Baby Jet Lag

The flight home from Hawaii was the overnight flight. Henry slept most of the flight but it still wasn't as good a night of sleep as if he were in his crib. So when we arrived home we were all tired. Henry had zero problem adjusting to the time difference in Hawaii so my hope was that the same would be true when we got home. Not so much. Baby jet lag is not fun! Kyle and I hunkered down and with the glow of Hawaii still over us figured it would be a few rough days...well we were wrong. Our good sleeping baby was still no where in sight after a week! I called the pediatrician and said the words I'm sure he hears from new moms all the time, "There's something wrong with my baby!" Is he teething? Is it another growth spurt? I don't know! I just know Henry hasn't slept since we returned from vacation.
After a thorough exam our doctor explained Henry was going through 4 month sleep regression. It can be triggered by illness, teething or in our case vacation. Great so how do we fix it? The nurse tried to comfort my concern by telling me it usually lasts less than a month. A MONTH! I was a week and half in without sleep and was barely surviving!
And I tried everything! EVERYTHING! I begged, I pleaded, I even promised Henry a car when he turned 16 (if he has straight As of course), if he would just sleep for more than an hour at a time! But he was a tough negotiator and wouldn't give.
Well I'm happy to report that after three weeks and a few days Henry is back to sleeping like a rock star! THANK GOODNESS!! It was the most difficult three weeks since Henry's been born. More difficult than when he was a newborn - FOR SURE! I learned a few things from this experience - the BIGGEST being that Kyle and I were very spoiled by how easy Henry was and what a good sleeper we had! This experience hasn't scared me away from vacations though. Among the SEVERAL sleep baby books I've now read, I learned how to avoid this in the future and will take all the precaution necessary because a tired mommy is not good for anyone!