[mommy2two babes]

I don't know if this is such a co-sleeping issue as a breastfeeding one.
I cannot for the life of me fall asleep without nursing.
The way we sleep is that me and the kids share a bed. I nurse to sleep and them go and do things before it is my bedtime. The problem is that if I get into bed I cannot sleep until my DS wakes up to nurse. This never used to be a problem because he woke so frequently but now it might be a hour at least before he wakes to nurse. There are times I want to wake him up to nurse.
Am I the only one with this issue?

 

[mommy2two babes]

No one?
Am I the only one?

 

[juliebird]

I don't have the issue but I do the same pattern...nurse him to sleep and then get up and doing some things until bedtime...what I find is that I Often fall asleep with him while my hubby and older kids are hanging out in the evening. I feel like i'm missing out.

maybe it's a stage that you'll outgrow? how long has it been going on?

 

[Ruthla]

I remember going through phases like that, but I honestly can't remember how I handled it- if I took anything to help me sleep or if it just went away on its own after a few days, or if I did different things different times it happened.

I just want to reassure you that this is normal!

 

[mommy2two babes]

Thanks, I guess I just have myself conditioned to fall asleep while nursing.
I have been nursing to sleep for 4 years now. Funny that they say its the kids who won't learn to fall asleep on thier own.

 

[AlicesMama]

Hey I'm the same, when I creep into our room, DD often doesn't wake, sometimes up to an hour after I get in there - she's only 7 months and though I love having the bed to myself, part of me is dying for her to wake up so that she will feed and I can go to sleep myself

Part of the reason is that actually breastfeeding makes you feel drowsy, it releases a hormone, can't remember the name and that I find alway sends me off to sleep - especially for daytime naps, when in the past, it was unheard of for me to sleep during the day, it always made me feel ill! Not these days! There are hormones in the milk as well that send baby to sleep so it's an all round win-win

Also, whilst breastfeeding you can't ever go into the final 4th phase of sleep, the most restful deeply fulfilling sleep, so that's why so many of us feel like zombies on this forum! Again it's the hormones, probably to keep Mums not too deeply asleep so she can tend to her baby if she needed to hear they were in distress - an evolutionary thing

Once we give up breastfeeding, no more day time naps and no free ride to sleep at night, but perhaps once asleep, it will be much more refreshing! Personally I can't wait but looks like I'm a lot further behind that you, oh well!