I can't see the light...

[SeatOfMyPants]

At the end...

DS - now nearly 7 mo always a bad sleeper.

He was getting better in November- we had a run if long night sleeps - 5 days of 8-7- but a tummy upset that lasted nigh on a month, and now a stinking cold has meant that i have had couple pf months run of 3-5 hour nights, which on the back if a bad newborn stage is crushing me. DS doesn't nap properly so please noone tell me to sleep when he sleeps.

I just feel I can't see any reason to be hopeful that ill feel better in the near future. I mean, he seriously could be doing this for 2 years couldn't he. And I can't cope. I spend half the night in tears because I get so frustrated when he doesn't sleep - dp does take over and try to settle so I'm not doing this solo but, with DS screaming next door, there's no way I'm sleeping even if oh is settling.

I'm in theory in treatment for pnd - ie I've been diagnosed, and on the waiting list for CBT - been there for a while- meds aren't for me- but there is honestly nothing wrong with me apart from lack of sleep. Over Christmas- with enough family around to give me napping potential- i felt fine with a couple of days of 6 hours in me. Not just fine. CALM. HAPPY.

It's just getting to me particularly tonight. I feel utterly hopeless.

I feel your pain. We are just starting to see 7pm to 4am straight from our bundle of joy aged 15months. We have had months of waking at 9, midnight, 3, then giving in and getting up at 5. She only naps in the pram or car, so likewise catching up at nap time was never a solution.
In the end we have had to get help in, a nice lady from HealthVisitor4U. She helped us do soothe and return type putting down which has got us from co sleeping and several night feeds to being in her own room. Could you try getting someone in to help you establish a new pattern?

My ds who is now 5 was a terrible sleeper! I understand the desperation you feel.

Lack of sleep is torture. We also tried everything and nothing worked until ds was ready to sleep through.

Things that helped were naps when you can. I asked for help from family and friends when things got really bad. They would take him during the day and I would sleep. He also stayed with his GPs maybe once every 6 weeks overnight just to give us some rest.

Dh and I did shifts at weekends, he would do Fridays and Saturday nights and I would do the rest of the week.

It was hell, utter hell but he now sleeps through most nights with the odd small interruption from time to time.

Don't feel bad about sticking the TV on and napping on the sofa when you can.

It's survival of the fittest with sleepless babies!

Ear plugs are your friends! When your dh has him he is safe and with his daddy. Ear plugs in and sleep, you need sleep to look after your dc so take it.

The only thing that's going to happen is baby will eventually exhaust itself. Not a bad idea considering

I have a friend who did controlled crying for both of her ds's and it sorted out their sleep problems. Not for everyone - it's hard to hear them cry and not go in, but they only cried for 2 nights before they then stopped doing it. Look it up to see how you do it, you give them increasingly long intervals before you go in to them I think. x