Please help - I can't function on 2 hours sleep!

[Josie123]

I have a 17 week old DS. He weighs 17lb and is formula fed. He has never slept through, the best he has done is 7-4 one miraculous night. He was doing 7-1 or 2 then back down and rather unsettled until morning. I thought that was bad!!

Since last week he now wakes about 11pm and seems starving. I feed him and he wakes around 2am again seeming hungry. After this feed he is awake on and off until we start the day at 6am. I am knackered. I have a 6 year old so have school runs to do so can't sleep in.

I have tried giving him calpol in case he is in pain, leaving him (he screams the house down), I just don't know what to do.

I wouldn't mind so much if he fed and went back to sleep for a stretch but his best sleep is from 7pm until he wakes and if this is at 11pm there is not much scope for me to get some sleep as I have another son to sort out who goes to bed at 8ish.

Last night he was asleep by 7.15, awake at 11, back asleep by 11.45 then awake at 2, I put his dummy in and he woke again at 3. I fed him and he was asleep by 3.45 only to wake again at 5.25 and that was it for the night, wouldn't go back over. Then of course it gets nearer to 6am and I think we might as well get up as I need to start the day around 6.30 anyway. So I slept 9.45-11 then 12-2 and that's it. I look terrible, I feel awful. I snap at DS1 and cry a lot.

DH did the feed at 11 last night but I am still awake, DS's crying wakes me up. He is at work so I do the other feeds.

Is this the 4 month sleep regression? I didn't think it would affect us as he had never slept well anyway!! Everyone else I know with children the same age isn't having any problems.

I tried hungry milk last weekend and he was unsettled all night so have knocked that on the head.

People say to me "oh he's a big lad he must sleep well"! It really annoys me!

He doesn't nap well in the day either which I gather from reading these threads could be a factor but I am so tired I can't be bothered to battle with him. He has 20-40 mins here and there. He will have a long nap if we are out walking but it doesn't make him sleep any better at night. He generally sleeps in his pram as he is tired before I take DS to school (having been up 2 hours by then!) so I can't have him napping in his cot to then disturb him for the school run.

Sorry this is long, I am trying to give all the info I can in the hope someone can help me. I have rung my HV too but she is not in the office at the mo.

[fergald]

Hello - my little girl and your DS are around the same age. She is 15lbs and exactly like you she has been going back and forth. At one point she was waking just once at 3am after going down at 6.30 and then again at 7 but it didn't last. The same as your son this has regressed back to waking as early as 11. Sometimes she can then go till 3 and then till 7 but more often than not it seems to be 2.30 and then 5 and then 7! - I am knackered too... BUT give yourself a break - we all have sleep issues at one time or another (I have an older one 4 yrs) and he was always up and down as well - good phases and bad phases.

I am also struggling to get to see the HV! - Here are the things I am thinking of trying. She is on HIPP organic formula and some breast (phasing out the breast as I am going back to work). I have been mixing hungry baby and normal and so I'm going to try a little more hungry baby. I have also bought a content and calm cot canopy (it hasn't arrived yet)- I think that the 5am wakings etc. might be helped by this as the room she sleeps in is gets light and noise etc. coming in around these times. I am tempted to try a spoon of baby rice - but won't do this until I've managed to speak to HV.

Your son sounds like he is quite unsettled what formula is he on? my dd was so fussy in the beginning I had to try a few (my son just had SMA). This HIPP seems to be so gentle... might he need a diff formula?

P.S - My first was a big lad (still is!!) and I don't think this has any bearing on how much sleep he SHOULD be giving you!

Please ignore anything you disagree with here - we all just do our best and the fact is that once we crack it - it will probably change. Those days when you've barely slept are tough tough tough - so here's wishing you (and me!) a better night tonight

[Chil1234]

Have you tried him with some real food yet? For larger children using more energy, there is a case for weaning a little earlier than the recommendations.