Sleepless Nights Support Thread

[Reedy]

IIm just reading up on cranial osteopathy - I do wonder if he gets pain lying down as I believe he doesnt sleep as he cant get comfy (from watching him)

I have just read up on this & it all sounds so familiar x I had a shoulder distocia birth & was in labour for 35 hours in the end beause of the SD he had to be pulled out, he also had a very noticeably indentation on his head (which has since gone) but wondering if this is why he's the way he is??

https://www.cranial.org.uk/page3.html

 

[daisydoo]

Hey reedy oh god we are long standing members of the no sleep club aren't we Ive found a clinic near us - think we are going to go and give it a try - cant hurt can it? Oliver was a forceps birth - so shoulder problems but has never liked lying down screamed in his pram even - we had to turn it into a pushcair very early. I also look back at his 'colic' - he would scream all evening as a baby and I wonder if this was possibly headaches instead?

 

[Reedy]

Hey reedy oh god we are long standing members of the no sleep club aren't we Ive found a clinic near us - think we are going to go and give it a try - cant hurt can it? Oliver was a forceps birth - so shoulder problems but has never liked lying down screamed in his pram even - we had to turn it into a pushcair very early. I also look back at his 'colic' - he would scream all evening as a baby and I wonder if this was possibly headaches instead?

Finley was the same with the screaming, thought it was colic even though he used to brig loads of wind up

 

[Mrs G]

Hi

DD had osteopathy every week for 4 weeks and slept from about 10 til 6 after the 3rd session. The therapist then went on holiday (grrrrr!) her replacement was rubbish ("Oh, I don't normally treat children...") and we didn't go for 4 weeks and dd now wakes 2 or 3 times a night. We had our 2nd session (with a different therapist) today so FX!!

Make sure you find one who has experience treating children, and not just a regular osteopath.

xx

 

[lanaross]

Can I join ladies? Oh our nights are just a mess - we've gone so wrong somewhere with Oliver why do other babies sleep through and not mine EVERYONE i know has a baby that sleeps and looks at me like ive got 2 heads when i mention our situation

Oliver settles really well of an evening (*oh god probably jinxed this now*) bath bottle bed by 7.30 and some nights we don't hear a peep unti about 11.30pm - other nights we are up and down with his dummy but generally, our evenings are undisturbed. I know we are VERY lucky with this btw.

Come about 11-11.30 (im sure he hears my head touch the pillow) he starts his loud moaning - and if you dont catch him straight away its shouting, rocking on all 4's and standing then falling banging his head and screaming. Ill go in and do dummy and re-cover a few times - sometimes he may go back to sleep for an hour or 2 other times its got to be a bottle and then back to sleep no more than 3 hours. can sometimes resettle after this but if it's like 5am onwards thata it where up im so tired

I fought against cc all this time, tried it last week and it worked for an hours sleep and then he started sitting/standing and banging his head and i cant leave him crying after banging himself

Oliver is also very hyper all day - fights naps and just doesnt sit still. We had to get rid of rockers etc about 4 months as he can throw himself out despite being strapped in. I go to baby groups and my baby is the only one who wont sit for a minute / grabs at other babies / ruins the class for others.

Im just reading up on cranial osteopathy - I do wonder if he gets pain lying down as I believe he doesnt sleep as he cant get comfy (from watching him)

Sorry this is so long Im just so low about this right now - this morning I was so angry at being awake from 5 again I tossed the reomte across the room and my own faul have lost the batteries lol silly story but Im just at my whits. I am so tired I just want a nights sleep like every other mum with a baby Olivers age seems to get

hun I honestly think it's dummies that you use. I might be wrong but it's the sleep prop that they can't use without your help - so if he spits it out, he needs you to get it back up. I heard that after 4 months sleep regression there are girls here who were getting up like 5-10 times per night. I used sleepsense from 3 months on and aside from one week of a nasty growth spurt/sleep regression or teething which was probably a total of ten days, I haven't had any issues. With sleepsense (which I used very very loosely since she was so tiny) you just stay with them so they know you haven't abandoned them. I also used pick up/put down method. As soon as they learn to self-soothe, they sleep through the night. It's not like they want to wake up or doing it on purpose, I am pretty sure they are upset about waking up too. Also when they are standing up, you just pat the bed and tell them sleepy time and if it doesn't work for three times, you just leave them to it provided you're right next to your LO.

can't imagine what you're going through, you must be absolutely out of this world shattered xx

 

[daisydoo]

Hi

DD had osteopathy every week for 4 weeks and slept from about 10 til 6 after the 3rd session. The therapist then went on holiday (grrrrr!) her replacement was rubbish ("Oh, I don't normally treat children...") and we didn't go for 4 weeks and dd now wakes 2 or 3 times a night. We had our 2nd session (with a different therapist) today so FX!!

