BEDA (Day 16) - Sleep Regression/Teething

It was one of those things that I was warned was coming but that I was desperately hoping Mara would skip: the dreaded sleep regression.  Basically, at around 4-5 months of age, babies (and therefore their parents) experience a change in their sleep cycles.  Prior to this, babies sleep cycles were very different than adults.  We go through stages of sleep, ranging from hypnagogia (half asleep state where you startle awake) to deep REM sleep.  Before age 4-5 months, babies only had deep sleep.  At that point, their brains develop to the point where they have lighter and deeper sleep cycles, which will remain for the rest of their lives.  Now they wake up and don't know how to get back to sleep - hence the crying every few hours.  They don't know how to self-soothe.  I need to do some research on how best to help Mara.  There are several methods, I just need to find the one that is best for us.

In the meantime, I am so tired I can't even think.

But here's a collage of Mara.  She's pretty damn cute, makes it all worth it!