Sleepless Nights Support Thread

[dreamer_x]

I hate to say it, but I think that's just how she's going to be for a little while until she gets herself into a bit of a routine. Ava is doing the exact same! In comparison:

9:00pm - Ava fed and changed
9:30pm - Ava asleep
11:30pm - Ava crying (fed)
12:00am - Ava asleep
2:30am - Ava crying (fed)
3:00am - Ava asleep
6:00am - Ava crying (fed and changed)
6:30am-7:30am - Ava stirring and crying, spitting her dummy out. OH had her for some cuddles for half an hour before we gave up and fed her again.
7:30am-8:00am - Ava whinging and stirring, mummy nearly crying!
8:00am - 10:00am - Ava slept, Mummy slept!

So I probably got a bit more sleep than you, but it's still incredibly irritating! Especially since the Moses basket is by my side of the bed, so when she stirs and cries, OH just leaves me to get out of bed and settle her all the time! He takes turns with feeds etc, but other than that, it's just all me :/

 

[BadMamaJAMA]

Glad I'm not alone, but sorry we're both going through the stirring/whining spells.

 

[TicToc]

Mine is 6 weeks and she does pretty much the same thing at night. And this is an improvement, at first she would only sleep if she was on me so at least now she doesn't scream every time I put her down. She is slowly getting better at self settling and I have hopes it will continue to get better since she can easily sleep for 4 straight hours if she is laying on top of me.

It sounds like you two are off to a promising start as well, especially at less than 1 month old.

edit: That might be easy for me to say since I am not working and don't have to be organized to go back after a leave ends. >_<

 

[floatingbaby]

Hello, jumping in here because I am starting to really suffer with lack of sleep and baby's day time naps.

My little girl has STTN on many many occasions in the past, and I'm talking 11-12hrs straight, but that was always a treat, never the norm, once she did it for 1 week solid, but then want back to waking once or twice.
She is just over 7mo old and is severely regressing in sleep. Last night she was up 4 times between 7pm and 630am. I go to bed early (around 930) but I have such a hard time falling asleep, usually can't until after midnight, and between midnight and when she wakes I have to get up once or twice, so I'm running on around 5-6hr sleep and that is not nearly enough for me. I run out of patience.

I've started reading "The No-Cry Sleep Solution" and am PRAYING to help my baby make some changes.

Daytime naps are killing me too. She falls asleep during the day by being carried and rocked or in the car for a drive. This is not working anymore. So the last couple days she shows tired signs around 930am and so I nurse her and cuddle and sing a song and put her fan on and lay her down totally tired, if not asleep, and then she wakes up. Lifts herself to look at me and pout and whimper or full out cry. I shush and pat and rub her back or sing... it's SO MUCH work and I feel so drained and deflated and increasingly upset. It takes me one hour to get her to nap in her crib, then she sleeps for 20-30 mins and it is clearly not enough.

She is taking about 4 catnaps a day. She goes down for the night pretty easily at 7pm. We have a good, relaxing routine. But during the day we have groups and things we go to so I haven't made a nap routine or schedule, but now I'm paying for it in her night wakings, I think.

I am really seeking some help or ideas if anyone has any. Thank you

 

[jellybean87]

Hi everyone.

I haven't gone back and read this thread (well some of it) but I'm in need of advice!

dd2 is nearly 9 months old. She has had times of sleeping through but it never lasts long and I am often up several times a night with her. Its never for feeding but she just cries. She shares a room with dd1 who has to be up for school so I can't just ignore her as dd1 gets woken up.

I'm so tired I'm getting really short-tempered and grump and I don't like feeling like this.
Any advice on how to deal with this?

 

[DebbieF]

It's now 4:39 am and she has been awake & crying since around 2:15 am... I have to start back to work tomorrow.. I don't know how I am going to be able to do it.. She was doing so well before, just waking to eat and then going right back to sleep..

 

[DHBH0930]

Sorry to hear that DebbieF I hope things get better for you! I'm so grateful to be a SAHM, I couldn't imagine working with the couple hours of sleep I get.

Speaking of which I'm looking for some input ladies...

