Sleep that is. But like sex, when you’re not getting enough, it’s all you can think about, because, duh, sleep is important! There's a reason forcing people to stay awake is classified as a torture technique. We know newborns wake constantly, needing to be fed and changed. We're prepared for a few months of pure exhaustion. But when those months turn into years, life can get pretty difficult.
I'm closing in on 18 months with a child who just will not "Go the F**k to Sleep," and his sleep habits, or rather lack of, absolutely dictate my life. I've read all the heavy hitters (Ferber, Sears, Weissbluth) thoroughly confusing myself in the process. I've tried some version of every reputable sleep-training method out there, and if one more well-intentioned person asks if we have a consistent bedtime routine, surely I will snap.
I'm quickly coming to the end of my rope, and seriously considering turning to a professional sleep trainer. Spending upwards of $500 for a stranger to teach my baby to sleep sounded absurd to my confident, well-rested, prebaby self. It's amazing what 18 months without a solid REM cycle will do for your perspective. Five hundred dollars for some decent sleep sounds like an absolute bargain to this addled mom.
Did you use a sleep trainer? Was it worth it?
Check back in two weeks for the next installment of The (No) Sleep Diaries.
Bottle, breast, finger or pacifier babies love to suck. From the moment they enter the world, lil ones seem on a quest to find something to put in their mouths. While a thumb or 
