Sleep problems

[ILoveShoes]

We put our LO in his own room on Saturday night, and he's gone from sleeping 7:30pm-7am to waking numerous times throughout the night.
He'd been sleeping through for about 6 weeks, and I'm really struggling with the lack of sleep now.
I'm really sorry if I'm offending anyone who's baby has always been a bad sleeper. I just feel like I'm really struggling ATM.
There's a few reasons why he could be waking: it could be coz of his new room, it could be the 4 month sleep regression, it could be teething... I really don't know. He doesn't seem to want anything when he's waking up; he's just crying.
I've managed to calm him down now and he's asleep on my tummy (for now). I'm really thinking about staying here so that he doesn't wake up.
Sorry, I know this is a pointless post. I'm just so tired and stressed.
xx

 

[Noodlejuice]

Hey, no advice really but just wanted to send massive

Can you get anyone to help out while you're so tired? xxx

 

[daisii]

me i am awake!!!! normally my LO wakes at 10.30pm, 3am then 6am and that is ok with me. tonight it has been every hour and a half to 2 hours. I am exhausted!

 

[ILoveShoes]

Hey, no advice really but just wanted to send massive

Can you get anyone to help out while you're so tired? xxx

Thanks, Noodlejuice.
No, not really . DH will be getting up for work in less than an hour, so it's not really fair for me to ask him to get up in the night.
I came to bed at 9:30pm coz I knew we were in for another bad night.
I just don't know what to do. I wsh we'd never moved him out of our room
xx

 

[daisii]

i am seriously thinking of taking Will into our bed for a bit, i wouldn't sleep but at least i'd be warm!!!

 

[minties]

Sorry to hear this.

I wouldn't let him sleep on your tummy though, it will only reinforce this as a bad habit. He's old enough to be trained to sleep in his own room.

When he cries, pick him up until he stops and is a calm. Just long enough to calm him down. No eye contact, low lighting, don't talk to him or react to him except to calm him. Put him back down in bed. He'll cry again, you'll pick him up again - you may have to do it a hundred times. Slowly over a few days, hopefully he will learn that his room and his bed are a safe place to be and he'll sleep.

That is what I did for a friend with her baby when he was the same age, so she could have a break and sleep. She didn't believe that it would work. By night 3 he only woke once and cried, and from then on he was fine.

He just needs to know you are there for him (hopefully), if he's not waking for anything else, then he should eventually get the picture.

 

[ILoveShoes]

Minties - this is similar to what I'm doing, except I'm waiting until he's asleep to put him down again.

I totally lost it last night and couldn't stop crying. DH got up in the end and took o er so I could get a bit of sleep.
Last week, I felt like I knew what I was doing; DS was sleeping through and had gotten himself into a routine. Now, I feel like I did when he was a newborn. Like I'm doing everything wrong and struggling and can't cope

 

[Mrs Doddy]

its probably because he's moved rooms and can't here / see you

have no advice hon, am worried that Jess will do this when we move her in a few weeks eep !

 

[ILoveShoes]

Thanks, Mrs Doddy. I just hope it gets easier soon

 

[Mrs Doddy]

im sure it will xxx

 

[woodr]

I LOVE SHOES - I feel 4 u i am tired and confused!

My LO has always been a great sleeper even when she was 1 week old she only ever had 1 feed in the night and then from about 3 weeks slept from 10pm until 7 then at about 6 week old went from 8-7! she has always had 4/5oz bottles and in the day would go about 4 hours and if we was out i would have to wake her to feed her.

HOWEVER

These last few weeks she has been having 5oz bottles and going only 3 hours in between and no longer sleeping in her pram, and the last 2 nights she has been unsettled all night still going to bed at 8 but then waking at 2 winging then again at 4 then at 5.30 wants a feed i know to some people this isnt all that bad but 2 me i am confused as why she is going backwards??

