The NO Sleep Solution: Nurses, Sirens, Delivery Trucks and Cleaning Ladies

Everyone knows that sleep is important.  If I don’t get a good night sleep, I am a total grumpy witch.  My husband is even worse.   Thankfully, Alex has pretty good sleep habits.  He could sleep through an explosion.  Dennis on the other hand has a serious  problem with sleep.  You may have read about the Indigo Dreams Sleep CD we use to try to help him fall asleep.  I think maybe I have finally realized his sleep issues started at birth.

We used to live in Florida by the beach.  When I was ready to give birth to my first son Alex,  the hospital my husband and I chose in which to deliver him had a nice birthing suite that had a view of the ocean.  We thought that would be a wonderful, calming atmosphere for our child to be when he first entered this world.  And it was.

When it was time for Dennis to bless us with his presence we tried to get the same birthing suite.  However, it was being remodeled due to the damage it had sustained when we got blasted by three hurricanes in one year.  So we had to settle for one of the suites on the other side of the hall.  Dennis was a planned c-section so it was going to be a lot less stressful than the first time around.  He was delivered in the afternoon and there were no complications afterward, so once he and  I were checked out and got the “all clear” from my doctor, we were able to go back to our room.  The whole experience was of course exhausting, so we all just wanted to get some rest that night.

My husband slept on a fold out bed which was like some torture device and since I had just been filleted like a fish had a c-section it was obviously going to be tough to sleep to begin with, but we all finally dozed off.  Minutes after we began our slumber, the nurses started coming in to check on me, take my blood pressure, give me pain meds, etc. which naturally woke all three of us up.   That was okay though since it had to be done.  The nurse left and we all fell back to sleep shortly thereafter.   Until…a screeching, blaring siren that sounded like a fire alarm woke us all up AGAIN while simultaneously scaring the crap out of us since we were all in a dead sleep.  Then another nurse came into our room to assure us that everything was “fine.”  Annoyed, we all managed to fall back to sleep anyway.

But not for long.

We are awakened yet AGAIN by the familiar “beep, beep, beep” sound of delivery trucks backing up.  Evidently, hospitals get deliveries at all hours of the night (like 3 AM) and instead of enjoying the view of the ocean, we were graced with the noises (and view) of a loading dock.  Wonderful.

Minutes after that, we were awakened by the siren again.  The nurse came in again to let us know that everything was still “fine” but this time, we asked what the siren was for.  It turns out it was the baby Lo-jack system (those ankle bracelets that keep strangers from walking off with babies in the hospital).  The room at the end of the hall was right next to the exit door and if the people in that room had their baby too close to the door it sets the alarm off.  Great design, huh?

So here is the cherry on the sundae.

By this time it was probably around 6 AM.  We had not had more than an hour of consecutive sleep.  There was a knock on the door.  A woman walks in and asks if she woke us up.  Let me think.  It’s six o’clock in the morning, the room is dark and it’s quiet.  What do you think Genius?  Uh, yeah you did wake us up biotch!

“Hi. I’m so and so, the Head of Housekeeping.  I just wanted to let you know that later today, we will have someone come in and clean your room and if there is anything you need you can call me.  Here is my card.”

Huh?  Are you freakin’ kidding me?  I’m in a hospital and you WOKE ME UP at SIX’ O’CLOCK in the MORNING to tell me that someone is going to clean my room?!?!  I just had a baby for Pete’s sake!  I’m exhausted, in pain, I have been up ALL night listening to sirens and delivery trucks, I’ve been poked and prodded by nurses around the clock and my friggin boobs are sore and feel like they are going to explode.  I could give two $%&*$  who you are and that someone is going to come in later today to clean my hospital room!!!   Honestly.  How asinine could this woman be to wake me up just to tell me she was having one of her staff members come to clean my room?  If it was policy to let the current occupant of the room know they are going to clean it, then tape a note to my door since hello???  I JUST had a baby and I’m SLEEPING!!!

After that whole scene I was beyond irritated.  I told my hubby that I didn’t care if he had to fold me in half at the seam, but to just get us the frig out of there so I could go home.  If I couldn’t get a good night sleep at least I’d prefer to do it in my own bed.  When my doctor came to check on me that day I explained everything that happened and how miserable and exhausted we were staying in the hospital.  Ironic since the hospital stay is supposed to help you REST and RECOVER and provide round the clock help that you wouldn’t get at home.  NOT my experience AT ALL.

Thankfully, my doctor was extremely sympathetic and understanding about our horrible experience and she agreed that we could be discharged that day if I felt up to it.  I practically sprinted out of bed and packed up my baby and my belongings.  I could not get out of that place fast enough!

I still have that lady’s business card to remind me how stupid that was - not that I will EVER forget it anyway.

Ya know, after thinking about that time again I am starting to believe that both of my boys’ current sleeping habits have a direct correlation to their birthing stories.   Recounting this whole thing  just made me realize… Alex is very calm and serene, just like the experience in his room was.  Dennis is like a wild banshee, just like the experience in his room was.  Maybe that explains it.

