Help!!!

luckyme225

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The title says it all... I don't get sleep at night, maybe about 3 hours if I'm lucky! I'm always exhausted and with working part-time and breastfeeding I feel bitchy/lazy all the time. My DH is a great help on the weekend when he is off so I can normally get at least one day a week of good sleep but I found even with that I'm still exhausted as ever. He wakes up every 1-2 hours and after being up for awhile he screams from hitting his head on the crib, which wakes him up even more. I'm really tempted to use bumpers but I know your not supposed to because the risk of SIDS. I use a white noise machine and rub him down with the johnsons bedtime lotion but it doesn't seem to help. Any tips? Any ideas about what to do about the head bumping? I just would love to get at least 4 straight hours of sleep :(

sorry for the mini rant I just thought if I let it all out I would feel better ....
 
What's a typical day like for LO? Might give us more idea of what you could change?
 
The days I don't work is somewhat like this:

7:00: give up and take Connor out to the living room

8:00: bf Connor - most likely to take a nap

10:00: Gets a fruit puree

11:00 bf Connor / cuddle time

12:00 plays in his jumper for 30 minutes then takes a nap in his crib for 1 hour or so

2:00- 4:00 bf Connor/ read to him/ play with toys

4:00 plays with dad/ bf / gets a veggie

5:00 naps for 30 minutes

6:00- 7:00 gets a bath/ bf/ lays around with mom and dad

8:00 start attempting to put him to bed/ massage/ bedtime story/ bf/
... normally will fall asleep finally by 9:30-10:00 then wakes up every 2 hours or so the changing to every hour after four AM.
 
Wow! You are supermum. You seem to be doing all the right things to me :(
 
I feel like I'm doing things right, I just don't get it. I'm sure if he didn't wake up and bump his head on the crib he would probably fall back asleep on his own after awhile, who knows, I don't have a clue. I guess I will just have to toughen up and hope that in the next 6 months he will start sleeping better. Wish I could load up on caffeine to help stay awake better during the day but that would only make things worse for him. I feel bad because on the days I do work (twice a week) I have to have a big coffee in the morning or I just won't function.
 
:hugs: I'm sure things will sort out eventually. I hope it's sooner than later x
 
Thanks! It feels much more reassuring hearing it from someone else that it has to get better eventually.
 
When he wakes up what is it he wants? Does he have a bottle or is he just unsettled?

I noticed Louis started to sleep better when I stopped changing his nappy during the night, it was definately waking him up more then he would have trouble getting back to sleep..

Before he goes to bed I put lots of cream and a pampers dry night nappy the one with aloe vera protection.. Meant to be good enough for 12 hours.. He has no nappy rash so it must work lol
 
When he wakes up what is it he wants? Does he have a bottle or is he just unsettled?

I noticed Louis started to sleep better when I stopped changing his nappy during the night, it was definately waking him up more then he would have trouble getting back to sleep..

Before he goes to bed I put lots of cream and a pampers dry night nappy the one with aloe vera protection.. Meant to be good enough for 12 hours.. He has no nappy rash so it must work lol

I don't change Connor at night either, I put on his night time pampers and put desitin on his bum. I normally wake up to him crying because he has banged his head on the bar of the crib. I just put him in the bed with us and let him comfort suck because he is normally very upset but I wouldn't say he is the least it hungry because he just sits there with my boob and doesn't eat. Luckily he goes back to bed within 10 minutes or so of being being comforted.
 
To be honest, I have carlee's bumpers on since she was able to hold up her head. They tell alot of people NOT to use the bumpers when they are younger as they cant move there heads well enough to breath. I would try it... Maybe try playing soft music on low?
 
I have used bumpers from day1.I think a lot of the advice of experts are way overrated.Never had problems.Since he is 5 months already I would think ur LO is ready.Just tie it tightly and keep strings away from his reach.Skyler still wakes up regularly at night.Even more than your LO.He now sleeps at night in my bed and during day in his crib.Get a lot more sleep that way.Just try it for one night and see....
 
