Sleepless Nights Support Thread

[Hollymav]

My littleman is 11 weeks old and he is brill at falling asleep bout 7pm/8pm on his own he wakes at 11pm for a feed and then goes straight back down but is awake from 2am fidgiting. I spend ages trying to settle him back off but never works usually about 4am/5am I give in and put him in bed with me and excuse the pun he sleeps like a baby. I hate doing this as I know it is suppose to be dangerous but if I don't I am knackered for the next day and my LO is so crabby as he not slept either. Anyone have any tips on how I can settle him and keep him in his crib I know he isn't hungry as have tried. People say he will break out of the habit when he is ready but in the meantime want to make sure he is as safe as poss. X

 

[Hollymav]

I know how u feel my littleman was exactly the same and still is. I've tried everything to try and make him settle back in his crib, raised mattresses, making it as comfy as poss and nothing works all I will say is it will get easier so they tell me. First time mum too x

Hello all,

My little boy is 8 days old today and I wondered if I could share my sleep story and perhaps ask for advice....

Alfie goes to sleep in his moses basket after a feed usually for around 2-3hrs if lucky, when he wakes (this morning at 2am) I breast feed him, wind him a little if needed and try to wait for him to be fully asleep before moving him back into his basket, this is where it all goes wrong....He will not settle that 2nd time and every night since we brought him home I usually end up on the sofa with him. He loves to sleep on my feeding pillow which leads me to think that he prefers being slightly elivated, I asked a friend and she said her baby was the same and that she used to raise the head end of the matress a bit.

I was just wondering if anyone had experienced this, or am I ok to try to elivate the matress a bit, I am a first time mum and would hate to learn in years to come that I'd done something wrong from birth.

Many thanks for reading.

Lucy

 

[Babydayz]

I just came by to say good-bye! I really thought this day would never come. I FINALLY have DD sleeping through the night. Its been a tough 10 months, but I woke up one day, and decided today is the day. I just put her down awake, left her room..and in 10 mins she was fast asleep. 1st night she was up 2 times, 2nd night only once. Last night she woke up once, fussed a few mins and back to sleep she went. Now, for naps..I can do the same, but she maybe fusses 5 mins tops, and shes out cold. I was spending 30-60 mins for naps and nightime trying to get her to sleep since she was born. I was nursing over half a dozen times at night, she was up every 1-2 hrs...but no more. SO, the moral of this rant..is that it will get better. I was convinced the day would never come, but it has. For us, I think she was trying to tell me she was ready..i was having trouble letting go. My babys a big girl now. Im sad shes not in bed with us at night, but we are all sleeping better and are a happier bunch. So good luck to you all, and I promise, your day will come soon.

 

[aliss]

Babydayz, GLAD TO SEE YOU GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe I'll join you on the other side one day, but 10x before 1am last night from painful acid reflux means we're back in here for a few more days,weeks,months,yea...? Dont' even wanna say the last word. CC/CIO anything like that is not an option for us just because it's acid reflux. Hopefully his throat matures soon.

 

[samzi]

Not exactly sleepless nights but not used to it! Ever since DD turned one her sleeping pattern has completely changed. She used to go to bed at 6:30/7pm and stay sleeping till 7am, now she wakes 2/3 times a night and will only settle down again with a bottle. Growth spurt maybe?

 

[Babydayz]

Babydayz, GLAD TO SEE YOU GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe I'll join you on the other side one day, but 10x before 1am last night from painful acid reflux means we're back in here for a few more days,weeks,months,yea...? Dont' even wanna say the last word. CC/CIO anything like that is not an option for us just because it's acid reflux. Hopefully his throat matures soon.

Awww...hang in there! I put a request in especially for you with the sleep fairies. This may sound silly, but I'm convinced this all has to do with DD sleeping on her stomach. She puts herself to sleep on her tummy, while I used to put her to sleep on her back.

 

[stevie123]

well weve been doing the dreaded cio, and its kinda been a bit hit and miss. the night after we did it, he slept through for 3 nights! then he went back to waking, but we dont feed him. i will still pick him up and put the dummy back in, and give some calpol incase his teeth are bothering him, but i put him straight back in the cot and he crys a bit, but will eventualy go back to sleep. im glad to have my bed back as previously he was in our bed every night.
aww sarah10 i feel for you i really do. cant beleive youre managing to survive on such little sleep. i wonder what is bothering poor jayden?there must be something thats stopping him sleep.

 

[gertrude]

Can I join?

My Lo is 5 days old and won't sleep in their carrycot only on me or my oh. This is not ideal as you can imagine

How do I get them to sleep in their own space? I need my space

 

[aliss]

Can I join?

My Lo is 5 days old and won't sleep in their carrycot only on me or my oh. This is not ideal as you can imagine

How do I get them to sleep in their own space? I need my space

Your situation is 100% normal for that time (sorry), here's what can help: A newborn needs to feel very warm and CONFINED like the womb in the beginning. They are homesick. They do not like their space, but we do. A very tight swaddle, lots of shusshing (ie. loud fan noise), rocking, swinging. Wait until baby is asleep for 15 minutes or so (eyes NOT flickering, body feels 'limp') and then put baby down. Babies have a "moro/startle" reflex that startles them awake when they are put down (if their arms are free). The point of the swaddle is to confine them and remind them of the womb.

 

[anawi]

Can I join?

