Bedtime anxiety - mummy not baby!

[Rooster30]

Does anyone else suffer with anxiety when it comes to putting our LOs to bed?

I get seriously anxious. When it was just the three of us, my husband dealt with bedtime, and even then, if my son kicked up a stink (which he always did) I'd still feel sick with anxiety.

Now we have a daughter and since I BF her to start with I have always put her to bed. She is pretty darn good at this bedtime lark, but this week she has suffered with a cold (checking nothing more serious tomorrow) and I think she is teething too and so, naturally, bedtimes have gone a bit haywire BUT saying this, she still isn't horrendous, she'll chat in bed have a little moan, chat and go to sleep. However, I still feel crazy anxious if she doesn't go to sleep after 10 minutes. I know it is irrational and poor girl has good reason to feel unsettled but my anxiety is just another force.

Also I can't help but think the lighter evenings haven't helped, as she seems to drift off by the time darkness kicks in (bedtime at 6pm).

Any advice on how to get past this anxiety related to bedtimes?

 

[Orion]

No advice except to say relax. Easier said than done, but what's the worst that can happen?! Baby will eventually drift off. And you've got your OH to help if you need it.

 

[ShowingPromise]

I used to feel a lot of bedtime anxiety and like you, my lo wasn't even that bad! I think it was more the thought that if he has a bad night then I don't cope brilliantly without sleep, so the worry stemmed from that.
We have a very solid routine thing and over time the anxiety has lessened. We've coped with some awful nights when he's been ill etc and we've all made it through! I just kept that in mind and I don't think about it anymore. It was at its worst when we had a few bad nights in a row.

If you can, try and think positive thoughts!

 

[Rooster30]

Thanks ladies. I know it is all very irrational, even at the time I KNOW it is irrational and silly but my body seems to want to stuff all that and make me worry. My OH is golden and a very very good egg. Neither child awakens at night, but if they do it is him who tends to them and if my daughter doesn't settle after her brother is in bed then he will take over for me. I am so tormented by the long nights with my eldest, the PND and the arguments that resulted in it that my body just won't shut down. Grrr.

 

[Orion]

It's not irrational but it's out of your control. You're doing your best to get baby to sleep and you sound successful at it. If baby has a bad night then it's just one of those things. Maybe just tell yourself you're okay, oh isn't far away, everything is fine.