I don't have advice on how to solve the sleeping issue, but for yourself I suggest drinking what they call Jungle Juice. Its a mixture of a few things which will help with your energy without affecting your LO (its all natural, no caffiene or anything). Just google Jungle Juice and you will find a few different recipes.
 
I feel your pain: we had months and months of being up every hour or so.

I am not sure about the bumpers/ head banging: that is a tough one! I wonder though if he is crying just because he wants your comfort and associates being on the breast with calming down and going back to sleep. I would bet my bottom dollar that has a lot do do with his frequent waking.

If so, it is totally possible to break this association so he can get himself back to sleep. It takes a few nights but believe me, it works and for us has cut down on the night-waking massively. We did it by just sitting by LO in her cot, and leaning over to give her a cuddle but not picking her up/ feeding her until she fell to sleep. It took 2 hours the first night and boy did she get cross, but the second night shorter, third night, shorter still and fourth night, she went to sleep on her own. And now she only wakes 1-2 times a night in 12 hours. Before it was 5, 6or more times. What's more, she is so much happier in the day because she is less tired.

I wonder if you could also put your DS to bed earlier? Someone advised me that a short bedtime routine and earlier bedtime usually works better. So, maybe you could try bath, BF, story and then into bed within, say an hour of him waking from his last nap. Bedtime around 7pm? This way he won't be really overtired when you put him down, as overtiredness can cause frequent wakings and huge problems settling. If he is bashing and thrashing and looking wide-eyed and slightly manic when you try and put him to bed, this is likely to be the case. YOu'd think the tireder they were the more solidly they would sleep and the easier they would go off, but no, not in my experience!

Lucy

Lucy
 
Thanks so much ladies for your advice. We are going to start putting him in his room tomorrow night and see if after crying for 10 minutes or so if he will fall back asleep. I think we might try bumpers as well so I doesn't wake up even more for banging his head, we'll see.

Also, Ratty I looked up Jungle juice and found a delicious alcoholic drink recipe :blush: LOL
 
First, Jungle Juice is a delicious drink! LOL

Secondly hun, you are like Supermom! Dont be hard on yourself! I'm pretty sure the risk of SIDS is greatly decreased at 6 months, and since Connor will be there very soon, you might want to try a bumper. Erica was in her bassinet until she was almost 5 months (it went up to 15lbs). Then once she went into her crib, I put the bumper on. She can roll over on her own, crawl a few steps, and has total head control, so I think shes alright with having it. You can set up a baby monitor and listen for a while... The first week that she was out of our room and in her crib, I was freaking out, listening to the monitor for hours before falling asleep. Even now, every time I get up in the night, I go check on her. He'll be ok. You need to rest!! :hugs:
 
:hugs:

I think letting him settle himself might be a good idea hun.
 
Have you tried a dummy? Louis is much calmer now I let him have a dummy. They really are like a little miracle at times.. I'd deffo recommend you try one, the cherry shape ones are good the other shapes just seem to fall out.. It sounds like he just wants something to soothe him back to sleep..

Louis used to be the same, now the dum dum + his little comfort blankie are bed time musts!!!!!
 
Have you tried rolling up 2 small towels or cellular blankets like sausages either side of him by the bars? Thats what we have to do with Tabs or she smacks her head.
I also do the dummy thing but also rub teething granules on her gums too
 
Thanks so much ladies for your advice. We are going to start putting him in his room tomorrow night and see if after crying for 10 minutes or so if he will fall back asleep.
good for you! I am sure it will work eventually, you just have to keep trying and be totally consistent so he knows what's expected. It might take (substantially) longer than 10 minutes the first time but it will get shorter every time I am certain. It is very worthwhile perservering with it... what's a few more broken nights compared to whole weeks of (relatively) unbroken sleep, eh??!??!!!

Lucy
 

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