DS is 5 months old and since about 2 months has been up every 1-2hrs at night (usually to bf) and napping for 30-45min about 3-4 times a day. I rock him to sleep in my arms (then put him in the cot swaddled) or sling for naps & sometimes i spend longer trying to get him to sleep than he actually sleeps and he's usually still tired and grumpy after waking up but he won't be resettled. This also means that I have no opportunity to catch up on sleep myself.
I feel like I do nothing apart from try to get him to sleep since he can only manage to stay awake & happy for about an hour. I am starting to resent him and I'm becoming increasingly irritated & irrational. I don't want to be like this. Please help!
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Going insane with lack of sleep
40 replies
VaselineOnToast · 26/02/2015 13:15
OP posts:
LowlLowl ·
26/02/2015 14:42
Oh oh oh if I'd found Mumsnet by the time DS was 5 months old it could have been me writing the post (other than the bf but since DS gave up on that at 3 mo 
)
DS is now 10 mo and has settled himself into a regular napping pattern during the day, and thankfully there turned out to be a benefit in ff because at least we got decent chunks of sleep at night (and DH could do night feeds). But I well remember it and feel your pain, Vaseline.
Fatedestiny makes some good points but don't beat yourself up too much about parenting styles and bad habits. Plenty of time to work on all those things! Also in my limited experience all babies are different in terms of the amount of daytime sleep required (no I'm not a Gina Ford fan....!)
To fix an immediate problem of no sleep, could you express and let your OH do a night of feeds for you (or even half a night)? It is amazing how much difference just one night would make to you.
What worked for me (which doesn't mean it will work for you of course but you might like to consider it as an option) is keeping a note of when in the day the short naps happen. Is there a pattern or is it random? Then if there is a pattern, try to work a schedule in (e.g. nap mid morning & nap mid afternoon). Have a clear nap routine so LO gets used to a rhythm of actions which signal sleep (we do nappy, sleeping bag, close curtains, milk, lullaby, cot) and stick to it (might take weeks but it was worth it for us!) Originally we let DS fall asleep on us before putting him into the cot, and once that was working we started on putting him down before he was asleep. As I type I'm listening to him chuntering himself to sleep in his cot. It's still a work in progress....
But the main thing is, sleep WHEREVER AND WHENEVER YOU CAN! Sod the housework, live off takeaways if you have to, but look after your sanity. Even if you get 3x30 min in the day that would help.
And it won't last forever. Or if it does the Daily Mail will pay handsomely for your story when LO hits 18 and so it's a win in the long run... 
LowlLowl ·
26/02/2015 14:47
PS 'insane and irrational' is probably a superb description of my parenting style on bad days (and probably the same holds for most parents - I'm trying to learn not to breast myself up about it though - think how boring it would be if we were all sane and rational all the time)
addictedtosugar ·
26/02/2015 20:21
Another one here saying none sleeping baby lead to PND, but it does get better.
If your worried about PND, have you filled out an edinburgh test?
DS1 was the king of 40 min naps. I got to be the queen of 39 min naps. When your at the stage your currently at, every second counts.
Also, does DS go for a longer patch when you first put him down? Would you get one longer chunk of sleep if you went to bed 30 mins after DS? I know it sounds awful, but I had 8pm bedtimes a couple of times a week for about a year.
The biggest change we made was post weaning (expressing didn't happen - but we were lucky that DS1 really took to food) - one day at the weekend, I'd get up when DS1 woke, feed him, have some breakfast, and then feed again. Then DH and DS would go out for the morning - with solids and water in case of hunger, and I went back to bed. If you can find a block (4 hours was the magic figure for me), you will be amazed at the difference it makes.
and 
He WILL sleep at some point -I'm waiting for teenagdom to hit, and then I'll be hoovering at 5am :)
Piratesloveunderpants ·
26/02/2015 20:40
Wasn't going to reply but I was pissed off by some comments that seemed unsupportive.
You are doing a brilliant job. You are doing what is best for your little baby boy. It's tough and I sympathise. My ds was fed to sleep, rocked to sleep, pushed in a pram and driven. He never "self settled". So I had every rod for my own back!! BUT - He is now 13 months old and has been sleeping through the night since 11 months after one month of gradual retreat sleep training. He still needs rocked to sleep for naps (I'm trying to stop this!) but my point is that there is a time and a place for sleep associations. And when he is old enough or you need to change habits you can. It's hard work to change habits but there's some good advice on here and other threads.
You sound like a very committed mummy. Don't underestimate how lack of sleep can affect your mental health, it's awful and what you described is totally normal. But if you are worried re PND then speak to GP or HV.
Good luck OP. Even if it doesn't improve, know you are not alone.
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