I've tried, and I think I was more exhausted after trying this than I was if I just got up and went to him. But there was a time I was convinced that letting Andrew CIO was 'best for him.'

I read this argument against letting your child CIO which includes that your child will have trust issues, insecurity in the world, form opinions that they are unlovable and unworthy of their parents' attention. Yikes.

The only real conclusion I came up with is to start saving. Hunh? Let me explain. On top of having a college fund, we should start a therapy/rehab fund. Maybe just ONE college-and/or-therapy-and/or-rehab fund. Since he really can't go to college as an insecure, sleeping-pill addicted insomniac now can he?