Thursday, March 24, 2016

A Letter to the Creators of the Magic Merlin Sleep Suit

(Please Note: In no way is this post a product endorsement. I am not paid by or in any way affiliated with the Magic Merlin Sleep Suit company. I am simply reporting my own experiences.)

Dear Creators of the Magic Merlin Sleep Suit,

Oh the elusive enigma that is baby sleep. When my first son was born, I was baffled by his comatose days and sleepless nights. I devoured every sleep book I could get my hands on, desperate to unlock the secret magic that would make ours the kind of story I so desperately wanted: My little one started sleeping 12 hours a night at 6 weeks old...

Over time, I learned there is no magic. There is no secret. Unless you consider it a secret that babies don't come out sleeping 10-12 hours at night, they have unique sleep patterns,  and those patterns change over time, often quickly.

I also learned that there are vehement opinions and philosophies when it comes to baby sleep. There is the Ferber camp, those that believe babies must learn to self-soothe and therefore should be allowed to cry themselves to sleep. There is the Weissbluth camp, those that believe that sleep begets sleep and babies should be placed on strict sleep schedules from early on. There is the Attachment Parenting / Dr. Sears camp, those that believe that babies should always be soothed, shouldn't be allowed to cry, and perhaps should co-sleep with their parents.

Let me be clear, I am NOT here to take a side or fuel the fires of this debate. It is a furious one, I can tell you. In fact, I stopped talking much about baby sleep to people other than close friends or immediate family in order to not incite angry dialogue. I will say this. I didn't do cry it out with my first son and probably won't with my second. I just can't get on board with it. I nurse my babies or otherwise soothe them when they cry at night. I bring this up because it helps explain my forthcoming thank you to you.

With my second son, I have been much less anxious over his sleep because this time I know his patterns will change quickly. He's been great for the most part, only waking up once or twice a night and mostly sleeping 11-12 hours or so at night.  Just a few days ago, when he turned four months, he suddenly started waking up all. the. time. Ouch. So, I was up all the time.

Enter the Magic Merlin Sleep Suit. Last night, I moved him into a bigger crib (also part of my current sleep triumph, I'm sure), and popped on one of your sweet, hilarious-looking suits. My husband and I giggled as I zipped him up, made the same Michelien-man comments we made with our older son, and I popped him in his crib.

Here's what happened.

  • He fell asleep on his own, in his crib. 
  • He slept 12 hours, only waking up twice to eat. 
Currently, his usually 30 minute morning nap has been going strong for over two hours.

I know sleep is constantly subject to change when it comes to babies, toddlers, kids, and, let's face it, adults. But right now I'm happy. So thank you. Thank you for a little bit of peace. 

Sincerely,

A Satisfied Customer 



6 comments:

  1. It has been a long time since I had a baby in the house, but this brought back the good, the bad, and the ugly memories of dealing w/ baby sleep.

    I had no idea the various approaches of getting baby to sleep had names.

    Is there a magic sleep suit for adults? I could use one myself. Indeed, I'm starting to think there might be lots of newfangled baby gadgets warranting adult versions!

    Sweet dreams.

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  2. I have no idea what that is... but we used to double swaddle my son and put him in his crib in his carseat... desperate times call for desperate measures! Enjoy every second.
    Clare

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  3. A wish fulfilled! I love that you added the detail that you and your husband giggled as you laid your son in his crib. The suit is giggling now at its magical power!

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  4. I am envious that this suit did not exist 27 years ago when we desperately were in need of it...but glad that it is here for you!

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  5. I am envious that this suit did not exist 27 years ago when we desperately were in need of it...but glad that it is here for you!

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  6. Yay for baby sleep! Hope it continues and you can get some rest mama!!

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