My lovely little 6 month old boy is a terrible sleeper. He doesn't really nap much during the day and used to sleep through the night right from birth. He is the total opposite to DS1 who used to nap a lot and wake a lot at night so we vowed not to make that mistake with DS2. Now he is 6 months he has stopped sleeping through the night since about 5 months old and now he will wake SCREAMING (he doesn't ever cry he just screams and people look at me like I am hurting him - he just has one of those cries) during the night but he never fully wakens so I have started picking him up since shushing him has stopped working and I am completely crazy with sleep deprivation.

Today I have broken down in tears as I had maybe 40mins sleep last night, 2 hrs the night before and similar the night before that - probably been like this for months. DS2 fell asleep in the buggy after we dropped off DS1 at nursery so I rushed home with him, left him in the buggy in the living room and snuggled on the couch beside the buggy so I could maybe nap with him... He only bloody well woke up and started screaming. I have just cried and cried. I can't take it. I can't take this little sleep with 2 young children to look after.

I am SAHM and OH obviously thinks I have it easy but it just never stops and when OH comes home from work he wants to put his feet up having a really stressful job. My "job" never ends. I can cope when I at least get a night's sleep with even one feed during the night but this screaming every 40 mins or only sleeping when I am holding him and moving around is killing me. I can not go on like this. Help me please.

Unfortunately I have no real friends who can help me out, my Mum died a few years ago and my Dad is elderly. My MIL has all the other grandkids to look after and basically told us she is too busy to help us and I should be able to cope since I am at home all day with "nothing else to do" so they all feel I am just being pathetic. I have to go now DS2 is screaming again.

I just needed to vent on here cos I need help and think I am going mad

He's calmed down and I have calmed down now and have just read what a nasty bitch I sound like in that last post. I have to say I am soooooooo lucky to have my 2 boys and I really appreciate how lucky I am. I am just sooooooo sleep deprived right now I think I am losing it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

You don't sound like a nasty bitch at all You just sound like a very sleep-deprived mummy!
In the night is he not fully waking up, just crying in his sleep? And can I ask, does he sleep in his own room, or in yours?

I can sympathise hun. My LO has never slept all the way through the night (though by the 5-hours definition he does occasionally). I've found the No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley to be a gentle way to encourage better sleep. It takes a while to work but doesn't traumatise, and my LO is sleeping so much better - we've gone from him waking me every hour and a half (and being awake for maybe 30 mins to an hour each time so I was only getting maybe 20 minute snatches sometimes) to 7.30pm-midnight-3am-6am.

Now I am confident that the only things preventing my LO sleeping are his eczema, his teething and an obsession with having my milk as much as possible lol. But we're working gently on all the above. A couple of nights he's gone 7.30pm-2am-6am.

The other thing to consider is if it's maybe night terrors or something? The only time my LO wakes actually crying rather than just mumbling and moving round is when he's in pain or having a nightmare.

I can't offer any advice as I'm in the same boat as you! Apart from I only have the one screaming baby!! I know how it feels and I just want to offer you it's soo difficult and so hard to function with so little sleep, I hope he grows out of it soon!

Thanks for replying...
He sleeps in with his big brother since we have a small house and doesn't fully wake up but screams sooooooo loud I have to take him out of the room so DS1 doesn't wake up - it's not fair on him either.

I have the No Cry Sleep Solution book and patting/shushing worked a treat and he was sleeping 8pm-11pm dream feed 11.15pm-8am until about a month ago frustratingly.

My lo is a terrible sleeper too, can totally relate and sympathise. Have no advice I'm afraid but you're not alone. Sending you hugs xx

I have no advice but I can relate.. Lately LO has been waking every hour at night. He has eczema on his forehead which I think is really itchy and bothers him at night. I have to swaddle him so he doesn't scratch, this probably bugs him too! I drink 3 or 4 cups of coffee to get me though the day now I'm wondering if this is contributing to poor sleep?!.. But I reeeeeally don't wanna cut out coffee I might lose it completely :P

I dont have any advice to offer (as i havent had my baby yet) but just wanted to say you dont sound like a nasty bitch at all, it all sounds like a perfectly normal response to having no sleep. Im sure you've already thought of speaking to your health visitor to see if she can offer any advice. I hope things settle down really soon for you.

Does he have a dummy? My LO sometimes half wakes screaming, I pop in his dummy and a lullaby on and off he goes back to sleep. I also do this as I go and make his bottle if he wakes through the night (used to sleep through, after being up every 2 hours max for an hour at a time, now back to some night waking depending on how he feels). I'll pop his dummy in and his mobile on, that way if he's awake it'll amuse him and if he's not he doesn't notice it moving and the dummy & music will put him back to sleep.

Obviously he's a boobie-baby, but maybe try it and see if he just goes back to sleep before you feed him?

If it's possible how about having him back in your room? I know my LO is a bit younger but yours sounds just as clingy so it might upset him if he can't see you when he wakes up, I know it upsets mine.

Ps, you don't sound like a bitch!!