Make sure you find one who has experience treating children, and not just a regular osteopath.

xx

Thanks hun thats great advice n much appreciated - I wouldn't have thought to ask. Did she seem totally comfortable with the procedure? Did it just look like her head was being rubbed?
Thanks again

 

[daisydoo]

Can I join ladies? Oh our nights are just a mess - we've gone so wrong somewhere with Oliver why do other babies sleep through and not mine EVERYONE i know has a baby that sleeps and looks at me like ive got 2 heads when i mention our situation

Oliver settles really well of an evening (*oh god probably jinxed this now*) bath bottle bed by 7.30 and some nights we don't hear a peep unti about 11.30pm - other nights we are up and down with his dummy but generally, our evenings are undisturbed. I know we are VERY lucky with this btw.

Come about 11-11.30 (im sure he hears my head touch the pillow) he starts his loud moaning - and if you dont catch him straight away its shouting, rocking on all 4's and standing then falling banging his head and screaming. Ill go in and do dummy and re-cover a few times - sometimes he may go back to sleep for an hour or 2 other times its got to be a bottle and then back to sleep no more than 3 hours. can sometimes resettle after this but if it's like 5am onwards thata it where up im so tired

I fought against cc all this time, tried it last week and it worked for an hours sleep and then he started sitting/standing and banging his head and i cant leave him crying after banging himself

Oliver is also very hyper all day - fights naps and just doesnt sit still. We had to get rid of rockers etc about 4 months as he can throw himself out despite being strapped in. I go to baby groups and my baby is the only one who wont sit for a minute / grabs at other babies / ruins the class for others.

Im just reading up on cranial osteopathy - I do wonder if he gets pain lying down as I believe he doesnt sleep as he cant get comfy (from watching him)

Sorry this is so long Im just so low about this right now - this morning I was so angry at being awake from 5 again I tossed the reomte across the room and my own faul have lost the batteries lol silly story but Im just at my whits. I am so tired I just want a nights sleep like every other mum with a baby Olivers age seems to get

hun I honestly think it's dummies that you use. I might be wrong but it's the sleep prop that they can't use without your help - so if he spits it out, he needs you to get it back up. I heard that after 4 months sleep regression there are girls here who were getting up like 5-10 times per night. I used sleepsense from 3 months on and aside from one week of a nasty growth spurt/sleep regression or teething which was probably a total of ten days, I haven't had any issues. With sleepsense (which I used very very loosely since she was so tiny) you just stay with them so they know you haven't abandoned them. I also used pick up/put down method. As soon as they learn to self-soothe, they sleep through the night. It's not like they want to wake up or doing it on purpose, I am pretty sure they are upset about waking up too. Also when they are standing up, you just pat the bed and tell them sleepy time and if it doesn't work for three times, you just leave them to it provided you're right next to your LO.

can't imagine what you're going through, you must be absolutely out of this world shattered xx

Thanks for taking the time to repy hun did you ditch the dummy? Im just wondering how it works - do I just go cold turkey with it? So at the moment I go in, pop dummy in and he goes off for another hour - would you just pick him up? I do this and he goes to sleep in my arms straight away then I put him down and he has a hip thusting type paddy and goes crackers. Pick him up and he's asleep in seconds again. Put him down and he goes mad. he's getting very heavy too or at least feels it at 3am! Its so frustrating. If I stay in his room he will just want to look at me and 'perform' is this normal -also would I just sit there if he's crying?
Sorry so many questions and thank you again xxx

 

[daisydoo]

Hi Peeps

How did everyones nights go?

Well we had a rare 'good night' last night. Put Oliver down at 7pm (1/2 hour earlier - ill come back to this) and he slept til 12. Dummy in slept til 4 gave him a bottle took and hour and a half to settle then slept 5.30-6.15. Not perfect by any means but these are the type of nights that keep me going and let me recharge.

Now - Oliver didnt get an afternoon nap - and about 2 weeks ago the same thing happened - it was DH's get up that night - he couldn't be bothered to get Oliver asleep in the afternoon so I though sod you - your get up he wont sleep but not my problem - he slept til 5am that night! So yesterday he napped 8-9.45am then 1-2pm and nothing else. he was shattered by 6pm so took him up for bath and bottle and he was in bed for 7 rather than 7.30.

