is/was your LO a really bad sleeper? support and advise thread!

[kosh]

Can I join here??

My lo was 1 last week, and I'm still lucky to get 3 hrs sleep a night. We are up every hour, hour and half, with usually a 2 or 3 hour awake time. Does that class as bad?

Thanks

welcome BigAl, I think it's safe to say that that classes as bad, and that you can join us! it's 'nice' to have someone else joining, I thought it'd be only me and clairey left

now, seriously, sorry you're having so little sleep. has s/he always been like this? any idea what's keeping him/her awake for that long?

 

[BigAl]

Things went downhill at 4 months, he was doing 9-2 then every 2 hours (dream), then he got 2 teeth, and then it got even worse at 8 months.
He is cutting 4 molars right now, so I guess that is a big problem. But a lot of the time seems trapped wind, he strains and strains to fart Lol.

It's so hard because everyone judges you, like I'm doing something wrong. Maybe I am, but you can only do what comes naturally, right?

 

[kosh]

I know the feeling....everybody looks at you like, is he still waking up?
for us things also started to get bad at around 3-4 months, then a bit better at around 7-8 and then down hill again
Do you co-sleep?
Re. Wind - that used to be a big problem for us too. Have tried an elimination diet?

 

[MrsHedgehog]

I wish!!

I can't complain though really as LO is having a decent stretch of 5-6 hours on most nights. For the first 2 hours or so she sleeps in her cot. When she wakes the first time I put her back in the cot. Sometimes she'll sleep for another hour, sometimes she'll be awake again after 20mins. After the second waking I bring her into bed with me and then she'll have a 5-6 hour stretch. Then for the last few hours she wakes at least every hour but sometimes every half an hour until she's up for the day. Last night I tried closing the shutters to keep the room darker in the morning as it's usually from when it starts to get light that she starts waking up more. It seemed to help as she slept sounder in the early morning. I just wish I could get her to do a longer stretch in her cot but she won't last more than 2-3 hours. If I keep trying to put her back in her cot she just keeps waking up every 20mins after taking 20mins to resettle. It's so much easier just to bring her into bed with me. It's strange because she actually goes into her cot really happily for naps and for the first part of the night and often even asks to go into her cot. From around midnight on though she wants to be in my bed.

How is everyone else?

5-6hrs stretches?! I think you're ready to leave this thread!
do you know what made the difference?

no progress for us. we had a couple of relatively good nights followed by nights where LO just wanted to comfort suck all night
as you know by my other thread, he seems to have increased his milk intake both day and night now

oh, well

I don't think that we're doing anything different really although I've been much stricter about routine, cutting naps if they go on too long etc. She still has awful nights maybe once a week or sometimes more but that 5 hour stretch when it happens is wonderful. I really think that she is just gradually learning to sleep better. Sometimes I can get her to sleep in her cot without nursing her because she understands now that to get to sleep she has to lie down and close her eyes. Before she would just stand up and cry. Occasionally she'll even ask to go into her cot! Her sleep is still a big issue compared to most 'normal' babies but it is so much better than it was. Also, in the past few weeks she really seems to have 'grown up'. She's speaking more, eating more, started running and is generally more like a little girl rather than a baby. I looked at her the other day when we were out for a walk and suddenly realised she wasn't a baby any more. Since our LOs are so similar then maybe you are just on the edge of seeing improvements too.

 

[kosh]

I wish!!

I can't complain though really as LO is having a decent stretch of 5-6 hours on most nights. For the first 2 hours or so she sleeps in her cot. When she wakes the first time I put her back in the cot. Sometimes she'll sleep for another hour, sometimes she'll be awake again after 20mins. After the second waking I bring her into bed with me and then she'll have a 5-6 hour stretch. Then for the last few hours she wakes at least every hour but sometimes every half an hour until she's up for the day. Last night I tried closing the shutters to keep the room darker in the morning as it's usually from when it starts to get light that she starts waking up more. It seemed to help as she slept sounder in the early morning. I just wish I could get her to do a longer stretch in her cot but she won't last more than 2-3 hours. If I keep trying to put her back in her cot she just keeps waking up every 20mins after taking 20mins to resettle. It's so much easier just to bring her into bed with me. It's strange because she actually goes into her cot really happily for naps and for the first part of the night and often even asks to go into her cot. From around midnight on though she wants to be in my bed.