First off I don't expect my 2.5 month old to truly sleep through the night (7+ hours) or anything. However I am looking for help to get her to sleep more then 1-2 hours at a time. I physically and emotionally can't keep going off of less then 1-2 hours sleep at a time (I can't pass out the second I put her down so I'm actually getting more like 30min to 1.5 hours at a time)

There have been maybe 4 nights total that she has slept a 5 hour block, so I know she is capable! I EBF and I think the problem is she falls asleep at the breast and when she wakes up during transitions the breast isn't there and can't fall back to sleep without it.

I feel she is still to little to "sleep train" but I want to try SOMETHING! I'm thinking of trying to wean her from falling asleep while nursing. Once she stops actively feeding and getting sleepy I want to take her off. I hope this will help decrease her feeling the need to nurse every hour at night once she realizes she isn't going to be allowed to use me as a pacifier.

Anyone have any other suggestions or had success trying this?

Are there methods of "sleep training" that are 2.5 month old friendly that don't suggest crying it out? If I could get her up to at least 4-5 hours consistently I'd be happy with that (for now)

 

[NerdyMama]

Just a random rant... I hate teething!!!!! Every time one of those suckers pops through me and baby can't sleep. Grr. End rant

 

[nicksi27]

Hi everyone.

I haven't gone back and read this thread (well some of it) but I'm in need of advice!

dd2 is nearly 9 months old. She has had times of sleeping through but it never lasts long and I am often up several times a night with her. Its never for feeding but she just cries. She shares a room with dd1 who has to be up for school so I can't just ignore her as dd1 gets woken up.

I'm so tired I'm getting really short-tempered and grump and I don't like feeling like this.
Any advice on how to deal with this?

Im sorry i have no advice but im in exactly the same boat as you. Charlie has suddenly started waking up through the night crying and wanting to sit up etc but just wont go back off to sleep. He is so tired hes screaming but wont let himself sleep. Its making me so miserable.

 

[nicksi27]

Can i join this thread? Im going through hell with Charlie. Hes reached 10 months and keeps waking up through the night crying but wont go back to sleep. I try and get him back to sleep in his cot but he just wont have it hes screaming and trying to sit up/stand and pushes his dummy away. Ive even tried him in my bed in desperation but he just wont sleep. This can go on for up to 1.5-2 hours before he gives in and last night he slept in his pushchair!! Some nights he wakes up once and hes fine though. Im getting so stressed and can feel myself losing patience through the night when he just refuses sleep even though hes knackered.

Please tell me this gets better!! x

 

[susan_1981]

Can i join this thread? Im going through hell with Charlie. Hes reached 10 months and keeps waking up through the night crying but wont go back to sleep. I try and get him back to sleep in his cot but he just wont have it hes screaming and trying to sit up/stand and pushes his dummy away. Ive even tried him in my bed in desperation but he just wont sleep. This can go on for up to 1.5-2 hours before he gives in and last night he slept in his pushchair!! Some nights he wakes up once and hes fine though. Im getting so stressed and can feel myself losing patience through the night when he just refuses sleep even though hes knackered.

Please tell me this gets better!! x

My friend went through this with her son at about 10 months. She said it was really draining and she was due to go back to work a few weeks later so was hoping it would calm down. I think it only lasted a couple of weeks for her. I'm pretty sure there's a 10 month sleep regression around that time. We didn't go through it with my eldest as he just loves his sleep far too much. I have a feeling with my new addition that we could hit each and every one of those bloody regressions. Hang in there, it will get better. Maybe try googling the 10 month sleep regression and see if anyone has any tips x

 

[mumofone25]

Can i join? ?
Its currently 4am and Freya has been awake since 1am, this happens almost every night. im exhausted

 

[Sammy171286]

Hi all.
Its really hard to know whats normal when your a first time mum. My DS is 5 months and seems to be getting worse at night. sometimes waking every hour from 1am. You rack your mind with maybe its this or maybe its that. He suffers with reflux so have weaned him early on DRS orders but i give him a bottle of anti reflux formula at 8pm after his bath then put him to bed. He tends to have about 7oz but in two halfs as he will fall asleep then wake about 2 hours later so i give him the rest. I also will feed him again during the night when he wakes about 2-3am and he has about 4oz. He also doesnt self soothe, i have to bounce/rock him back to sleep. Im leaning towards thinking its down to teething as he dribbles alot and everything goes straight to his mouth although i cant feel anything coming through yet. Im holding on to the fact that it wont last forever and catching some z's myslef where possible.

