Come sail with me with you're in the same boat...

[IMissSleep]

SLEEP! Not getting enough at night or naps during the day. Doesn't matter what age your DC are.

Share your stories here, solutions or just have a vent!

I'll start...

My DS is 8.5 months. Went through a good stage with night time routine, still has really - self settles to sleep no problem. Feeds at 11pm. But will wake between 2am - 5am maybe 3 times. So I'm up and down a lot during the night! He has slept through maybe a handful of times. Still good with naps, 2x 2hr.

Still would love a full night though!

Same 2 feeds here. although i did manage to push the 3am one til 4am as i rubbed his tummy and he went back to sleep. He wasn't having any of that for the 11pm one though - screaming, scratching, clinging on to me! And he's an angel during the day! Up for the day at 6.30am and I feel a bit more rested today actually.

Thats great flowery. How old is DS again?

Re: settling, don't know as we haven't tried it! However DS2 did take about 100ml from a bottle before bf at bedtime, so we are going to try DH doing that first feed at 10-11pm, so we will see. However, with DS1 it took several months when I was pg of preparing him for DH coming in the night and not me (he's 4 now), and still makes a fuss sometimes because it's Daddy. Always cries out for me first. It was very upsetting for DH.

Hi ladies. Quite a good night here.
Bed 19:00 (asleep 19:15)
Woke 00:30 (yay! 5 hours)
Woke 02:30 (bf)
Woke 04:30
Woke for the day 06:00

We too have same issue regarding settling. I have not yet ventured out at night but did have a hospital appointment last week and DD took a 2 1/2 hour nap. Never done that for me! Maybe they won't settle when they can detect we are at home but if not around will settle for DH. They are so clever these babies. Maybe you should try going out for a walk one evening and see if your DH can get LO to settle? That way when you do go out you won't feel so bad.

Ahh no, my DS is even cleverer then that, he senses when I've gone out, wakes the minute I leave and then steadfastly refuses to sleep until I'm back! I have an orchestra rehearsal once a week. I get DS to sleep before going out, and I'm back home at 10pm, so he ought to sleep the whole time, and largerly when I'm in does sleep then, but he practically always wakes the night I go out, usually within 10 minutes of me leaving! The rascal. Actually he will usually eventually go back to sleep once he's calmed down if put in the pram and pushed, but apparently it takes a long while.

At least it's good to know other kiddies only want Mummy at night time. DS is fine for DH in the day and will go to sleep fine in the day for DH.

He is just 9 months (DS, not DH)

Hi all ,

Back from a 2 day trip to my mum's where DD refused to nap and slept dreadfully at night. Now attempting to push the reset on her routine. Poor thing is so overtired she is screaming her off upstairs - DP is trying to calm her and get to sleep. It's only 6.15pm but she is so tired we are doing an early night. I myself am shattered from doing 2 crap nights on my own..

Sorry to hear that Zimm. Not a very good night last night.
Bed 18:50
Woke 20:10 (DH slammed door on way out!!!)
Woke 21:10 (patted back to sleep)
Woke 00:45 (rocked back to sleep)
Woke 02:30 (bf and took to bed with me)
Woke 04:30 (patted back to sleep)
Woke for the day 05:45!

Hardly napped today as so distracted by everything at the moment. Although my mum got her to sleep for an hour with her on the sofa this afternoon whilst I had a cuppa and put my feet up. In bed now but she fought it for 45 mins so hope tonight is better but at least DH is on breakfast in the morning so I can catch up on a few hours sleep. Crossing everything for us all. Sweet dreams.

Zimm and Nov75, hopeing for better nights tonight. Zimm, how old is yours? My DS used to refuse to sleep at my PIL, he was absolutly terrible, but fortunately he's much better now, and not much worse then at home

We had a bad one last night too. Seemed fine when he went to bed but got snottier and snottier so was really unsettled by middle of the night, and teathing too.

7.15 cot
Woke 9.30 - pat to sleep
Woke 10.30 - pat to sleep
Woke 11.50 - pat to sleep
Woke 12.10 and then about every ten minutes until I gave up at 1.30 and fed him (so much for no feed before 3.30am) and took him into our bed. Think he then had about 3 feeds before up for the day at 6am

Tonight he has already done his usual trick of waking ten minutes after I've gone out (had a concert) and refusing to sleep for DH. Poor little mite has one side of a top front tooth through now, hopefully the other half will come through tonight/tomorrow and then he'll feel a bit better.

Flowerybots DD is 9 months. Sorry your night was rubbish :-( Not great last night here - down at 6.45pm after much protest, up at 1.30, 3.30, 4.00 and 6. Will take her a few days to resettle after trip away I think! Thinking of trying thr trick about early wakings on that other thread....taking her out for soem light just before bed. Got to be worth a try hasn't it?

