Baby waking 3-4 times at night-how will I cope going back to work

[sleeplesshelp]

Feeling so desperate just now. LO is 7.5 months old and has always been a terrible sleeper. Started cosleeping as the exhaustion was taking over. Two weeks ago decided to sleep train but no success and baby now in cot but still wakes 3-4 times at night and can take an hour or so to settle. Tonight I've caved due to fatigue and we are cosleeping again. I'm back to work full time next month and freaking out how I'll cope with no sleep. Any tips or miracle workers out there??? X

[User65412]

No advice I'm afraid but following with interest. Haven't had my baby yet but will be going back ft at 9 months.
Do you both get a good when sleep when you cosleep?

[Backhometothenorth]

It's so tough, particularly as sleep disturbance due to teething really kicks in around the time maternity leave usually finishes. We found co-sleeping really helpful with both children and it got a lot better around the age of two

[IncludeWomenInTheSequel]

Weirdly, you just do.

When mine were small i would regularly be up 3/4/5 times a night, but when you've got no choice but to get up and go to work, that's what you do!

I remember when my youngest was 5, I finally felt that I was back to sleeping like a normal person, like the deep sleeps I had before having children.

[AlohaMolly]

I sympathise OP, I just coslept. I’d put DS to bed (fed him to sleep as was BFing) then have a few hours to myself in the evening, go to bed for 10 and then sleep until he woke the first time. If I could settle him then great but more often than not, I’d just get on the bed in his room with him. It worked for us, doesn’t work for everyone. He’s 4.5 now and sleeps in his own bed!!

[Teacaketotty]

Honestly? You just get used to it, the days of a full nights sleep generally are a thing of the past for us. If we both get a full night undisturbed it’s a bonus!

If I bring her into bed with us it’s also a crappy nights sleep so generally try and settle her and get her back to her own bed. Agreed it peaks during teething times, which seem to come around far too quickly.

[grassisjeweled]

Go to bed earlier

[Babyboomtastic]

You just are very tired, but you manage to keep going somehow because you have to.

My tips are to make sure you are sharing the night wakings equally and to try to grab extra sleep where you can.

[MerryDecembermas]

Nothing wrong with safely co sleeping. Better that than the dangerous mental state caused by sleep deprivation.

Think about it biologically, we are mammals and co sleeping is normal. My 4yo co slept from 3m to 7m, then 14 months to 18 months, and now we're back co sleeping again. Yes it annoys the hell out of me that he has slept perfectly fine on his own and seems to keep going backwards.. but he's a child. Why shouldn't he have the comfort of a parent at night? I don't get upset about it any more.

You do what you need to to get through this phase OP.

[Misaki]

My baby is 13 months and still wakes up multiple times a night. I've just gone back to work after a years maternity leave. We tried absolutely everything to get her to sleep through the night, as like you, I was wondering how the hell I will cope going back to work.

Nothing worked. We even had multiple doctors appointments to see if there was a medical reason she wasn't sleeping. We got medicine (a type of Chinese herbal medicine available in Japan where I live), that also didn't work.

I'm back at work and if you have no choice but to go to work, and you're baby won't sleep then there really isn't anything you can do other than get on with it.

[FiloFaxx]

Like others have said you do just cope as you have to. Who is going to be looking after your little one when you're at work? My first went to nursery and had so much fun and burned so much energy she was tired enough for a good sleep!

[blackcat86]

I'm still co sleeping with DD (now 2.5) for this reason. Ignore all the chat about sleep training and consultants and just do whatever gets everyone the most sleep. If that means cosleeping then so be it. Also try to automate whatever else in your life you can. Robot hoovers, veg boxes, meal boxes, buying a bulk load of birthday cards - literally do anything that makes your life easier in preparation. Me and DH take turns with DD related to working hours so he does 2 nights pw with her in the spare bed so I get a chance to catch up on sleep. Takes turns to have lie in at the weekends.

[itwillbehormones]

Can you share the load with your partner??

[Keha]

How is your sleep when you cosleep? I put DD in her cot to start but cosleep from her first wake up. Im back at work and feel pretty okay, work probably isn't much harder than looking after a baby all day, just different. I probably go to bed a bit earlier.

[welshweasel]

I got a sleep consultant and the baby then slept. I can’t do my job safely if I’m woken multiple times a night.