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

[AngelUK]

Congrats babybaker on sttn

Oh wow Gemma congrats! Very happy for you and I hope the sickness stays away.
I am sorry your grandad is not any better. Sending tons of

 

[babybaker2011]

ETA: Now, if she sees my naked breasts after I get out of the shower, it's like she doesn't even remember. She'll even blow raspberries on them...lol!! Go figure!!

Alex was exactly the same! He settled much better as soo. As I stopped feeding him at night andwithin a couple of weeks it was like he'd forgotten what they were for.
Now he's realised they wobble and jiggle and is constantly pushing them around and giggling lol!!!

Things here pretty same. Alex's sleep is pretty hit and miss but he does keep getting out of routine for various reasons...Cardiff trips, holidays etc!

Grandad is rapidly getting worse and has weeks, maybe a month at best.

We are currently on hols in butlins in bognor but nearly had to go home last night as Phil's nan is seriously ill and we were told she wouldn't last the night but OH's mum hadn't listened to the drs right and made everyone panic and his nan is actually a lot better.

Other news is......I'm 6 week pregnant! .....and exhausted!!! But no 24 hour sickness like last time which is great!!! :-D


How's everyone else getting on?

So sorry to hear that he's getting worse.

Massive congrats on your pregnancy, though. Glad to hear that sickness hasn't overtaken you.

 

[kosh]

Congratulations gemma!!

 

[Claireyb1]

Great news babybaker with the sttn, although like kosh I was also hoping you didn't have to resort to weaning but glad it has worked for you.
Omg Gemma!!!! Pregnant? Big congrats to you I'm so happy for you guys!! We def must meet up soon and talk babies! Lol
Xxx

 

[kosh]

very quiet in here, hope everyone is doing well
i need your help ladies - as you all know LO has always been a crap sleeper during the night but at least he used to do down really easily: BF and in 5-10min he was off now, for the past 2 months (I think it started end of May) he takes ages to fall asleep. he still BF, but then he wants a story, or play with his animals, or sing, climb, scream, hit me, etc etc. I usually end up rocking him to sleep and ocassionally he self settled.
at first I thought it was the light evenings but I don't know anymore. I guess I am getting used to the loooong winding down (minimum of 1hr!) but I'd love it if it was a bit shorter/easier. the bit that upsets me most is when he starts screaming and hitting - it's like he still has lots of energy left and can't switch off and gets very frsutrated as he gets more and more tired.

any suggestions anyone?
thanks!

 

[Gemmamuk]

Eek sorry kosh I'm not really sure what to suggest, as Alex is usually pretty good going to sleep - he just likes to wake up 3/4 times a night after.

He is really like a little whirlwind, and will not sit still for a second, so I've never been able to read him a story.

Lucky, he knows once he is in his cot with a bottle of milk it's bed time and he usually goes off within a few minutes, even after running round likes madman minutes before. Even if he doesn't go to sleep, he's happy enough and lays there nattering away to himself for a few minutes, sometimes hours.

It took us a while to get there, but to be fair he is really good in going to bed now, and actually likes his own space and sometimes kind of asks to go to bed by standing at the stair gate and shouting 'nigh night - bop bop?'!
But - he will not sleep in our bed - he likes his own bed, in the peace and quiet of his own room. Such a light sleeper. That will be shattered when the new baby comes lol
Plus he will only go to sleep with a warm bottle of milk - cold milk or water won't work - even in this weather!

Maybe you need to find some way of watered-down CC method to help him learn to get to sleep on his own?
Like I said Alex doesn't always go straight off to sleep, guess he's not always tired, but he is always in his cot by 7pm and I often don't hear a peep till 12am-3am.
If he cries I do go in but try not to too often as its usually just a grizzle because he is bored lol

 

[kosh]

thanks gemma
I'm not a fan of CC but even if I was I don't think it would work, as LO would just cry/scream behind the door
what I need to try to find is a why to get him to lay down still
maybe I'm getting the timing wrong too

O/T - how are you feeling gemma?


mrshedgehog, are you around? I seem to remember you had a similar problem?

 

[Gemmamuk]

Hope you get a breakthrough soon kosh!

I'm feeling ok, pretty nauseous and exhausted though! Got lots on though so hard to tell if its pregnancy, stress or the heat!

Had a scan yesterday and all is well. Due 23rd feb!

My grandad died last Thursday though so been pretty stressed and busy. Went down to Wales to look after nan Friday until Tuesday.
Going back tomorrow until Wednesday. Funeral is Tuesday and we will be glad to get it over with to be honest

How's everyone else?? Xx

 

[kosh]

sorry about your grand dad gemma
I was actually about to ask you about him
you you and your family are coping ok
xxx

 

[ellebelle]

Kosh, is he tired enough at bedtime? Or overtired and wanting to goof off rather than sleep?
Maybe push bedtime routine back 15 minutes or a half hour?

I know some nights my girls are like that and the whole routine takes an hour and they won't stop goofing off, so I just let them burn some energy but I think those nights they are overtired and feel like avoiding sleep.

Also, I'm still bfing my girls (in the day and in the night when they wake or it is a total screamfest) but one of my twins has started sleeping through a few nights a week, so for those of you wondering about the correlation of nursing and sleeping all night - my twins will tell you that it really must depend on the baby! Milena still wakes 3 times demanding boobie, and Hannah wakes once or not at all.

