Our routine has been off for a couple of months now. I gave up on trying to fix it until after the move. We were driving back and forth between our old town and our new town at least once a week, usually two or three times a week. Both kids would fall asleep in the car, which meant that they'd then be up until 11 at night. Which then meant that Tristan would sleep in the next day, take a late nap and then be up late again. Hayden would still wake up early, but then be so tired that she'd take another nap, and then be up late again. It was a vicious, vicious cycle. And there was nothing I could do about it because we had to keep driving back and forth, and I couldn't possibly keep them awake in the car.
See what I mean?
So, pretty much every day, Tristan sleeps in until 9/9:30, takes a nap around 1, and then doesn't go to bed until 10 or 11. Hayden gets up between 7 and 8, usually doesn't take a nap, and then goes to bed around 8. If she does have a nap, she'll stay up as late as Tristan. Since their schedules overlap like that, it means that from the time I wake up until the time I go to bed, I've got at least one kid awake at all times. I love my kids. I love playing with them, hanging out with them, and doing all that fun stuff. But I'm only human. I need a little time to myself. This blog has been suffering because it's just so hard to try to sit down and write when one of the kids is awake! I've been suffering because I rarely get a chance to truly relax! I need some me time, some down time, some keep my sanity time. Something's gotta change!
I had big plans for after the move. I've got a new routine all written up. It's so picture perfect- waking up times, meal times, playtimes, choretimes- and me time! But yeah- hasn't happened. On Monday we drove all the way back to our old town to spend Labor Day with the family. It was fun, but just reinforced our old sleep habits. I've been lazy and slept in a little myself too. Oops! Yesterday I took the kids out to the new library and the park, and we walked the whole way. I was thinking that for sure I'd be able to get both kids to bed by a decent hour after all that! But no- Tristan fell asleep in the stroller on the walk home. He was up until 10:30 last night.
Now I'm trying to figure out the best plan of attack. Tristan's sleep cycle needs to be pushed back about 2-3 hours. I'm not sure which would be better- to just go cold turkey, and just wake him up early one morning and stick with the new routine? Or would slowly moving waketime and bedtime back, say 15-30 minutes every day, work better?
Something has to change though. It's 10:30 right now as I'm writing this, and Tristan's still asleep!!! He's never slept in this late before. I'm definitely not giving him a nap today, or he'll be up all night!
So what do you think would work better- cold turkey or gradual shift?
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