How is everyone else?

5-6hrs stretches?! I think you're ready to leave this thread!
do you know what made the difference?

no progress for us. we had a couple of relatively good nights followed by nights where LO just wanted to comfort suck all night
as you know by my other thread, he seems to have increased his milk intake both day and night now

oh, well

I don't think that we're doing anything different really although I've been much stricter about routine, cutting naps if they go on too long etc. She still has awful nights maybe once a week or sometimes more but that 5 hour stretch when it happens is wonderful. I really think that she is just gradually learning to sleep better. Sometimes I can get her to sleep in her cot without nursing her because she understands now that to get to sleep she has to lie down and close her eyes. Before she would just stand up and cry. Occasionally she'll even ask to go into her cot! Her sleep is still a big issue compared to most 'normal' babies but it is so much better than it was. Also, in the past few weeks she really seems to have 'grown up'. She's speaking more, eating more, started running and is generally more like a little girl rather than a baby. I looked at her the other day when we were out for a walk and suddenly realised she wasn't a baby any more. Since our LOs are so similar then maybe you are just on the edge of seeing improvements too.

Thanks, I really hope so. I sometimes get the feeling he's slowly improving but then we havea stretch of awful nights and I dont know what to think anymore.
Its funny waht you say that your LO now understands that she has to lie down and close her eyes, mine is the same, he can be ultra tired but it's like he doesn't know what is it that he has to do

 

[ellebelle]

It's so hard because everyone judges you, like I'm doing something wrong. Maybe I am, but you can only do what comes naturally, right?

I HATE that. I feel like every time I have to tell people the girls are still waking all night people think I am doing something wrong... okay my kids aren't the only babies that wake up in the night.
Stop judging me and offer to babysit so I can have a nap...

 

[BigAl]

Its funny waht you say that your LO now understands that she has to lie down and close her eyes, mine is the same, he can be ultra tired but it's like he doesn't know what is it that he has to do

This is what my lo is like, he just doesn't know how to get to sleep. The last couple of days he actually lay down himself, which was surprising, although he got up again after 5 secs Lol. I long for the day I can just tuck him up and leave.

 

[BigAl]

I did a week of dairy free, but then he went and burnt his hand, and I was told to put him on a high dairy diet *sigh*

Did you manage to work out what the prob was for your lo Kosh?

 

[kosh]

I did a week of dairy free, but then he went and burnt his hand, and I was told to put him on a high dairy diet *sigh*

Did you manage to work out what the prob was for your lo Kosh?

Im still not sure, but I always suspected that he has some type of lactose intolerance. At the moment he seems ok with cheese, but everytime he eats yogurth he seems to have tummy pain and wakes every hour.
When he was younger it was much worse and I think he would even react to some things in my diet.
Why a high dairy diet for a burnt hand??

 

[kosh]

arghhhhhhhhh!!

that's all

 

[aliss]

Its gotten so bad Im implementing sleep training tonight. I wont be using CC/CIO but he is clearly dependent on the pacifier/boob in between sleep cycles (hasnt gone 1 hour without waking in several weeks) so for his own sake, I'm going ot have to help him learn on his own. Wish me luck!!! I told OH to sleep in our toddlers room or downstairs for a few nights, I cant do this with him in teh room, he cries and whines more than the damn baby.