 

[AngelUK]

Gemma my condolences on your grandfather's passing. I am so sorry

Kosh sadly no advice here as neither of my boys really do that. Going to bed was always easy for us; the staying asleep was what was the problem. Still thinking back in dread to those days!

ellebelle I seriously don't know how you are still alive with two non sleepers like that. Hats off to you!

 

[kosh]

Kosh, is he tired enough at bedtime? Or overtired and wanting to goof off rather than sleep?
Maybe push bedtime routine back 15 minutes or a half hour?

I know some nights my girls are like that and the whole routine takes an hour and they won't stop goofing off, so I just let them burn some energy but I think those nights they are overtired and feel like avoiding sleep.

Also, I'm still bfing my girls (in the day and in the night when they wake or it is a total screamfest) but one of my twins has started sleeping through a few nights a week, so for those of you wondering about the correlation of nursing and sleeping all night - my twins will tell you that it really must depend on the baby! Milena still wakes 3 times demanding boobie, and Hannah wakes once or not at all.

That's really interesting ellebelle, thanks for sharing and for STTN!!
I cant remember - had your twins STTN before or is this the first time?
Re. Hannah - how many times did she use to wake up before? Was she ever very dependant on boob to sleep?

Xxx

 

[ellebelle]

Kosh, is he tired enough at bedtime? Or overtired and wanting to goof off rather than sleep?
Maybe push bedtime routine back 15 minutes or a half hour?

I know some nights my girls are like that and the whole routine takes an hour and they won't stop goofing off, so I just let them burn some energy but I think those nights they are overtired and feel like avoiding sleep.

Also, I'm still bfing my girls (in the day and in the night when they wake or it is a total screamfest) but one of my twins has started sleeping through a few nights a week, so for those of you wondering about the correlation of nursing and sleeping all night - my twins will tell you that it really must depend on the baby! Milena still wakes 3 times demanding boobie, and Hannah wakes once or not at all.

That's really interesting ellebelle, thanks for sharing and for STTN!!
I cant remember - had your twins STTN before or is this the first time?
Re. Hannah - how many times did she use to wake up before? Was she ever very dependant on boob to sleep?

Xxx

Both of the twins have a history of very bad sleep since the 4 month sleep regression. Up multiple times a night all night.
At their worst, they would alternate waking every hour, now things have come a lonnnng way.
Before Hannah's sleep improved, she was up 3 - 4 times a night usually.
Both of them are dependent on boob in the night. I have tried so many times to night wean and it is near impossible! They just scream and cry and I can't do it, I always give in.
I did some gentle sleep training ages ago, and they are perfectly capable of putting themselves to sleep at naps and bedtime, just NOT in the night!

 

[ellebelle]

Angel, your boys are now sleeping better I take it?
Some nights for us are bliss and some nights are nightmares. I still log their sleep and wake ups every night. I've even started making note of what they had for dinner... wondering if certain foods are giving them nightmares???

 

[AngelUK]

ellebelle yeah my boys now sttn every night and have since about being 11 month old. Or rather, sometimes we still get an occasional wake up with Dominic in the evening but never during the night. Phew. We did do some sleep training with Dominic however but luckily he got it after 3 or 4 evenings and only one crying session each time. It made me wonder if he somehow was trained to wake up so many times as he now 80% of the time doesn't wake at all from 7 to 6:30. Not sure. But also both boys were FF and maybe that makes a difference too? Sebastian always was a good sleeper and I am thinking would sttn from early on, had he not been woken by his brother.
I so wish I could offer advice but I think it might be down to personality largely and we just got lucky.
to all sleepless mummies and babies.

 

[Claireyb1]

Dreadful night for me here! Well it's the early mornings that are a problem. She is just so restless from about 4am onwards and I struggle to get her back to sleep.
As we cosleep I feel every move.
I really don't know what to do?? It's making me miserable.
She seems to be taking more and more milk at night too??
Hugs to all.

 

[Gemmamuk]

Sorry you had a bad night Claire
Alex is the same but from 5am, and he's in his own room so I'm back and forth down the landing and up and down the stairs to get water or milk!
If he's in the room with us we have no chance of him sleeping.
We are currently staying at my nans with Alex in a travel cot at the end of our bed and he's being a nightmare when we come to bed. Both exhausted!

 

[Claireyb1]

Hugs to you Gemma.
How are things your end? How is your nan coping? And you of course?
Xxx

 

[Storm1jet2]

Claire L is exactly the same at the moment, a complete nightmare from about 4am, she is in a cot in her own room and I brought her in with me at 4.15 this am.. she then still pretty much asleep threw herself into my arms, lay on top of me, rammed herself up my back sticking her head into my spine, turned upside down to lie the other way, lay horizontally across the bed etc etc.. oh and last night she had 32 oz of milk from going to bed and getting up..... its just ridiculous but she just goes hysterical if I don't give her her bottle and I can't reason with her yet. I can't imagine what she would be like if she was BF... I don't know why she is soooo unsettled recently... oh how I laugh when I think that at 19 months we still mostly (but not always) have the nightime shenanigans!

 

[kosh]

well, I think I'll join the early risers group......
gael was up at 5:30am