To ask whether you reverted to feeding/rocking to sleep during sleep regressions?

[Curlylockscurlylocks]

I'm pretty desperate. DD is almost 8 months old. She was previously only waking up once or twice a night and usually only needed one night feed but in the last couple of weeks she can't sleep for longer than an hour at a time and often just refuses point blank to resettle so we're awake for almost the whole night with maybe four or five hour long pockets of sleep if we're lucky. The poor love must be absolutely exhausted. We tried really hard to persuade her to go to sleep by shush patting but now we're right back to feeding and rocking to sleep and even that only works about half the time. Last night we were so desperate that in the end we had to rock her to sleep in the buggy. This is crazy but I don't have any other ideas. Please tell me this is normal and that everyone else is also doing whatever it takes to get through this bit? Maybe less AIBU and more am I being foolish.. .

So normal, so hellish. Revolting even. Sleep regressions are the worst.

We literally dragged ourselves through it, no idea how we survived but yes - lots of rocking and feeding and pacing and begging

Sorry, you'll get through it

Yes.

It was like a survival mode.

You do what you do to keep your sanity and maximise sleep for yourself and DC.

Don't feel guilty - if it works for your family then it's the right method.

Yes! We did the buggy thing only a few weeks ago, I was surviving at work on 2 hours sleep. It gets better. She still needs rocking at the start of bedtime, but I'll address this at some point when I have the energy!

My DS isn't as old and so we haven't been through any sleep regressions but when things are getting frantic and DS is getting upset and I'm feeling tired I just get the breast out, pop him on and it's a guarantee he'll calm down and go to sleep.

I'm a firm believer in 'Whatever it takes!'

Yep I am back to giving my 6 month old a dream feed and a further night feed, after her previously sleeping through from 8 weeks old!!! It's a big shock but needs must!!!

Yeah my almost 10 month old is doing this atm, I just do anything for an easy life these days, I don't fair well without sleep and dont see the point in us both getting worked up if he ends up in a state crying, although I dont feed him when he wakes up (i dont breastfeed and he already eats so much in the day, extra bottles at night would just be too much food) I just pick him up/ cuddles/sing etc.
Recently I discovered that playing sleepy music on YouTube to him and giving him a comfort blanket works to help him settle himself so now I do that, I find if I talk to him/rub his back etc he wants to be picked up, and sometimes he decides its time to play. If the music and blanket dont work he comes into my bed for a bit, I don't see the problem with this he's only a baby, i find it hard to get back to sleep sometimes at 23 so im sure the poor thing finds it much harder without help.

This happened with my friends little girl.

Most nights she has to be rocked to sleep in her buggy and gets bottles etc. she is 20 months but has never been a great sleeper.

Her and her dh had to resort to alternating their nights sleep, so one slept in the spare bed one night and the other slept in it the next as there was no point in both of them functioning on no sleep.

Hopefully it's a blip for you,

Could baby be teething? My ds is. 7-7 sleeper (16 months) but will howl in the middle of the night if his gums are sore but it settles after a night or two.

Your alternative would be letting baby CIO, so it's a no brainer.

I am there with you right now. Dd is about to turn 8 months and her sleep has completely gone to pot. I have found that it is utterly pointless to try and get her to go back to sleep so leave her to her own devices. She cries a little bit, but then usually settles herself back down when she is ready. There is no difference in the time it takes if I try to settle her, or leave her to it.

She usually crawls around in the cot, playing with her blanket and talking to herself. Then you hear the talking get quieter and quieter and she goes off. It can be a couple of hours though. I have found that earplugs are the way forward. I can still hear if she cries but it blocks out most of the babbling.

It's bloody hard, I am so tired it's unreal. You have my sympathy.

Thanks very much, everyone. You get so tired that you doubt all of your own decisions, don't you?!