Rough night here last night.
Bed 19:00
Woke 22:00 (wet bed) unsettled until 00:30!
Woke 02:30 (bf)
Woke 04:30
Woke 05:00
Woke for the day 05:30!

So tired. Managed to nap an hour this morning tho to catch up. DD is now in bed so crossing everything for a better night. Hope you all get some sleep too.

Crossing my fingers for good sleeping for all tonight. We had two feeds last night again, I can no longer remember how many wakings! Discovered he's actually got two teeth coming through, not just one (hard to see the top ones) and he's been grouchy all day so I'm not holding my breath. Have dosed him up with calpol before bed in the hopes it will help him sleep.

Zimm, what is the other thread, what thing about early wakings?

Think at the star tof this thread some peeps where trying PUPD. Did you, and is it working?

Morning! Well we had a night of PUPD and it was not very successful. Other nights have been better but we are being consistent in the hope it will become a regular thing.
Bed 19:00
Woke 20:45
Woke 23:30
Woke 01:30
Woke 02:30 (bf and finally put down 03:00)
Woke 04:30
Woke 05:30 (bf and took to bed with me)
Woke for the day 07:00.

6 wakings and 2 feeds is back to square one. Must be a growth or development phase as I can't explain it!!! If still the same by end of the week then PUPD has officially failed for us. Hope you all had better nights.

oh dear non75, that does not sound fun.

Our night was a bit better then the last couple. DS still woke more then he had been doing, but was at least settling back to sleep pretty quickly unlike the couple of nights before:

7.15 cot (practically asleep) very unsettled, waking every few minutes until 8.15, finally went off properly
Woke 10
woke 12
woke 2.30
woke 4.30 bf (probably could have got him back of if I'd had the energy to try harder, but then it seemed a bit mean to make him have no feeds when he's poorly and we've been doing at least one anyway, but I only let him have one side)
6.40 up for the day.

Still have bright red checks and gallons of dribble and a very snotty nose so he;s not him self. Naps been a bit allover the place today as a result too, but that doesn't seem to affect his night time sleep particualrly any way.

Another similar night:

Cot 7.30, asleep 7.40 (not bad, though I was stood there with my hadn on his back the whole time)
woke 9.30
woke 10.20
woke 12.45
woke 1.30
woke 2.30
woke 3.30 tried to get him back to sleep but 3.50 bf one side only, back asleep in cot 4.10
up for the day 6.50

Be glad when this teathing is over and we can get back to 'only' 3 wakings per night!!

Lots of waking babies still on here I see, you poor things! I haven't had anything to report - same two feedings here each night, haven't had any success with trying to settle without a bf, but then haven't tried that hard. And one morning of no sleep after 5.30 which was painful.

But last night, for the first time in a month he woke later than 11.30. He woke at 1am instead and then the next feed was at 5.30 instead of 3am, so this development would be most welcome if it continued! I am thinking then that the second feed could turn into the morning one. He went back to sleep til 7am so I felt that I had a reasonable nights sleep.

Another poor night again last night and it's taken me an hour to get her to settle to sleep in her cot tonight so not expecting a good nights sleep. Will keep you posted as still sticking with PUPD and gave noticed less tears and she appears more resigned to the fact it's time to sleep, even though she fights it till the last!

Hi all,

Following two appalling nights since we retuned from Somerset we had a rather good one last night - down at 6.30, up at 10.30 (OH shush-pat) and 12.30 (BF) - then through til 6.45am!I am noticing she has woken and self-settled several times so I think our efforts of not feeding to sleep and only letting her fall asleep in her cot (with the exception of night time BF) are finally paying off.

I think all babies on this thread are 7-10 monthsish? So a key time for the 8/9 month sleep regression :-( Add teething into the mix and no wonder we are all suffering.

Nov75 - sounds like you are really suffering over there, do keep trying with PUPD, I think it has worked for us, I blame travel and teething for our current issues!

Floweryboots - there is an early wakings support thread and one that is titled 'early waking revelation' sorry i don't know how to link - ill try and find them later...

Thanks Zimm, and glad you're seeing some improvements now - you deserve them (don't we all?!). How long has it taken for your LO to stop waking up so much since stoping feeding her to sleep? I think we've been at it about 3 weeks, of trying not to feed to sleep (sometimes it has happened by accident still though) and pushing night feeds later and reducing to one (again, not always worked, though I am trying to be consistent) but still not seeing any improvement. We do have teething and a cold over here though so that has made things worse, but before that hit I was ending up with more wakings not less because he just woke at the old feed times as well as new ones!