Do you think some babies need LESS naps? Much as I moan - I can function fairly well on little sleep (good job really!) and I wonder if some babies are the same. I spend my whole life panicking about naps thinking they are the key to sleep and hence why we are in such a mess (he fights naps too) and now I wonder .......

 

[Reedy]

Hi

DD had osteopathy every week for 4 weeks and slept from about 10 til 6 after the 3rd session. The therapist then went on holiday (grrrrr!) her replacement was rubbish ("Oh, I don't normally treat children...") and we didn't go for 4 weeks and dd now wakes 2 or 3 times a night. We had our 2nd session (with a different therapist) today so FX!!

Make sure you find one who has experience treating children, and not just a regular osteopath.

xx

Thanks so much for the info Mrs G x

Last night wasnt the worst night I've had but wasnt the best either. Finley went to bed at 7.30pm & slept until 12.30 then woke up about 4-5 times after that & then decided 5.40am was a good time to get up, I'm absolutely shattered & so is he but he just keeps fighting it, he's rubbing his eyes & yawning his little head off but will just refuse to go back to sleep so all morning he has been super grumpy, crying & whinging for what I can see as no reason at all, that is until we got to Nanny's where he changed into a completely different child, really happy, laughing & playing. Maybe its me he doesnt like

After almost 11 months of broken sleep I'm finding that I'm waking up (very early with him) in a really bad mood because I'm just at a loss now & I feel like all I ever do is tell him off I'm the worst mummy in the world
No wonder he is so happy when he gets to nanny's

 

[lanaross]

Can I join ladies? Oh our nights are just a mess - we've gone so wrong somewhere with Oliver why do other babies sleep through and not mine EVERYONE i know has a baby that sleeps and looks at me like ive got 2 heads when i mention our situation

Oliver settles really well of an evening (*oh god probably jinxed this now*) bath bottle bed by 7.30 and some nights we don't hear a peep unti about 11.30pm - other nights we are up and down with his dummy but generally, our evenings are undisturbed. I know we are VERY lucky with this btw.

Come about 11-11.30 (im sure he hears my head touch the pillow) he starts his loud moaning - and if you dont catch him straight away its shouting, rocking on all 4's and standing then falling banging his head and screaming. Ill go in and do dummy and re-cover a few times - sometimes he may go back to sleep for an hour or 2 other times its got to be a bottle and then back to sleep no more than 3 hours. can sometimes resettle after this but if it's like 5am onwards thata it where up im so tired

I fought against cc all this time, tried it last week and it worked for an hours sleep and then he started sitting/standing and banging his head and i cant leave him crying after banging himself

Oliver is also very hyper all day - fights naps and just doesnt sit still. We had to get rid of rockers etc about 4 months as he can throw himself out despite being strapped in. I go to baby groups and my baby is the only one who wont sit for a minute / grabs at other babies / ruins the class for others.

Im just reading up on cranial osteopathy - I do wonder if he gets pain lying down as I believe he doesnt sleep as he cant get comfy (from watching him)

Sorry this is so long Im just so low about this right now - this morning I was so angry at being awake from 5 again I tossed the reomte across the room and my own faul have lost the batteries lol silly story but Im just at my whits. I am so tired I just want a nights sleep like every other mum with a baby Olivers age seems to get

hun I honestly think it's dummies that you use. I might be wrong but it's the sleep prop that they can't use without your help - so if he spits it out, he needs you to get it back up. I heard that after 4 months sleep regression there are girls here who were getting up like 5-10 times per night. I used sleepsense from 3 months on and aside from one week of a nasty growth spurt/sleep regression or teething which was probably a total of ten days, I haven't had any issues. With sleepsense (which I used very very loosely since she was so tiny) you just stay with them so they know you haven't abandoned them. I also used pick up/put down method. As soon as they learn to self-soothe, they sleep through the night. It's not like they want to wake up or doing it on purpose, I am pretty sure they are upset about waking up too. Also when they are standing up, you just pat the bed and tell them sleepy time and if it doesn't work for three times, you just leave them to it provided you're right next to your LO.

can't imagine what you're going through, you must be absolutely out of this world shattered xx

