to admit I can't cope with this level of sleep deprivation, please help

[LycheesAtNoon]

How do you cope?

Baby is 5months.

Used to sleep 6-7 hours in a stretch. Now wakes frequently and screams until I breastfeed him back to sleep. On typical night he goes to bed at 8pm and wakes to feed at 10pm, 1am, 3am, 4am, 5am and is up for day around 6-7am By the time I've got back to sleep each time he's waking up again!

I feel like I'm going mad. I keep shouting at him at 5am

He has 3x30min naps during day.

Should I start sleep-training? What if he's hungry? Has anyone tried CC? Or is this just a regression/growth spurt that I need to ride out?

Also his wee has a strong smell since his sleep went haywire, he's also drooling all day, could he be teething/thirsty?

Any tips for coping with sleep deprivation?

I agree up the feeds during the day.

I was doing roughly
7am feed
8.30/9 nap (usually in the car if I was heading out
10/10.30 feed
12.30 feed upstairs in bedroom
3pm feed downstairs
5ish half hourish nap
6/7 feed
10ish dream feed (with my second I gave a bottle of formula at this feed)

The morning nap dropped around 12 months and the late afternoon one dropped off not long after. The lunchtime one went on until around age 3. It's quite good I think to get them into the habit of having this nap in the cot in their room. If you crack this you will have 2.5ish more years of 3 hours rest/respite from you child which can be sanity saving I think.

To break the feeding to sleep I used a book called The No Cry Sleep Solution. I would only really suggest using this if you are sure your baby isn't hungry. Basically give them one teddy in their cot. This is known as their lovey and they will eventually use it to snuggle to sleep. When trying to sort my daughters sleep I slept in a single bed which was beside her cot. When she woke up she would be going 'wah wah wah' eventually their would be a break in the crying. That is when his say one phrase, something like 'sshh sshh sshh sleepy time, mummy is here'. They will immediately start crying again. When there is a break in the crying say the same phrase. Repeat. Repeat. Eventually the quite gaps get longer and longer. Only say the phrase when there is a break in the crying. It takes time but if you persevere I think it is the gentlest way to teach a baby how to self settle. You are close by offering reassurance. It worked with both of mine. They were brilliant sleepers until teething kicked in and then sent me to the brink of sanity. I feel your pain!

If you do think teething is causing pain it is worth giving regular calpol and nurofen. We always gave ours nurofen when we were going to bed if they were teething. It lasts longer so there is more chance of the pain relief lasting until morning.

I heard that there was something called sleep training. It is supposed to help your baby to get on the right schedule when it comes to sleeping. I want to know if anyone has heard about this.

@EstelleWalker74

I heard that there was something called sleep training. It is supposed to help your baby to get on the right schedule when it comes to sleeping. I want to know if anyone has heard about this.

This was us 18 months ago, so I hear where you are coming from!!! During the day, our 'nap' routine basically became: soothe for 30+ minutes (swaddling, rocking, running the water, white noise, dark room, sling, walks, lullabies - you name it), he'd finally fall asleep, he'd sleep in my arms (he wouldn't sleep in his bed at all) for 10-30 minutes, then he'd wake up screaming, and we'd go through it all again. I knew he was exhausted. No joy. After two months of things getting worse and worse (and Baby getting crabbier and crabbier), we all finally decided to give sleep training a try. This video about sleep training helped us a lot bit.ly/31pPiH9

I have a 5 month old non sleeper too (I mean why else would I be crazy enough to be awake at stupid o clock?). Daytime naps are pretty much non existent. Like literally 10 minutes and he's up again fresh as a daisy. And this is constantly throughout the day. Drives me crazy as I can't get anything done. His bedtime is around 10.30pm and he gets up every 4 hours for a feed. Lately though he just won't settle unless he is lying in my lap. It's the teething I'm sure and it breaks my heart seeing him so unhappy. He screams in pain. I admit with my eldest non sleeper I did shout. I was losing it. With this LO I know it will pass and he won't be like this for long. It's so hard when night after night is broken but it will pass. We co sleep (safely) and that helps.

Nap in the day when your LO naps.

I feel your pain OP. So much random advice on this thread and the internet. I've gone back to work recently and my baby is 5 months, it seems like sleeping through the night is so far away, everyone says 12m or 18m. I'm not in the U.K. and my doc here was horrified when I mentioned sleep training in our last check up. It seems there is research (not that I asked for the paper from him!) that the increased cortisol level due to the stress of it last in their tiny systems for ages.

We are getting pretty desperate too and have come up with a new feeding and nap schedule to try. I'm close to to a breakdown.

It's so hard.
If you want some safe sleep strategies, the Facebook group: Safe Sleep and Baby Care: Evidence-based support is excellent.
I really like the group, however it is very straight-talking. There's no "you do you,Mama", for which I am grateful.

Only thing for me to add is what helped me was when I felt the frustration rising was not to be in the moment but try and think to the future - years down the line, to remind myself there was a time when this wouldn't be our reality, it helped calm me - not always! Also rewarding yourself by ordering in a nice breakfast for surviving a really horrendous night.