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

[AngelUK]

sounds awful, I am so sorry Wish I could help

 

[ellina]

Almost 20 months and we're still dealing with anywhere between 5 and 8 wakings per night. We're exhausted. I never expected him to be sleeping through the night by now, but I just thought that we'd start seeing a light at the end of the tunnel at some point. The only way to keep him down for any length of time is if I go to bed with him and let him nurse the entire night, and really, what parent can go to bed at 8pm? I love him to pieces, I'm just in a state of disbelief that things are still so difficult .

 

[kosh]

massive
i know how difficult it is as I've been there myself.
to be honest I don't think mine started to improve until the 2 year mark...
yours might do the same?

 

[ellina]

Thank you kosh . You know it's weirdly reassuring that others at least have been in this position. Especially during that first year, I felt that I didn't know a single family - in real life or even on the internet - that was even in the same ballpark of sleeping problems. And I'm sure you remember talking to moms saying that their baby was sleeping poorly, and "still waking up once or even TWICE per night!".

 

[kosh]

I can totally relate to that. It is so difficult when you have no one else to share what you are going through. I must say this thread was a savior for me and in fact I made some very good friends here. It was great to be able to rant to someone who could really understand.
I am sure that there are other ladies on BnB with awful sleepers at the moment. But if not, I am happy to listen!

 

[gaiagirl]

That sounds so rough, I have so been there. It was 2 year molars for us that made the 18-24 month strecth hard. Also my son went through a huge developmental leap at 21 months which made bedtimes AWFUL. It did pass though. Things improved at 24 months, then we night weaned at 28, then he stopped napping at 32 and things have just progressively been better since he turned 2 (hes over 3 now). Hang in there!

 

[ellina]

I can totally relate to that. It is so difficult when you have no one else to share what you are going through. I must say this thread was a savior for me and in fact I made some very good friends here. It was great to be able to rant to someone who could really understand.
I am sure that there are other ladies on BnB with awful sleepers at the moment. But if not, I am happy to listen!

That sounds so rough, I have so been there. It was 2 year molars for us that made the 18-24 month strecth hard. Also my son went through a huge developmental leap at 21 months which made bedtimes AWFUL. It did pass though. Things improved at 24 months, then we night weaned at 28, then he stopped napping at 32 and things have just progressively been better since he turned 2 (hes over 3 now). Hang in there!

Thanks ladies. You know, I hadn't thought of 2 year molars coming in so soon, but that really might explain the especially difficult period we're in. It's funny though - since he was born, people have always offered the kind advice that "he must be teething" when I tell them how he slept the night before. At this rate, he should have about 63 teeth by now .

Were your non-sleepers Ok with DH putting them down or did they only want mama? For us, he only wants mama at naptime/bedtime, but he's usually Ok with DH getting him back to sleep for the first 1 or 2 wakings. That gives me a bit of rest time before I take over around midnight. I just don't know how single parents do it! So much respect for them.

 

[gaiagirl]

Mine wasn't really, and we just chose not to push it. Just before age 3 it suddenly got much easier for him, now DH does about 40% of bedtimes and there is no difference. He doesn't nurse anymore though which is a HUGE factor for him.

 

[kosh]

Mine wasn't either. It was me or me. All.the.time
He still prefers me for bedtime, but he is absolutely fine with DH too.
As gaiagirl, the nursing was a huge factor for us.