Thanks for taking the time to repy hun did you ditch the dummy? Im just wondering how it works - do I just go cold turkey with it? So at the moment I go in, pop dummy in and he goes off for another hour - would you just pick him up? I do this and he goes to sleep in my arms straight away then I put him down and he has a hip thusting type paddy and goes crackers. Pick him up and he's asleep in seconds again. Put him down and he goes mad. he's getting very heavy too or at least feels it at 3am! Its so frustrating. If I stay in his room he will just want to look at me and 'perform' is this normal -also would I just sit there if he's crying?
Sorry so many questions and thank you again xxx

I was lucky enough Bella really never took the dummy, although the first three months I really wished she would because she thought I was her pacifier lol Try pick up/put down, but don't wait till her falls asleep on you - he still needs to be awake to learn. You might end up doing it like hundred times during his bed time but it will pay off. As far as the sleepsense goes, it was recommended for three months + to stay in the room and pat them or pick them up, but once you've reached six months, they become aggravated when you do it so yes you just leave them to it, you put a chair right next to their crib and sit there, shushing or leave the room and come back in five minutes. Also switch with your partner after twenty minutes as it becomes unbearable. Next day you move your chair a little further away from the bed etc. etc. Total ten days. Whatever you pick - pick up/put down or sleepsense/stay in the room method, stick to it - they need consistency for like 3-10 days. It gradually becomes better though. It did take Bella about five days and the first day was just super tough but I really think it helped her in a long run.
Also as far as the dummy goes, I'd post a new thread how people ditched dummies - I read in sleepsense that yes it was done cold turkey but maybe there is some better way to do it? Also in sleepsense it says you can give some kind of toy-blanket instead of a dummy and, while it is a sleep prop, they don't need you to help them with it.

 

[Melissa_M]

I had a pretty miraculous night last night!!! Alia slept from 1am to 6am straight! then I fed her at 6 and she napped in bed with me till 9am
DH was up with her from 9pm to 12:30 (when she came in to eat), so I got almost 12 hours of sleep last night!!! I'm still in disbelief!

 

[BabyBrave]

Hi all. I'll be perfectly honest: I'm too tired to read the last few posts on here but I get the feeling I am in common company. Our wee man has never slept a solid night. He is a bit of a dynamo during the day and I think he is just a really energetic bub. He's teething at the moment so that doesn't help.

He's growing like a weed, eats well and when his teeth or windies aren't a bother is all smiles and giggles and yet my MIL suggested we take him to the HV to make sure he's alright. Just because her boys slept through!!!!

Like most of you everyone I speak to seems to have children that slept through from two months and look at me as if I must be doing something very wrong. Or they don't understand why I am so tired. GRRRR!!!!!

Hubby has been away with work bar Saturday since last Monday and I'm nearly cross-eyed with exhaustion. We have no local help so I'm on mummy duty 24-7. Roll on the weekend when hubby gets back!!!!

Sorry ladies, just wanted a gripe with those who have similar babies. Love to all and here's hoping we get some good sleep soon!

 

[Reedy]

Hubby has been away with work bar Saturday since last Monday and I'm nearly cross-eyed with exhaustion. We have no local help so I'm on mummy duty 24-7. Roll on the weekend when hubby gets back!!!!

My hubby works night shifts (6 out of a month) & its such hard work when your on your own isnt it?? must be harder when its all day too x
Hubby did his last night shift tuesday night & last night was like heaven (evening) plus because he's now off until next thursday he's up with Finley while I get some sleep (I'm at work) although Finley didnt have the best nights sleep last night, woke up at 11pm screaming & just wouldnt resettle at all & then fidgeted all night long & woke up at 6.20am needless to say he isnt a very happy bunny today so looking forward to getting home & seeing what kind of morning DH has had poor thing x

 

[Mrs G]

Hi

DD had osteopathy every week for 4 weeks and slept from about 10 til 6 after the 3rd session. The therapist then went on holiday (grrrrr!) her replacement was rubbish ("Oh, I don't normally treat children...") and we didn't go for 4 weeks and dd now wakes 2 or 3 times a night. We had our 2nd session (with a different therapist) today so FX!!

Make sure you find one who has experience treating children, and not just a regular osteopath.

xx

Thanks hun thats great advice n much appreciated - I wouldn't have thought to ask. Did she seem totally comfortable with the procedure? Did it just look like her head was being rubbed?
Thanks again

Yeah she was fine. She had her dummy once just cos she got fidgety. I've never had it done but apparently it can feel warm and tingly (!) It's very gentle and looks like she is just pressing her neck and head.

xx

 

[daisydoo]

Girls I hardly dare post this so Im going to whisper it

*Oliver slept from 7-4.30 had a bottle then straight back to sleep til 6.30

First night in a sleeping bag. Oh god fingers crossed!