I am going to try her on hungry baby milk to see if it will fill her for longer and going to try putting her down in her travel cot rather than her moses basket as she is bashing in2 the sides now as she is moving alot more.

has anybody else any other ideas 4 me?? sorry to hog this post. xxx

 

[sjminimac]

oh poor you, i'm the opposite, charlie has always been a rocky sleeper so when he does have a good night i end up more confused than before and sit there wide awake waiting for him to wake for a feed! Just persevere lovely. Is his new room just as dark as yours? Are the conditions the same? Maybe try wearing a big scarf all day and then tying it to his cot just out of reach so it has your scent on x

 

[Noodlejuice]

Just an idea that's worked for me with my daughter and appears to be helping with my latest addition - putting them down awake! I think there's a theory about waking up and not knowing where you are being disconcerting, so LOs end up crying when they wake. So long as they're fed, comfortable, warm, dry, and have got anything they need to feel relaxed (a dummy, white noise, swaddling) this can actually work better than you'd imagine. If they're tired and have started yawning, tugging on their ears or glazing over quite often little people will have a stary time or do a tired chanting kind of cry for a few minutes and then will drop off of their own accord. Doesn't work for everyone, but might be worth a go to see if it helps? xxx

 

[ILoveShoes]

Just an idea that's worked for me with my daughter and appears to be helping with my latest addition - putting them down awake! I think there's a theory about waking up and not knowing where you are being disconcerting, so LOs end up crying when they wake. So long as they're fed, comfortable, warm, dry, and have got anything they need to feel relaxed (a dummy, white noise, swaddling) this can actually work better than you'd imagine. If they're tired and have started yawning, tugging on their ears or glazing over quite often little people will have a stary time or do a tired chanting kind of cry for a few minutes and then will drop off of their own accord. Doesn't work for everyone, but might be worth a go to see if it helps? xxx

I may try that tonight and see what happens...
Thank you!
xx

 

[Tulip]

I feel for you. D was up every two hours last night - to the minute. I had though every three hours previously was bad. Have just broken down sobbing on my surestart ladies. Am insane with exhaustion. Would PUPD be too soon for my 2 month old?

 

[Bertsbaby1]

Hugs to all the tired mommas out there (me included...)!

My LO wakes up at night too. He usually goes down at 8, wakes at midnight for his pacifier, wakes between 1 and 2 to eat, then is up every half hour or so until the start of our day at 6. He isn't hungry since he just ate (I even tried feeding him last night and he barely ate anything and fell asleep quickly). He doesn't even cry! Just starts to make sounds.

I think that maybe we're going in to settle him to soon (we really just give him his pacifier, pat him a couple times, then leave).... not letting him learn how to settle himself during the early morning hours.

For those of you who let your LOs settle themselves - do you let them escalate from whining to crying before you go in to settle them? If so, how long do you usually wait before going in to help them settle?

 

[ILoveShoes]

I think, tonight, I'm going to do his bedtime routine as normal but I'm going to put him down awake. I'm going to pick him up if he cries though; I dont want to do CIO (no offence to anyone).
He's knackered today too, he's used to having 12 hours sleep! Last night, he woke every 40 minutes from 3am and cried! If he was just chattering, I would've probably left him.
Has anyone any more advice please?
xx

 

[Bertsbaby1]

I definitely think that you can try to put him down drowsy but awake, then pick him up when he gets really upset, hold him until he's quiet again, then put him down (rinse and repeat). It might take a really long time at first, but will help teach your LO that you are there for him at the same time as teaching him to settle himself into sleep.

I let my first CIO (8 years ago so my memory is a wee bit fuzzy) and remember that the key is to be super consistent. If you try the pick up til he settles thing, keep at it throughout the night for every waking and for the next few days (or however long it takes for him to start sleeping again). If you give in to him by rocking him to sleep or taking him into your room again, he'll learn (subconciously) that if he cries over and over again that eventually you'll bring him back to his comfort zone... and the next time you try, it will take even longer.

Good luck and know we're thinking of you and your LO!

 

[lucy_x]

No advice hun as i co-sleep.
Just wanted to send you
could you get someone to have him for a few hours just so you can get some sleep and face this challenge fresh faced?

 

[ILoveShoes]

No advice hun as i co-sleep.
Just wanted to send you
could you get someone to have him for a few hours just so you can get some sleep and face this challenge fresh faced?

Thank you.
My DH gets in from work at 4pm. I think I'm going to have a nap when he gets in...!
xx