To Bed, To Bed

Early Daylight Savings Time is a pain. I mean, it's great that we're coming home before dark and that the kids can play outdoors longer. But the Congressman didn't allow for is that it is still frickin' DARK early in the morning in March. And getting out of bed before sunrise does not make me a happy morning person. Especially since I'm not particularly a morning person in the first place!

Speaking of bed, there have been two fascinating pieces in the NY Times in recent weeks on such matters. The first was on people co-sleeping with their kids and featured a lot of idiots parents who spent thousands (literally) on bedroom sets and decor of the kind you would see in the tony magazines, only to discover that the little dears prefer cozying up with Mama and Papa instead.  Which leaves the big fancy bed to be used only when Mama or Papa takes refuge there...

Some of these folks are consulting "experts" who charge fees that allow them to afford those pricey beds for their own children. Most are simply throwing in the towel and caving in to whatever their kids decide THEY want. Who the hell are the parents here anyway?

These folks had evidently not read an earlier Times article entitled: "For Getting Baby To Sleep, Sticking To A Plan Is What Counts" which concluded that any plan can work if you are consistent and ended:

Even on a short-term basis, the task force reported, ''Infants who participated in sleep interventions were found to be more secure, predictable, less irritable and to cry and fuss less following treatment.''

While teaching a child to sleep independently can be emotionally wrenching for all those involved, Dr. Mindell said, ''Parents need to understand that they're not doing it for selfish reasons. Their children benefit greatly.''

Mind you, I am fully, FULLY sympathetic. It's HARD! SC was a cuddler and spent a good deal of her first year or two in and out of our bed. We finally ended up putting a fold out chair in her room so we could stretch out on the floor next to her crib. I'd often have to go in and wake up the Man when he fell asleep there....

But we did it. And we got to sleep peacefully. Plus, once she'd decided to sleep in her own bed, she slept like a rock. And she's been an excellent sleeper ever since.

I truly believe that I earned JR by what I had to put up with SC. Much to my amazement, she slept in the crib from the day we brought her home from the hospital!

Meanwhile, at the other end of the parenting game, there are a whole lot of empty nesters and childless folks who not only don't want their kids in the bed, they don't want their SPOUSES in the bed.

"To Have to Hold, To Cherish, Until Bed Time" recounts tales of people who have chosen to sleep in separate rooms. Homebuilders tell how many people are requesting 2 "master bedrooms" when they are building a new home. There are lots of reasons--snoring, people with different sleep patterns, etcetera. Most people insist their love lives are as good, or better than ever, though one lady does admit she wants a separate bedroom because  "I've paid my dues"

I understand snoring. I understand blanket hogging, spouses who get up at different times, the whole thing.  Been there, done that--still do in fact. And I understand wanting a "room of one's own".

But as one person commenting on the article put it "Isn't marriage about compromise?"

Last night I had to get up at 3 AM to deal with a cat puking on the stairs (fun, huh?) and as I got back in bed and curled up against the Man's warm back, I felt sorry for those folks alone in their separate bedrooms.

These folks can't sleep together.

Me, I can't sleep WITHOUT the Man...............

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