Mixed night last night - evening was better, into cot 7.10, asleep 7.35 and didn't wake again until 11.50. Unfortunately it got worse from then on! woke at 1am, 2am, 2.40am (gave in and BF) 3.30, 4.50 (BF again, oops) up for the day 6.50. And now I think I'm getting his cold, urgh.

Hourly wakings all night! Worst night in a long time. Feel like giving up and resorting back to co-sleeping, even though it's not what I want. 8 months of no sleep and breast feeding on demand has got me beat. Going to indulge in a bar of chocolate to cheer self up. Hate feeling sorry for myself so going to keep telling myself "this won't last forever"! Hope you all got alot more sleep than me.

nov75, hope you get more sleep tonight. Is there any particular reason for the extra bad night, or just one of those things? I have just texted DH to inform him I require chocolate on his return home from work! Had a hard day as DS has refused to have any sort of afternoon nap, so is somewhat grumpy. Think yet another tooth is on the way, when will it end?!

I can't explain it. She has been teething for months but still no sign of a tooth!!! I have really tried today to get her to nap and managed to have a co-sleep nap this morning for 1 hour 30 mins and she napped for 2 x 30 mins this afternoon. As soon as she rubbed eyes I put her in the bath and she went off straight away so please please please let this be a better night. If this doesn't work then i really don't know what to do next but I can't do CC. Other people have told me its the only way but i can't/won't do it and as she is such a good baby in every other way why should I put her through this? Just hoping we get a tooth or everything starts to settle cos I feel so alone at times as nobody appears to be going through this apart from you guys on here.

Zimm, alas, not all 7-9 months ish. I would never have believed that at nearly 5, my DD's sleep would be driving us to such distraction!

DD had no 2 cranio appt on Friday, but was ill all weekend so didnt expect any sort of results - just as well, as we didnt ge them! However she ahd no 3 appt yesterday....and slept through!!! this was a huge breakthrough, she is very proud of herself. it was just unfortuante that my insomniac DH and DD2 kept me up, I'd kill for sleep right now!
fingers crossed for everyone tonight.

Olivio - ah yes sorry i forgot you are a long-term sleep sufferer! Fantastic news re the sleep through though!Fingers crossed this is a turning point for you.

Flowerybots - the improvements have been gradual I am afraid and we still get bad nights, but I know even on bad nights she self settles for some of her wake-ups, so they are not as bad as they could be. Last night was not ideal - up ay 10.30 (think OH woke her!) and 1.30 - BF both times as she had not eaten well in day. Up for the day at 5.45am GRR.

Bizarrely yesterday was her best ever day for naps - 1 hour and 20 in the am and pm - both in her cot! So I was expecting miracles for night time but no dice!

nov75 - My DD was also teething for months with no sign of teeth and then cut six in 3 weeks! I can't do CC either. Everyone comments on happy and confident DD is and I won't risk CC undermining this. She is a very trusting baby who does not freak out when I leave the room, I really don't want to change this .

I don't think there is any way I would do CC either. I just couldn't hack it, and fundementally don't think it's a good thing (though don't really have anythign to base that on!). Actually my sister said she'd read some research saying it was not a good thing as the stress hormones they release whilst they are all worked up and not being soothed can affect the developing brain pathways.

Not wishing to gloat, but we had the best night I think we have ever had EVER! DS slept from about 11.45 to 6.35, no feeds, no wakeups. Actually I think I heard him wake once and he must have chuntered a bit and dozed back off, it's a bit hazy, but I didn't leave my bed once I was in it!

Still woke in the evening a bit. Went down early at 6.50 (hadn't had an afternoon nap so was shattered) then a friend of mine called haivn g a bit of a melt down so I went out to meet her and he woke about a minute after I left, he can sense I'm not there I tell you. I dashed back to settle him again then left. He woke ten minutes after I'd gone the second time! Fortunately only took about 15 mins to go back off in the pram for DH rather then the usual hour. Then he woke once more when we went to bed adn transfered him from pram to cot. and that was it! I still can't believe it.

So happy for you. Wish mine was as good. Have reached an all time low and feel like crap today. Tears were shed (mine) due to exhaustion. One positive to report, after the 5 th waking at 2 am she finally slept till 5 am, quick bf and then up at 7 am. Prior to 2 am it was so bad I contemplated putting her in pram and going for a long walk! Thank god for sugar and caffeine. Praying I can get a result like you.

Sorry to hear your night was so rough nov75. I too have had nights where I have cried, where I have litterally banged my head against the wall in frustration, shouted at DS to jsut go back to sleep (and then felt the most guilty ever). Then they wake in the morining and smile up at you and you just melt all over again. Hope she is at least easy for you today, and better tonight! Sympathies and coffee to you!

I too have sworn at DD