So, if by some chance (though slim or none) I ever decide to go ahead and have another baby, I think I will seriously consider a home birth…just in case!

Problems Getting Your Child To Sleep: Indigo Dreams Relaxation CD

Have you ever had a hard to getting your kids to sleep?  No?  I hate you!  Seriously…it’s hard to believe with as much as the Boss and I love to sleep (I’m convinced he was a bear in his previous life) that our kids have so much trouble falling asleep.  It’s ridiculous how many books we have bought and read on how to get our kids to fall asleep.  And although every one of them seems to have their own sleep solutions for kids, none of them have really worked for ours.

I hear these stories from my friends about how right from day one their babies fell asleep and by the age of four to eight weeks old they were sleeping through the night.  Must be nice.  What’s that like because unfortunately, I wouldn’t know.   I’m guessing  most of you have probably played lullaby music to your babies at some point.  Maybe you played classical music because it’s supposed to help stimulate your baby’s brain.  But what do you do as they get older, like when they are 3 or 4?   Do you need help getting your kids to fall asleep or just help them to wind down at the end of the day?  Well, I found something that helped us and our kids and maybe it can help your kids with this “sleep” issue too.

At first I was suspicious, but I read a lot of positive reviews about it so I thought I would try it myself.   What I am referring to is a CD called Indigo Dreams: Relaxation and Stress Management Bedtime Stories for Children which is a combination of music and relaxation stories for kids.  Each night, after we give the kids a bath, they are supposed to wind down for the night (like most kids do), but ours always seem to get more amped up.  It’s as if the bath actually works in reverse.    So, I bought this CD thinking maybe it would help calm them down before bedtime.  It is geared for kids ages 4-9 and has stories to help them relax.  The narrator is a female voice which is very soothing.  I’ll admit, the first time we listened to it in the living room, I think the Boss (he went down in a few minutes) and I both fell asleep before the kids.  What is great about this CD is that even if your child isn’t old enough to understand the story, the narrator’s voice is so smooth and relaxing, it would probably help calm him down just listening to her.

There are 4 different stories that incorporate meditation techniques:  breathing, muscle relaxation, and visualizations.  The stories are also geared toward positive reinforcement, self esteem building, and stress relief.   Each story has a message so they help build a positive effect on your child and are not just meaningless nursery rhymes.  They include a story about a boy and a turtle, a caterpillar, a boy and a bear, and a story with many animals giving positive affirmations.  The stories are told with soothing background noises of nature.  There is also a music only track.

My kids really like Indigo Dreams and it does seem to help them wind down.  If your kids have problems falling asleep (or even if they don’t), this CD is a great way to deliver positive messages to your child and to help them and you get a good night’s sleep.  I’ll admit, it has put me to sleep more than once as well!

Will I EVER Get a GOOD Night’s Sleep???

If you’re a mom, then you probably already know that once you have kids, life as you once knew it is OVER!  Unfortunately…that includes SLEEP.  It has been over six years since the “Sandman” last visited me.  I say over six because not only am I including the years of my oldest child, but let’s be honest…a solid night’s sleep went out the window the minute the stick turned pink.

You all know what I’m talking about.  Having to pee every 5 minutes during the day.  Well HELLO….that continues all through the night as well.  I’m referring to the part of the night when you are supposed to be SLEEPING!  So at the beginning you’ve got the frequent trips to the bathroom but then as your baby inside you grows bigger, you can no longer sleep in your favorite position because it becomes too uncomfortable.  Side or back are the only choices so if you are a stomach sleeper sorry ’bout your luck!

So pregnancy is over and the beautiful baby that you have been preparing for is finally here.  By preparing I mean reading all the best baby books out there like What to Expect When You’re Expecting (a given read for pregnant women), Your Pregnancy Week by Week,  The Breastfeeding Book: Everything You Need to Know About Nursing Your Child from Birth Through Weaning by Dr. William Sears (if you’re planning on nursing your baby) and maybe you subscribed to a pregnancy website like Babycenter.com to get weekly updates on your baby’s growth and development each week.  I bet you even subscribed to Parents and/or Parenting magazine to read while you wait and prepare for the birth of your baby (OK…I did).

It’s true that all of those resources are wonderful and can be extremely helpful with a lot of things.  However, what people don’t tell you is that instead of reading and researching things on what to expect while you are pregnant, what you SHOULD be reading are books and articles about how to get your baby to sleep - and sleep through the night!  WHY DIDN’T ANYONE TELL ME THAT???  Well I AM telling YOU.  Forget all the other stuff.  Let your doctor worry about your baby’s growth and development.  If you are curious about it, go rent or by the DVD  The Miracle of Life and that is all you’ll need because I am here to tell you…it’s ALL about the SLEEP!!!  I have an entire library of how to get your baby to sleep through the night.  In fact, check back for books I recommend on that very topic.  Now if only I had read them BEFORE I had the baby, maybe my current sleep habits/schedule would be very different.  Translation…I’d actually get some sleep!  Trust me on this, I really DO know of what I speak.  Read the “sleep” books and skip everything else and a good night’s sleep will be yours for the taking…hopefully.