 

[kosh]

Its gotten so bad Im implementing sleep training tonight. I wont be using CC/CIO but he is clearly dependent on the pacifier/boob in between sleep cycles (hasnt gone 1 hour without waking in several weeks) so for his own sake, I'm going ot have to help him learn on his own. Wish me luck!!! I told OH to sleep in our toddlers room or downstairs for a few nights, I cant do this with him in teh room, he cries and whines more than the damn baby.

to you aliss!

I know this is your second, so in your experience, you don't think that a baby that is dependednt on boob/pacifier to transition between sleep cycles can start to 'get it' on their own? that's what I was hoping for...

good luck!!
eta - what's your plan of action?

 

[aliss]

Its gotten so bad Im implementing sleep training tonight. I wont be using CC/CIO but he is clearly dependent on the pacifier/boob in between sleep cycles (hasnt gone 1 hour without waking in several weeks) so for his own sake, I'm going ot have to help him learn on his own. Wish me luck!!! I told OH to sleep in our toddlers room or downstairs for a few nights, I cant do this with him in teh room, he cries and whines more than the damn baby.

to you aliss!

I know this is your second, in your experience, you don't think that a baby that is dependednt on boob/pacifier to transition between sleep cycles can start to 'get it' on their own? that's what I was hoping for...

good luck!!

Thanks! Unfortunately I have no idea as Alex only was bottle-fed and refused a pacifier! I'm in all new territory!! His night problems were directly related to severe acid reflux until 14 months.

I do know that some really don't, I know other women who are still dealing with 'night invaders' lol at 15-18+ months. I do think eventually at 2+ that all will get it, but I'm afraid to say that poor Philippe is so miserable anyways right now that this will only benefit him.

I just (finally) got him down for his 2nd nap its 11am (he was up way too early and up all night) by rubbing his back and shushing him with the paci. Baby steps!!

 

[MrsHedgehog]

arghhhhhhhhh!!

that's all

 

[kosh]

how is it going aliss?

 

[pinkie77]

Hi :wave:
My daughter phoebe is nearly 2 and a half and always been a rubbish sleeper! At the beginning of April we had a run of good nights (9pm-4/5am lol) and I thought we'd cracked it! Sadly not
ATM she's going to bed around 9pm, waking on average 3 times a night and at least one of those she'll be awake for the best part of an hour. And she's up for the day between 5.30 and 6 am, dunno how she does it!
She is slightly better than when she was younger though, she doesn't wake hourly any more! It's just getting a bit wearing now

 

[kosh]

Hi :wave:
My daughter phoebe is nearly 2 and a half and always been a rubbish sleeper! At the beginning of April we had a run of good nights (9pm-4/5am lol) and I thought we'd cracked it! Sadly not
ATM she's going to bed around 9pm, waking on average 3 times a night and at least one of those she'll be awake for the best part of an hour. And she's up for the day between 5.30 and 6 am, dunno how she does it!
She is slightly better than when she was younger though, she doesn't wake hourly any more! It's just getting a bit wearing now

hi and welcome pinkie!
that sounds awful - to you
any idea what happened in april that made her sleep well?

 

[babybaker2011]

Hey ladies!

My lo is still BF, but only in the early evening around 5:00 - 5:30 and then she has to be nursed and rocked to sleep. She has never slept more than 3 hours, EVER! It has gotten a little better, because she used to have to have the boob in her mouth constantly, but now not so much. Due to her being a horrible sleeper, we just co-sleep, but I'm getting to the point where I'm ready for her to sleep alone, especially now that I'm pregnant with #2. Thanks for reading!

 

[Claireyb1]

Welcome pinkie and babybaker! Sorry that you find it necessary to post on this thread. The lack of sleep seems like it will never end! Lol
Our sleep is averagely rubbish really. She randomly slept for 7 hrs a few weeks back but never before nor since? I wish I knew why she did such a long stretch?
Hugs to all the other sleep deprived mummies. Xxx

 

[kosh]

welcome babybaker! another BF & co-sleeping mum we too co-sleep to survive
can I ask you, how did you get the courage to go for baby#2 with such a bad sleeper?