A Study in Sleep Deprivation

For the last few weeks, we've had trouble getting Sophie to wind down to sleep. We suspected that it was because she was so tired that she couldn't settle. The more sleep deprived she is, the harder it is for her to sleep, that's been the way of it since she was tiny. But with early rising for school and sporadic quiet times due to holiday school schedules, we were unsure how to help her.

Last night was Pack Meeting. It always begins at 7pm, which is also the girls' bedtime. By the time we were home, it was after 9pm. Sophie was flying, almost literally. She was zooming around the house on a riding toy, totally oblivious to our calls to put on pajamas and brush teeth. After much wrastling and pleading and commanding, she finally knocked out, but it was late.

Today, well, it was rough. Peter didn't tantrum, but it was tricky business keeping him on-track with homework. The other three? There were several meltdowns that took place, some motivated by refusals to do homework, some because I asked for a chore to be performed, at least one because I watched a child swing (and miss) at another sibling and get called out for it. Sophie was hysterical throughout the day, including first-thing in the morning when I told her she couldn't go outside in freezing temperatures in her thin nightgown and bare feet to take the kids to the bus.

Bryan and I agreed that bedtime needed to come early.

We were reasonable, no one went to sleep before the sun went down. But the girls were both tucked into their beds by 6:45. There was fussing and complaining and a small but active fit took place because I'd asked Sophie to lie in her bed the regular way instead of "like a nest" as she wanted.

But guess what? The girls were solidly asleep by 7pm. It's the first time that's happened in ages. They were so tired from the late night cub scouting and the many nights of troubled sleep, they needed it.

Now we just have to wait and see if they wake up at 5am...