To be fed up of people implying I'm lying?

[CeliaLytton]

This comes up time and time again regarding sleep. People ask me when my DC started to sleep through the night, so I tell them. I get incredulous looks and asked how I did it and I can tell they don't believe me.

I don't wear a sign round my neck, I am never smug about it, we didn't do anything, we were just lucky. But why does nobody believe babies can't sleep 12 hours at 6 months?

I get that when people say this, they are trying to make parents of non sleepers feel better. But my DC were much later than average to walk, talk, crawl, pretty much everything. I didn't expect anyone to say, 'oh, those people who said their children walked at 14 months are lying, they just can't remember'

I am always full of sympathy over lack of sleep, it is a killer. But my DC did sleep through, luck of the draw, and I am not bloody lying!

(I know I am unreasonable to care, but I wouldn't mind if more people said it's not the norm, or it's just luck, but to imply that every single parent with a sleeping child is lying seems not to be the right way to go about it)

[MollyHooper]

3 month old DS2 sleeps all night. :)

6 year old DS1 wakes up 3/4 times a night (on a good night). :(

I am awaiting sleep regression with the baby so I can officially become Nosferatu.

I just avoid talking about my children's sleeping habits, people either think you are smug or want to revel in your misery.

[StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes]

my first did not sleep well up until around 18 months and even then he woke early. second slept 6 - 7 hours from 6 weeks.

[lookatmycameltoe]

Don't the majority of babies sleep through at 6 months?

My first slept through from 4 months, my second from 2 years and 4 months and my third, who is 3 years and 3 months STILL DOESN'T.

They are all different.

What annoys me is smugness, not what age they slept through.

[ICanSeeTheSeaFromHere]

How odd. Ds slept through from 5mths, Dd 1 from 7mths and Dd2 from 11weeks.

[hellsbellsmelons]

My DD had to sleep through from 3 months as I was going back to work, and she did.
I was LUCKY - I know that!

But according to my mum I was potty trained at 6 months! I don't even bother arguing with her anymore on how this is actually not bloomin well possible!
They just used to strap me to it for hours on end and thought that meant I was trained! Bless them!
Oh and my sister, PFB, was potty trained at 3 months! You have to laugh! They can't even sit up well at 3 months!

[jessieagain]

If I let myself believe you I would be raging with envy

So I need to believe that you are lying (or exaggerating) just for my own sanity and peace of mind.

So I'm happier like this :)

[StrawberryGashes]

6 months isn't that young either to be sleeping through, isn't it fairly normal? Ds slept through from about 8 weeks old, he's always loved his sleep and it's been nothing that I done. Dd didn't sleep through until about 3 months old and now and then still wakes up during the night at 5 months as she's teething. It's odd that people don't believe you, are they parents of sleepless babies?

[CeliaLytton]

You are right, that sentence made no sense, double negative and I can't even blame sleep deprivation

Dc1 ff, routine, slept only in cot, I did what suited him because I had no one else to consider, slept 12 hours at 5 months

Dc2, bf, little routine due to school runs 3 times a week, prefers sleeping in cot, slept 12 hours at 6 months

Different circumstances with each which proves that some children just have the lazy sleepy gene.

I would never offer this information unless asked though, I do not have a death wish!

However despite my lack of smugness and endless sympathy, the looks of glee if DC are ill or teething or for some other reason occasionally disturbed at night make me

[jessieagain]

Sleep is very different to walking, crawling, language etc as it affects every aspect of everyday life which is why parents of poor sleepers are a bit sensitive/defensive.

[Sunnysummer]

Probably envy. Plus, all of us with non-sleepers have at multiple stages been smugged by people who say things like 'well mine slept through from 6 months / 6 weeks / 6 days, because I just didn't give them an option' (cue much gnashing of teeth and slapping of faces). You are clearly not one of these people, but experience and extreme sleep deprivation makes us overly defensive

[CeliaLytton]

Also, I know people whose babies slept through at 3 months and although I was green with envy, I didn't doubt them.

The ones that gave me the rage were people who announced that their baby slept through at 2 months because of a great routine, calm parents, reading all the books etc and then I later found out that thy meant sleeping 12-5am. I have a vastly different opinion on what constitutes sleeping through the night to some of my friends

[Ragwort]

It's only another stage of parenting competition you have to go through - now my DS is a young teen and parents all go on about how much time they spend on their playstations etc/how much the uniform and school trips cost/how they never do their homework/how rude and un co-operative they are etc etc. The 'comparing' just never seems to stop .