 

[karry1412]

Stalking x

 

[floatingbaby]

Hi again ladies, I wrote in Feb totally desperate for sleep with lo. Well, it's months later now and we have found success so I thought I would share. DD is almost 9 months and is now regularly sleeping about 11hrs a night through. Once in a while she will wake - we recently moved so she is in a new bed with new sounds and smells around - so DH will go lay with her when she needs.

We read many books, but the one we found most helpful was Sleep Sense. You can download it as a free PDF online The process was quite awful, actually. I don't believe there is a way to sleep train that doesn't involve crying, but as long as you have a healthy and strong attachment to your child, you won't be doing any damage, in my opinion.

We would just do her routine, put her to bed nice and early when she was tired (which we were doing before) and then I laid her down and left the room. Initially she fell asleep quite easily without being hysterical, but after four or five days she started to cry for long periods and be very upset. It was extremely hard on me and hard on my relationship with DH. We would go to her and shush her and pat and pick her up if she was losing it but basically we cut out night nursing - cold turkey, and she eventually learned that waking at night wasn't worth it. Or something.

I am not an expert and we still had her crying for half an hour before falling asleep for 2 weeks (so those people who say it took three nights are full of baloney!) Only recently in the last 4 days has she started settling quicker. I noticed that when I put her down and stayed in the room shushing and lulling her she would cry on and on, but if I put her down and left she would cry a little bit then fall asleep

It's not always the same, but we have had one night of crying for 1min! The last two she cried for about 6mins.... so it has taken time. It's been three weeks and it's still hard sometimes, but it has improved SO MUCH! It just takes commitment and consistency. And courage. Poor little loves. But it is a skill that will help them for the rest of their lives. Whenever I would get upset my husband would say "We are giving her a gift. The gift of sleep." NOT always helpful, but it is true. It's an important skill to learn. It just depends when you and your baby are ready to learn it.

hope that was helpful to someone

 

[ayudya]

Wow I managed to swaddle him whilst half awake then he went to sleep with some rocking.
Thanks

 

[karry1412]

Stalking x

 

[JessdueJan]

Why won't my child sleep?! He is 16 months old and wakes every two hours. Even if he's in our bed (out of pure desperation) he is waking and crying for 15-30 mins before going back off! Tonight he went to bed at 7.30, woke at 9.45 and is still awake now! I am exhausted, I need sleep! He has been doing this for roughly 5months now

 

[ClaireJ23]

My DD#2 was up for 2.5 hrs last night cluster feeding aargh

 

[nicksi27]

Can i join this thread? Im going through hell with Charlie. Hes reached 10 months and keeps waking up through the night crying but wont go back to sleep. I try and get him back to sleep in his cot but he just wont have it hes screaming and trying to sit up/stand and pushes his dummy away. Ive even tried him in my bed in desperation but he just wont sleep. This can go on for up to 1.5-2 hours before he gives in and last night he slept in his pushchair!! Some nights he wakes up once and hes fine though. Im getting so stressed and can feel myself losing patience through the night when he just refuses sleep even though hes knackered.

Please tell me this gets better!! x

My friend went through this with her son at about 10 months. She said it was really draining and she was due to go back to work a few weeks later so was hoping it would calm down. I think it only lasted a couple of weeks for her. I'm pretty sure there's a 10 month sleep regression around that time. We didn't go through it with my eldest as he just loves his sleep far too much. I have a feeling with my new addition that we could hit each and every one of those bloody regressions. Hang in there, it will get better. Maybe try googling the 10 month sleep regression and see if anyone has any tips x

It did get better yeyyyyy Ive got charlie into a strict bedtime routine dinner, play, bath, bottle, bed and the past four nights he has been alseep by 8:00pm and slept until 8:00am i cant believe it. Enjoying it whilst it lasts because im not banking on it lasting!! Im sure it was some kind of sleep regression, fingers crossed you dont hit these this time round