How is everyone else getting on?

 

[littleblonde]

Girls I hardly dare post this so Im going to whisper it

*Oliver slept from 7-4.30 had a bottle then straight back to sleep til 6.30

First night in a sleeping bag. Oh god fingers crossed!

How is everyone else getting on?

wow thats great. Sleeping bag got my girl from waking hourly to doing what your lo did to sleeping through. Kacey is back to waking again now. Think its teeth.

 

[Sarah10]

What a great idea to start this thread!
Jayden is one month today, and doesn't sleep.. hardly ever, he sleeps for half a hour, then is awake.. then sleeps for another half hour.. you get me

He feeds every 2 hours, by the time i have got him to sleep.. i've just managed to drop off then he's awake!

A girl has just had her baby a few days ago, her baby sleeps through, only waking once for a feed, then back to sleep.

I can't see how he will ever get into a proper sleeping pattern, i try to keep him awake between around 7-10pm so he will be tired by then and might sleep abit, but sometimes if he's asleep its impossible to wake him up, even changing his nappy won't properly wake him

I know it's still only early days, but he has about 12 bottles of 4oz in 24hours, the tin says 6 feeds in 24hours of 4oz for his age
There isn't any pattern in his sleeping habits either.

 

[Reedy]

Hi

DD had osteopathy every week for 4 weeks and slept from about 10 til 6 after the 3rd session. The therapist then went on holiday (grrrrr!) her replacement was rubbish ("Oh, I don't normally treat children...") and we didn't go for 4 weeks and dd now wakes 2 or 3 times a night. We had our 2nd session (with a different therapist) today so FX!!

Make sure you find one who has experience treating children, and not just a regular osteopath.

xx

Thanks hun thats great advice n much appreciated - I wouldn't have thought to ask. Did she seem totally comfortable with the procedure? Did it just look like her head was being rubbed?
Thanks again

Yeah she was fine. She had her dummy once just cos she got fidgety. I've never had it done but apparently it can feel warm and tingly (!) It's very gentle and looks like she is just pressing her neck and head.

xx

Well we had Finley's first Cranial Osteopathy appointment today & the guy that did it was brilliant. I was worried incase he made me feel like I was over reacting but he really put me at ease x He said one side of Finley's had wasnt inflating (as he breathed) like it should be but wasnt sure if this was why he had sleep problems he said we could walk away because he didnt want to take our money when he was unsure or we could try a couple of sessions (only £15) & see how things go so we have booked another appt for monday, its worth a try x

He's now fast asleep bless him think it really relaxed him x

 

[littleblonde]

What a great idea to start this thread!
Jayden is one month today, and doesn't sleep.. hardly ever, he sleeps for half a hour, then is awake.. then sleeps for another half hour.. you get me

He feeds every 2 hours, by the time i have got him to sleep.. i've just managed to drop off then he's awake!

A girl has just had her baby a few days ago, her baby sleeps through, only waking once for a feed, then back to sleep.

I can't see how he will ever get into a proper sleeping pattern, i try to keep him awake between around 7-10pm so he will be tired by then and might sleep abit, but sometimes if he's asleep its impossible to wake him up, even changing his nappy won't properly wake him

I know it's still only early days, but he has about 12 bottles of 4oz in 24hours, the tin says 6 feeds in 24hours of 4oz for his age
There isn't any pattern in his sleeping habits either.

Have you tried offering more than 4oz each feed. Kacey was on more than that at that age? Kacey was like that when she was born. Feeding 2 hourly, taking an hour to settle. Then within a week at 6 weeks old she changed and started to sleep longer. Have you started a roughish bedtime routine. Kacey responded well to this even at an early age. All we did was bath bottle bed. But it did help.

 

[AngelzTears]

For those of you ladies who are married, does your OH get up at night to help with the baby any? I'm just wondering if it's typical to be the only one taking care of the baby (for me both night and during the day time) even if the FOB is there?

Last night went well, Harmony actually slept on her own in her bassinet! She keeps wanting to only sleep with me, which I enjoy but I don't want to end up with a child one day who will never sleep on their own, you know? She also woke up every 3 hours rather than every 2 like it had been. But I was still sooo exhausted from traveling and going to see family all weekend that I didn't have the energy to pick her up to feed her, I just reached from my bed to hers with her bottle and fed her. I feel like such a bad mum lol