[pointyfangs]

I believe you - they're all different. DD1 slept 8 till 8 from 10 weeks old - quick dreamfeed at 10pm for which she didn't even wake, job done.

DD2 needed night feeds until 11 months, but she was a clock work baby - would wake at 11.30 and 2.30, take both sides in 15 minutes, burp and go straight back down. I still considered her a good sleeper.

They have both slept like tops ever since.

However, I totally sympathise with people who have non-sleepers - when DD2 got slapped cheek at 19 months she was very ill with it and didn't sleep for 3 days. And neither did I - I was in the room with her and had about 4 hours sleep spread over 72 hours. It was torture, and that was only for 3 days. I was a wreck, and would therefore never be anything but sympathetic towards people who lived like that all the time.

[KeemaNaanAndCurryOn]

Is it sleeping through morning? Second thread I click on and both the same subject .

DC1 didn't sleep through properly (i.e. 9pm - 5am) until they were nearly three as they have ASD. DC2 slept through at 6 weeks.

I remember being desperately jealous of my friends who had babies who slept through when I had DC1, begging them to tell me their secret. It was only later when he was diagnosed that I realised I wasn't a shit parent and it was because he'd never sleep through with his condition.

Why get yourself het up about this? Just be happy that you didn't have a baby who didn't sleep through, so you weren't so sleep deprived.

[AtticusMcPlatypus]

I believe you OP. Luck of the draw I guess. My DD was a total pita and didn't sleep through until the age of 4. DS, in contrast slept from 7 until 7 from the age of 4 months. Think I'd learnt to be a bit tougher with no.2 though!

[gingysmummy]

my ds slept from 6.30-9.30 from 4 months old he barley napped through the day though to noisy i think

[Whereisegg]

My dd slept through reliably by 8 weeks, and was out of nappies in the day before 1.
I have never been outright accused of lying re the nappies but have had many 'looks'.

Pointing out that ds was closer to 3 for being reliably dry usually helps.
I mean if I was going to lie, I would do it about both of them surely?

He also didn't sleep through til 14 months.
No idea why people are questioning 6 months though

[Handbagsonnhold]

I know what you mean.... as dd now 3 has always been an amazing sleeper even from a few months old.... We always had a bedtime routine and always put her down awake.... But I'm one of those mums who if we out for lunch and someone would say "ah isn't she well behaved" I'd say "oh enjoy it while you can she won't be for long" I've got friends the same who say they almost 'apologlise' for their little ones fab habits.

Got number 2 on the way who I'm sure will be an absolute nitemare just to prove me wrong ...ahhh I'm doing it again!

[Blondeorbrunette]

My little fella slept through from abt six weeks, he walked at 15 maths. I have a daughter that rarely sleeps past five thirty and she walked just shy if ten maths and my third child I can't remember!

My early riser was also very early to talk.

[sunbathe]

I believe you op. We're all different.

For example, I became pregnant the first month I tried, every time. Pregnancies were easy and breastfeeding was easy too. Simply my experience, not a boast.

On the other hand, babies' sleeping was problematic, walking and talking was late (very late for my oldest) and potty training a nightmare!

[ShowOfBloodyStumps]

Loads of babies sleep through at 6 months. Loads more don't. I don't know anybody who thinks it's impossible for a 6 month old to sleep through.

If they're accusing you outright of lying then you need better friends. Otherwise, I assume they're just doing the incredulous double take of a sleep deprived parent and not actually calling you names.

[SkinnybitchWannabe]

Definitely envy I think.
All my 3 ds were (and still are) fabulous sleepers.
Youngest was sleeping 7 hrs a night at just over 3months.

[wibblyjelly]

DS has been walking since 8 and a half months, and I feel I have to prove it by saying dh walked at 9 months, due to the disbelieving looks. I don't bring it into conversation, I only say it when people ask me when he started.

[noswingpark]

My 4 children have all been so different. First one didn't sleep through until 4! He didn't even nap in the day after 6mnths and would be awake until 1 in the morning when I would sometimes resort to driving him around! He walked at 10mnths but couldn't chew until he was 2, the sleeping got so bad the hospital prescribed him sedation! My second child slept through from about 5mnths. My 3rd started sleeping through at 2.5yrs just after we had the 4th child. We used to be up more to daughter in the night than baby! Baby (almost 1) slept through from 8 weeks 7-7. He was born over 10lb and is still following the same line, but he didn't sit until almost 8mnths but by 10mnths was walking on his own. Quite sad really because he is my last baby he is too grown up.

[LST]

Ds slept easily 8-10 hours at 10 weeks. By 6 mo he was sleeping 12 every night. I expect no sleep at all with the next one...