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Desperation at 6.5 months

3 replies

Scuttlemum14 · 17/02/2015 06:34

Help!!
My second baby is a terrible sleeper. I have hit my limit now and just screamed at my family after 6.5 months of never more than 5 hours interrupted sleep. My breastfed youngest is killing me literally I am so exhausted. He never naps more than 25 mins in day 3-4 times a day and wakes multiple times at night. He has just been awake for 2 hours wide awake and ready to get up since 4.30am. I am done with it I just left him to cry and I said I never would. My husband is self employed so needs his sleep and I can't nap in day due to 3 yr old and shortness of naps of baby. I need this sorted out. I have tried so many things and nothing seems to work. The only thing I haven't done is just left him to cry like I just did for the first time. I feel it's mean but equally I'm now too exhausted to care that I'm mean. I need sleep. Any suggestions?

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PragmaticWench · 17/02/2015 06:51

You're not terrible, sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture for a reason, it drives people to the point of madness. It's perfectly normal to become irrational and resort to desperate measures when you are feeling desperate. I've been there, many, many parents on here will have been.

Personally I'd say you need to make sure there isn't a medical reason for your DS to not be sleeping much. Then make sure you know how much is 'normal', although take that with a pinch of salt as all babies are different.

Have you used any strategies like Elizabeth Pantley's No Cry Sleep Solution? There are a load of books on the market, maybe get some recommendations, pick one and try the approach for a while. I found Elizabeth Pantley rather 'woo' but her approach makes sense for me as I also hate Cry It Out and prefer a more gentle method.

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PragmaticWench · 17/02/2015 06:52

You may have tried lots already, so I'm just guessing!

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Scuttlemum14 · 17/02/2015 07:01

I'm pretty sure there isn't a medical reason as we had a period of the wide awake for several hours previously and he got out of it. I haven't read any books, more tried the shushing and patting, he has a dummy and we took it away for a week, co-sleeping, controlled cryin, item of clothing with breastmilk on it in cot, husband going in, bed earlier/later, trying to prolong naps. I mean I don't know what else I can do?! He never naps longer regardless of being in car seat/sling/pram. He gets max of 12.5 hours sleep a day and HV said that was normal?! I was a bit like wtf? My eldest son slept more like 14 hours at this age. I'd like to say it's teething but no signs of anymore as we cut two and I was expecting that. We are weaning and he's not keen but I jacked in the purée and he eats bits of everything like meat an carbs. He has dropped feeds in day but even in a quiet room he won't feed. I had issues wht my eldest but iv already tried all those ideaa