Please help going out of my mind...

[meldmac]

I know I know you all are probably getting sick of sleep threads, but I just can't take this anymore. For the past 2 weeks Colin wont go to sleep at the earliest 11 pm at night. We haven't changed a thing at all in his routine but for some reason it's been a battle to get him down. I know it's our own fault he wont go to sleep on his own as we've always fed him to sleep, but not even that isn't working very well. Our routine is bath, bottle then bed at around 8-8:30 every night. Now when we try this he just fights sleep by pushing against us and trying to squirm out of our arms. We go through this every night lately for about 2 - 3 hrs before he finally goes to sleep out of exhaustion.

I've tried leaving him for a few minutes to see if he will sort himself out but he gets even more frantic. I wanted to try pick up put down but I'm not sure this will work as everytime I put him down he just ends up standing back up again.

I'm so beyond frustrated right now If anyone has any suggestions please share as I have no idea what to do. I feel like such a shit mom right now.

 

[whoops]

Not sure what to suggest hun - have you tried reducing the length of his daytime naps?

Or even putting him to bed a bit earlier. Maybe he's overtired by the time he goes down.

 

[tu123]

No advise here as my LO is only 7mths old.

But i would also ask if you have reduced his day time naps?

I assume he has gone through teething?

 

[meldmac]

His naps are hit and miss. He sometimes sleeps for 20 mins and sometimes an hour and a half in the mornings. In the afternoon it is the same

 

[BabyGirl999]

What time does he nap in afternoon? Also, as the above poster said, I think teething is a BIG possibility!

 

[meldmac]

I know he's teething, he's been teething off and on since he was 4 months Just never had this much trouble with him even when he was teething. Teething gels and baby advil don't seem to help with it either right now

 

[wishingonastar]

I think it may partly be overtiredness. If isabel was overtired the attempt to get her to sleep.doubled or tripled and is still the case now! Trying to improve on day naps may help.

Also I'd suggest working towards the following:
- decide the time he naturally beds down for night (eg 11) and aim to get him in bed 15 to 30 mins earlier every couple of days until you reach your preferred time
- 30/45 mins before bed try implementing things like turning tv off, calm play, read books
- a sleep cue really helped isabel (about 10ish months we started using a 'twilight turtle' to put on while getting pjs on then she said night to it before going in cot. Still do it now )

Hope some of this helps

 

[KatelynsMummy]

Have you tried a little massage as a wind down before the last bottle?

 

[meldmac]

Last night was a fail. I tried to put him down at 7 pm instead of 8 pm and he ended up pooping and then we never got him down until 11 pm again and that was only because we took him for a drive. I'm behind frustrated right now because even though he's been not so bad going down at nap time he's started fighting me today on naps. I just don't know what to do as I'm exhausted and nothing seems to work. I guess it doesn't really matter anyway hardly anyone reads my posts anyways so not sure why I even bother. I'm feeling so down right now. Yesterday was a shitty day anyway as it was 2 years since we lost Devin so everything is shit right now.

Sorry for the rant just not sure what to do anymore. I feel like such a failure.

 

[Louppey]

You're not a failure!! You're a fab Mummy, it's just our LO's love to try our patience

I don't really know what to suggest, as my LO is sooo much younger than yours and I can't even get her to sleep. Although I do manage to get her to self settle, although in saying that she can't stand so there's not really a lot for her to do except close her eyes.

All I can suggest is get a bedtime routine, and stick to it. Whatever works for you really, I do bath bottle bed, or bottle bath bed depending how it fits in with LO's feeds. I also do baby massage, have you tried this? May be worth a shot?

Other things, is the room really dark (i.e. black out blind)? Does he have a dummy or comforter of some description? Maybe if he doesn't he needs one? If he has a comforter can you stuff it up your top for a little while so it has that mummy smell? Um, have you tried a lightshow? I recently bought one of ebay for my LO and it seems to be helping with her sleep. It's sound/motion activated and it does lights on the ceiling and on the thing itself and plays the winnie the pooh theme tune. She loves it. I just pop her in the cot, awake (and swaddled, although i'd imagine your LO is a bit too old for that ), pop her dummy in and activate the light show. She will normally doze off herself. If she doesn't I sit next to the cot and rub her tummy whilst shhhhh-ing.

I'm so sorry to read about your little angel Devin, I can't imagine how hard that is for you

Hang on in there honey, it will get better

Btw Colin is gorgeous! I love your avatar pic!