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can't take anymore

20 replies

waitingforsomething · 29/12/2015 06:33

My DS is 5.5 months old and ive not once had anything that resembles a decent night. The thing is I don't know what I'm doing wrong. He eats well during the day. He naps, he self settles from wide awake. He doesn't take a dummy. We don't respond to every noise and he still wakes for nothing all fucking night. LAst night he woke at 9 and screamed for an hour, wouldn't take milk, cried when being cuddled, cried when in his cot. Calpol didn't work either but he eventually fell asleep again.
Woke at 2, tried to feed him he had one ounce then went back. Woke at 4, left him till 4.20 tried another feed not interested. Up for the day at 5.50. Still not hungry.
This is quite a good night. I have an older child and I just can't take anymore - I'm not a good sleeper anyway and I am at the end of my rope, starting to wish I hadn't had him and just stuck with my dd. I can't remember why I had a second child but I wish I hadn't

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PebbleTTC · 29/12/2015 06:35

Sorry you feel that way, it's really hard not getting sleep. We just had an hour of crying there!

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winchester1 · 29/12/2015 06:45

Is he in your room. Maybe your night noises are waking him, could you try him in a different room for a few nights?

Assume you've checked things like if he is cold or hot during the night.

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GenevaMaybe · 29/12/2015 06:52

What time are the naps?

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confusedandemployed · 29/12/2015 06:53

Also, I'm wondering if you should persevere with the dummy? Lots of babies refuse at first but get there in the end.

You said he took an oz - so you're ff? I know he's your second so excuse me if I'm trying to teach you to suck eggs - but do you tank him up good and proper at the bedtime feed?

Also have you tried a dream feed? It took DD 2 attempts to take to this but DH used to give her a feed around 11pm (I'd been in bed since 8!) and this would take her through to 6am usually.

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waitingforsomething · 29/12/2015 07:01

His naps are roughly 8.30am, 12pm, 3.45/4pm. Depends on wake up times but he can manage for about 2 hours awake sometimes a bit less.
He hates dummies really he does!
I do my very best to tank him up before bed but he will only drink what he wants: 6-7oz. I've tried dream feeding loads it makes him wake more if humanly possible!

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waitingforsomething · 29/12/2015 07:03

Winchester no he has his own room. I'm such a bad sleeper I'm afraid babies don't last long In my room.

I think his teeth are probably rumbling as most of the time it is not hunger waking him. He's not even hungry in the mornings. I think he's just a bit shit at sleeping and I'll have to ride it out but tbh I haven't slept all night for over a year now (pregnancy was tough) and I'm starting to feel down

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waitingforsomething · 29/12/2015 07:05

My house isn't the warmer but he sleeps in a long sleeve best, a sleepsuit, a 2.5 tog bag. If I think it's cold he has a blanket too

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futureme · 29/12/2015 07:05

Its not uncommon at that age to still wake. I sometimes wish I'd known that before I had kids...!

As for practical advice is there a time when there's a chunk of sleep you can get? Mine used to sleep about 8-12 and then wake every hour or two after (but that was wjenn older than yours) it was hard to force myself to sleep at 8 when I wanted some adult time but honestly you need all the sleep you can get.

You have to let some jobs go. You simply can't be on top of everything with little sleep. Do do do remember this doesn't define you it is only for a short period of life.

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waitingforsomething · 29/12/2015 08:52

I know they often still wake but I just don't know what he's waking for so don't know how to help him get back to sleep. He won't be rocked, won't be fed, just seems to struggle to stay asleep.
I hope it will get better soon - I know really that they get better this just feels like a slog and when ive been up 5 times sometimes for long stints i just feel blue

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Purpleboa · 29/12/2015 10:02

Sympathy Waiting. I'm there with you. My DD is 6 months and has always been a terrible sleeper, but over the past month it's got so much worse. LaSt night she barely slept. I'm at the end of my rope here, so tired I can barely function.

Like you, I've no idea why she's doing it! I think some babies are just bad sleepers and that's all there is to it. People say it will pass but I've had 6 months now of it and I worry she's never going to learn how to sleep!

Flowers and Cake for us.

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BathshebaDarkstone · 29/12/2015 10:08

DD magically slept through the night before I started weaning, so 2 days off 6 months. Let's hope it happens for you! BrewBrewBrew

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Purpleboa · 29/12/2015 16:36

It really gets to you doesn't it? I've been so down today. It's making me feel anxious and in such a bad mood. Can't help but take it out on my poor DH.

I feel like it's my fault, and that I'm doing something wrong. I no longer know what I should or shouldn't be doing. Should I do sleep training or is it cruel? Should I stop feeding her to sleep even though it's the only thing I have to settle her? You keep second guessing yourself don't you!

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waitingforsomething · 29/12/2015 16:55

It's tough purple. So hard to know what to do. I have just in the last hour discovered that DS first tooth has broken through the gum so I hope that this has been the problem and he may wake a bit less...until the next one. I had forgotten the horror of teething...

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Purpleboa · 29/12/2015 17:14

Ah that's probably why! I kind of wish that would happen for us - no sign of a tooth yet! I at least want there to be a reason for this lack of sleep! I'm praying tonight is an improvement on last night...

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waitingforsomething · 29/12/2015 18:47

I wish he had managed to sleep through before twerhing started. This is it now until he's like 18months!

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Lacey2015 · 07/01/2016 20:32

Your routine looks great! You also seem to be doing a great job. Have you ever considered whether he is in pain when he wakes? He seems to be a good sleeper self settling and you have a set routine which will help!? My DD had slight silent reflux, she would appear restless at night (from lying flat all night). Common symptoms are hiccups, appears uncomfortable, frequent waking. Just a thought? xx

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waitingforsomething · 09/01/2016 07:49

Thanks. I'm really struggling with a wake up between 4-4.30 every night. He's only really half awake but if I leave him he just gets hysterical (other times of night he will usually re-settle himself.
At this time I try feeding- he's not hungry and might take an ounce but will not go back to sleep.
I try water
I try ibuprofen or calpol.
He still won't re-settle and we are often grappling for 45mins to an hour to get him back down for 1-2 hours before he starts the day. I don't know what to do to either settle him quicker or stop him waking

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kinkytoes · 09/01/2016 07:59

Ibuprofen on an empty stomach might make him uncomfortable so I'd keep that to mealtimes if I were you.

Otherwise I think there's not much else to do other than what you're doing. He's a bit too young for sleep training (which he might respond to) so I think just persevere and hope it's just a phase.

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waitingforsomething · 09/01/2016 16:50

I'm not sure there's any sleep training I can do with him as he self settles happily

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kinkytoes · 09/01/2016 17:09

He may self settle at bedtime, but you can also sleep train for night time wakenings, if that's what you choose to do. By then he may already be ok through the night. Good luck!

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