Near breaking point my child whinges constantly and never sleeps

[Nicole2781]

My DS is coming up to 7months.
If I'd have known how hard this is I don't think I'd have had a child and I definitely can't see me wanting another. Not to say I don't love my son I do with all my heart he's amazing but I'm really really struggling and so is my partner.

Does it get any easier?

He woke at 7am and has had two naps today consisting of around an hour each time. He's just gone to sleep and it's now 10:30 pm! I know when he's tired and I try so hard to get him to sleep but he fights so hard and ends up really upset.
Tonight it has taken us 2 hours to get him to sleep.

There's no point in getting happy that he's asleep and we will finally have some time together as we know it won't be long before he wakes again for a bottle or just to whinge for a bit.

I sound awful complaining but everyone we know says their child sleeps through mostly and is lovely.

I'm so jealous of them and I'm constantly thinking what we might be doing wrong?

Is there anyone going through similar things? Or has anyone had this experience and can offer any tips/advice?

I dread waking up in the morning as I know it's going to be another long day of constant moaning and then dread going to bed as I know it's going to be a shit nights sleep

I think you are right 7 months Is too young for controlled crying, I tried it on dd1 at that age and she was too young, it worked a treat when she was 10 months. I couldn't bear to use it again for my others and found the shush pat method much kinder on me.

I learnt thatbbathtime had to be way way before bedtime and that our DS needed a good one hour downtime prior to bedtime to even remotely get him in calm settled state. So dinner is early, I start at 4pm usually, then lotsof action usually outside to wear him out... (so much easier once they start crawling, walking).. Then shower or bath, then quiet time, usually walk in pram for at least half hour, 40 mins is ideal wind down time for pram walk, 20mins isn't enough may as well not bother! and turn all lights off or down low, no tv or radio, even cooking preparing noises would stimulate him into wanting to be where the action is!

Also just try diff methods, if u have an alert HN bub, they figure everything out so quickly so u constantly have to change your approach. I used to whisper a story about sailing to dreamland to DS, this would entail saying lots of words with an 's' like sailing past dolphins, sharks, seahorses etc... While I stroked his forehead.. Then that didn't work after a while, so now I shush pat or rock him in cot..

Lots of teething and milestone saround this timeframe, and it's horrible. DS has just started STTN .. 2 weeks before his first birthday and I thought he would NEVER STTN! I was so excited as all the other bubs I know have been STTN since at least 6tmhs old. Lucky I had some friends who I would whinge to and they were great support throughout that horrible time. Sleep dep is the worst, you cannot function and you cannot tolerate much. Be easy on yourself. (smile) the nurse I saw before going to sleep school for DS said parents can only expect to get things right 30% of the time, so that helped me put things into perspective a bit!

At this age I read somewhere that taking them out in the late afternoon for fresh air could work - so I went every day to do a lap of the park. It did have some success

We and quite a few friends used this with good results, but apparently it's controversial - don't know why

It's bound to get better eventually
no matter what you do, someone will think you're wrong
Ignore them, do the easiest thing for you
Good luck

Nicole, you're baby is not the only baby who isn't sleeping through.

My DS is 22 weeks and he's still up between every 1-2 hours and every 2-3 hours through the night.

I don't foresee it changing anytime soon and I don't have any advice (obviously ) but you're not alone.