to just want a night's complete sleep without one of them fucking waking us up

[hooochycoo]

We have a four year old and a one year old, not a night passes without one of them waking up and waking the rest of us up. Why oh why can the pair of them not understand that bedtime is for sleeping? so utterly sick to death of it.

[FjordFiesta]

May I offer some hope in the form of a night alone at a Premier Inn for £29. Lovely sheets. Lovely pillows. Lovely shower. Lovely buffet breakfast. Checkout at noon. Just don't pick one near a main road or Heathrow. I promise you, once you've just booked it you will feel incredibly happy.

[hooochycoo]

Gosh yes. A nice long anesthetic. For the children. Administered every night at 7 and wearing off 12 hours later

[ipswichwitch]

Do you think I could wangle some sort of operation too so I can get some bloody sleep? I'm sure they could take my appendix or something equally pointless. The thought of being under general anaesthetic seems rather pleasing at the moment!

[NeopreneMermaid]

On a more practical note, Hooch have you tried your SureStart Centre? My local one was brilliant for advice (and just general support on being utterly exhausted and broken by it).

[NeopreneMermaid]

Yes to the surgery! I've looked forward to two rounds of invasive surgery this year because at least I'd get to lay down for a bit. I've even fantasized about a lorry driving into me in my car so I can get some rest (death counts, right?).

[MoneyMug]

My 2 year old wakes up every hour (at least) and the 2 month old wakes up every 2 hours. Every night.



I don't know what it feels like to sleep longer than half an hour anymore.

[noavailablename]

I remember thinking, as I was being wheeled along the hospital corridor into the operating theatre, "at least I will get an hour's sleep".

That was when mine were 3.5 and 1.5.

[Pinkdaisy4]

different I laughed and cried through that!

[ipswichwitch]

It's the constant implication that we're obviously doing something wrong that we get from the ILs that boils my piss more than anything. At least MIL has packed it in for now after she stayed over a few nights ago because DH wa so tired he was a danger to himself and I've been ill.

I know DS is teething (molars), but its been going on for fecking ages, now I'm starting to worry he's developed a calpol habit that's waking him every night. That'll look good - taking a 2 year old to rehab....

I look about 112 and there's not a make up product nor industrial filler in the world that will conceal the bags under my eyes. I'll start saving now for the plastic surgery I'm gonna need by the time this little bugger finally sleeps (sob)

[differentnameforthis]

[hooochycoo]

She's an utter nightmare. By this stage with my son, we were able to go away for weekend and leave him with grandparents. Not so this baby. They've had her for a night and were visibly greyed and shocked.

[LovesBeingOnHoliday]

Oh sweetheart, can someone else take over today? Can you stay at a relatives this weekend and let them get up with tge baby?

[hooochycoo]

I fucking hate this baby. Been three hours now she's been screaming. Fucking eighteen months if this shit, at this point I just hate her

[NeopreneMermaid]

The unbelievable happened: both of mine slept through last night and let me get 8 hours! It's amazing how much better I feel.

Bunnies, would it be worth having a potty in his bedroom for night tiddles?

[PigOnStilts]

No. You have to go to an upset child..more so than a baby actually ...with a baby you can at least look at the clock and decide what it might be

[TheFowlAndThePussycat]

The problem is, you don't know which of the wakings don't need attending too iyswim. I doubt your gran left any of her children in a wet bed, portrait, or having thrown up on themselves. Once they have yelled and you've got up to have a look they damage is done!

I might be a bit soft on nightmares though as I have terrible ones where my blood runs cold and I wake up screaming - I couldn't leave one of the kids alone if they were experiencing that. I do think that this has led 'I've had a bad dream' to become an excuse for getting us up that they know will be acceptable!

I do think hope that we are reaching a turning point with this as the little one (the worst culprit) is become better able to deal with whatever it is (covering herself with duvet or whatever) and get herself back off to sleep.

[Rewindtimeplease]

I feel for you all so so much.

I just have to comment though, to first time pregnant who come to this board to morbidly have a look. These stories really are very extreme indeed. I say this as a mother of a six month old and three yr old. I've seen broken nights, to be expected, but nothing, not even close, to this scale, and out of my group of friends, only one experiences anything close.

[hooochycoo]

i'd ignore them if they didn't make such a god awful noise.

[portraitoftheartist]

My kids are older but when they woke us repeatedly in the early years, my Gran said it didn't happen when she was a mum to 6 because they didn't let it happen. Babies were never fed or attended to in the night and if a child came downstairs after being put to bed they were sent straight back.
I couldn't do that and had 5 years of broken sleep. So it's all our own fault, according to Gran.

[bragmatic]

I'm still not totally convinced that my lot didn't conspire together before bedtime.

Psssst!!! Whose turn is it to wake her up?

[TheFowlAndThePussycat]

Thanks bunnies, I knew there must be some good reason for onesies! I'll do some boil washing as a precaution and keep an eye out for signs.

Not only do kids prevent you from sleeping, they subject you to this kind of horribleness!

(Wouldn't be without them obvs )

[3birthdaybunnies]

They're not always easy to spot, but hopefully not those, if it happens again then take a torch in for a peek before you go to bed, also any poos - sometimes if you wait a few minutes you will see movement.

Also make sure that you all follow general hygine even if no definite evidence- short finger nails, wash hands as soon as they get out of bed in the morning etc. Onesie pj help too! If there are visitors then you need to medicate everyone, boil wash all bedding, underwear, towels etc and deep clean everything. Eggs can live for months and easy to catch from other children at nursery etc.

[TheFowlAndThePussycat]

That did occur to us bunnies - I checked and no worms in evidence. As it was a one-off itchy bottom I thought probably not worms after all. Might be wrong though ... Any advice?

[3birthdaybunnies]

Itchy bottoms at night are v likely to be treadworms (sorry), but at least you can take a pill for those and sleep is restored. No such pill for tantruming nearly 4 yr old who wants blackcurrant. Yes looking at you ds. He woke dh eventually so gave up and handed over to him!!

My 8yr old sleeps through almost anything. 6yr old has a pea sized bladder - no upstairs toilet so then paddy about not wanting to go downstairs alone (though do leave a light on for this purpose), ds will wake randomly- nightmare, needs a wee, ooccasionally already done a wee or of course because he feels like blackcurrant instead of the water next to his bed which he knows is the only drink allowed. I would say now that we probably get woken twice a week by one or the other. Unfortunately so conditioned to wake up my body just wakes up anyway.

[moustachio]

After having my Ds, there is no way we're having another one!! I just cried for the first year, it was awful! I agree that one day they'll just click. I didn't even realise until a few months after and someone asked how he was sleeping and I replied "really well actually!!