My Lo is 5 days old and won't sleep in their carrycot only on me or my oh. This is not ideal as you can imagine

How do I get them to sleep in their own space? I need my space

I remember that stage well, don't worry it won't last forever and is completely normal. I think for the first 4 nights my husband and I took turns to sit up holding her on our chests to allow the other to get some sleep!!!

We got her into her moses basket after that and we swaddled her up tight, played white noise (think I downloaded some off internet somewhere) and I would feed/cuddle her to sleep and wait until she was fast asleep and then the slowly sneaking her into the moses basket began! lol! It was like a military operation, too soon and she'd wake up, to quick and she'd startle awake. But in less than a week she was sleeping for 3x4hr stretches, in her own basket. (It all went wrong a few months later but I was happy with that for a new born!) We also found warming her sheets with a hot water bottle (didn't leave it in) before putting her in helped as she didnt notice the transition from warm parent body to her bed.

You may not believe it now but I actually look back on those times fondly. I know its exhausting but try to enjoy all those new baby snuggles as much as possible because before you know it your LO probably won't want it anymore.

 

[anawi]

Can I join?

My Lo is 5 days old and won't sleep in their carrycot only on me or my oh. This is not ideal as you can imagine

How do I get them to sleep in their own space? I need my space

Your situation is 100% normal for that time (sorry), here's what can help: A newborn needs to feel very warm and CONFINED like the womb in the beginning. They are homesick. They do not like their space, but we do. A very tight swaddle, lots of shusshing (ie. loud fan noise), rocking, swinging. Wait until baby is asleep for 15 minutes or so (eyes NOT flickering, body feels 'limp') and then put baby down. Babies have a "moro/startle" reflex that startles them awake when they are put down (if their arms are free). The point of the swaddle is to confine them and remind them of the womb.

Exactly this! xxx

 

[Future-Sailor]

I don't think that I will be sleeping tonight LO is going thru a growth spurt; been feeding hourly since 9pm. Fun fun fun...

 

[MissMamma]

how have i never come across this thread before?!

i think i'm going to die of sleep deprivation [is that possible?]
for a month now she has been waking five/six times in a night and its just getting worse, last night was every one and half hours. Its killing me

 

[Lydiarose]

Missmamatobe i am in the exact same situation its hell!! wht happend to sleeping through at 6 weeks?? or on solids? or by 6 months!!

 

[aliss]

TIRED!!

Bad gas all night long this week, have slept the most for 1.5 hour at a time. UGH.

 

[mrsthomas623]

TIRED!!

Bad gas all night long this week, have slept the most for 1.5 hour at a time. UGH.

Hope your gas gets better, Aliss. You are probably keeping Alexandre up with all the tooting.

 

[mrsthomas623]

Sigh...

Everytime I think we are getting somewhere with this whole sleep thing, it bites me in the ass. Waking frequently with horribly painful cries from cutting his 4 top teeth for nearly a month now. Arg! Just needed to vent!

 

[katzone]

Hi Guys,

Can I have some thoughts/inputs/opinions on something please?

DD is 7 months old, she has 20-21oz milk in the day and 3 meals but she still wakes at night for bottles, drinking 3-4oz each time sometimes twice a night, sometimes three times a night. Last night was 3 times, I feel like she should be having less at night by now, she was down to 1-2 bottles a night (usually one) til she hit 6 months then it suddenly increased again (I thought it was a growth spurt).
Do you think she really is hungry or it has become a habit over the last month to start taking milk throughout the night again? She won't have more than 3-4oz from each bottle but seems to refuse to sleep again until I feed her (and generally she will drift off whilst on the bottle). I have tried offering water but that resulted in a major tantrum at 2am!!

I am knackered

 

[aliss]

Hi Guys,

Can I have some thoughts/inputs/opinions on something please?

DD is 7 months old, she has 20-21oz milk in the day and 3 meals but she still wakes at night for bottles, drinking 3-4oz each time sometimes twice a night, sometimes three times a night. Last night was 3 times, I feel like she should be having less at night by now, she was down to 1-2 bottles a night (usually one) til she hit 6 months then it suddenly increased again (I thought it was a growth spurt).
Do you think she really is hungry or it has become a habit over the last month to start taking milk throughout the night again? She won't have more than 3-4oz from each bottle but seems to refuse to sleep again until I feed her (and generally she will drift off whilst on the bottle). I have tried offering water but that resulted in a major tantrum at 2am!!

I am knackered

Sounds like she enjoys warm milk to sleep. I would suggest approaching this slowly by not letting her fall asleep on the bottle and then putting her straight to bed. It may take several days but if she can learn to fall asleep off the bottle then that will probably help a lot. We went through the same and it did help.

 

[MrsBandEgglet]

helloooo I should probably have taken a look at this thread when my son was little but he ended up not being so bad really. My little lady Violet is only four days old but is already proving to be a little madam lol. She doesn't seem to want to sleep at night and screams blue murder if put down in her moses basket and the light turned off. She is feeding really well during the day, every 2 to 3 hours so it's not that she is block feeding or anything. . Perhaps she just doesn't like the dark lol. She is sleeping a lot during the day though but I don't want to force her to stay awake or anything. Aww well she's still only young she'll probably be fine in a few weeks. I'll keep dropping by this thread probably to cry about how truly knackered I am though lol. Xx