I got an email yesterday about a “Step Study Class” at church, only I read it as a “Sleep Study Class”. Made for a very confusing moment, wondering why they wanted to study sleep at church. *Insert 12 lame or not lame sleeping in church jokes here*
If it really were a sleep study though I think it would be interesting to observe Jimmy’s sleeping habits. I might have signed him up out of sheer curiosity. He runs and runs and runs and still has approximately 200x the energy I have in a day. Then when his energy starts running out he still soldiers on and runs and runs some more. Actually the more tired he gets the more frantic his running and playing gets.
Falling asleep is all dependent upon the surroundings. If he’s exhausted and in the carseat he just gets really quiet, then we look back and he’s knocked out. If he’s in my arms, the high chair or his reclining rocking chair he’ll sit peacefully until the big Z is just about to hit him and then he starts fussing and crying and twisting and then ZONK! he’s out….sometimes mid-twist/cry/fuss. The last type of surrounding we have is the crib. You can never tell whats going to happen in the crib. If we put him in there asleep or in twilight mode he’ll stay asleep generally for the rest of the night. If we notice how extremely tired he is and how his eyes keep closing or he’s rubbing them non-stop and we say good night, have good night hugs and kisses and go lay him down – WOOSH! – a second wave of energy hits him.
He very rarely fusses in his crib unless we’re in his room and not getting him out. If we lay him down, kiss him, pat his back and leave he’s fine. Doesn’t really mean he’s going to sleep though. He’ll talk to himself, lay this way, then that way, then throw the pillow in the air until it falls out of the crib. Lay on his back with his feet up on the bars. Then we hear BOOM! BOOM! and we look at each other wondering if there was a wreck outside or something. It never fails, one of us will look out the window and then a few seconds later the other one will realize it’s Jimmy banging on the wall.
Sleeping doesn’t keep him still either. Unless he’s tied into the chair, the high chair or the car seat he is all over the place even in his sleep. I’d love to know how many times he sits up in his sleep, how many times he changes positions and how on earth does he get all crammed into the corner?
He’s such a big boy though. He’s figured out that his little pillow is comfy and if he wakes up on the opposite side of the crib from it he’ll grab it and hug it to himself like a body pillow.
Nothing beats greeting him in the mornings though after a good, albeit busy, nights sleep. I generally know he’s awake because I can hear his pacifier strap clacking against the rails. He doesn’t cry or call me (unless I ignore the strap clacking for an inordinately long period of time) he just stands there looking around and waiting. And when he sees us he’s so happy and almost jumps into our arms. Except he can’t quite jump yet.
Yes, I think a sleep study on Jimmy would be very interesting indeed!
