Let's all meet here for a sleep deprivation support group

[ImNotAnsweringIt]

I though it might be helpful to have a general thread with survival tips for dealing with the exhaustion and misery of the long or short term effects of lack of sleep. I bet we can all find someone worse off than ourselves, and that's always a help, hmm?

My little tips for making things more bearable:

Make sure you are warm enough when you have to get up in the night. Have dressing gown and slippers by your bed if neccesary. This also helps you get back to sleep quickly, should you be fortunate enough to have the opportunity!

Have lovely breakfast things in. I always have expensive cereal in the cupboards Just For Me.

Anyone else? Hang in there everyone, I am having a very down day today which is what inspired me to start this.

MrsD....we had a better nights sleep & DS seems a but better in himself today so that's a massive improvement already.
How is your LO now? Better I hope.

Welcome Star.

I seem to have decided to just resort to co sleeping as we both get more sleep that way. If she's still just as bad in the new year I may attempt some sort of sleep training and try and have the patience to see it through.

I'm leaving her for the first time over night on Saturday. Very worried she's going to scream for hours and my poor mil will probably never babysit again. Any tips for making it go as smoothly as possible?

Thanks for the welcomes - and the tips about bribing the neighbours with wine!

If (when!) we have to resort to CC, then DH will be taking the lead on it. He's already really good at pulling his weight with DD and is much tougher than me. I'm lucky that he already does a fair bit of the resettling in the couple of hours before and after midnight. I'd be a zombie otherwise I think...

I've not got good vibes about tonight already. DD went to sleep like a dream at 7 (fell asleep feeding) but sounds restless via the monitor. It's never a good sign when she's like this so early on.

I'm clutching at straws, but does anybody know if there's a developmental leap of some kind around the seven or eight month mark that could make a previously alright sleeper go to pot?

star...sorry to hear your LO is not settling. You sound exhausted with it. My DS used to sleep great..8pm-7am...then teething struck & all the niceties that come with that! His sleep has been very up & down since...although he never stays awake long once he wakes in the night. I would get as much advice on CC & just give it a whirl. Good luck

Hello all,

How's everyone's nights been? Not too bad this end, only three wake ups and I only fed him for two of those, which is a huge step up from a month ago (six or seven night wakings, fed to sleep for all!) Still exhausted though as toddler up at five AGAIN! Must be the new bed... Properly looked at myself in the mirror yesterday, not a pretty sight. Bright red veins all over my eyeballs, rimmed with pink and surrounded by grey saggy bags. Very attractive!

star I think there is always supposed to be a bloody sleep regression going on, isn't there? There's a gap of about five minutes then on to the next one.

Must have been something in the air Ams. Last night was the best night in weeks for us.

Despite the mutterings over the monitor early on, DD only had three wake ups. DH resettled her easily at 11.30 and 1 and then she slept until just gone 5. I fed her then but she wouldn't go back to sleep afterwards.

It's so frustrating - I know it's not hunger that wakes her (she barely even fed at 5ish, 10 hours after her last feed). Bloody sleep regressions!

That's good Ams & star. My poorly DS only woke up at 2am after going down at 8pm. Was awake afew minutes then went back off til 7:40am....he did cry out & cough but not wake up. hoping we are at the end of this horrible cough/sore throat bug now!

That sounds like a brilliant night wifey! We had some success last night. Actually managed to get her to sleep for 7! She only woke up twice before we came to bed at 11 (and was settled really easily). We gave her a dream feed at 11 and she took 5 oz so might start doing dream feed again. She slept until about 2 then a few wakings so ended up in our bed at 5 but then she slept til 8.30.

And I settled her to sleep in her Moses basket! Whoop!

broom...!! That's great. Well done.

fairly pants here. DD fed to sleep (so deeply I managed to put her in her grobag without waking her!) at about 9pm. woke at roughly 12, 3 and 6ish. I fell asleep feeding her on the bed in her room with her on the side with a drop to the marble floor woke up after an hour and put her in the cot. She slept after 6am feed til 830 but DS up at 645 so only managed an hour then (DH takes him down for breakfast). DH free this am so got him to have DD for another hour and went back to bed. So, nearly midday and here I am still in my pjs. It's like having a bloody newborn. In fact DD slept better as a newborn.
I think she's teething cos she's really quite unhappy during the day and seems exhausted but unable to sleep - keeps falling asleep on boob but wakes as soon as I put her in the cot. It's just that I feel a bit crap today cos there always seems to be some reason why she doesn't sleep...she's ill, she's teething, yada yada yada. She's 7 months this week and has only slept 10pm til 6 about 4 times in her life. Beginning to wonder if she'll ever sleep.

pipoca....I often think the same with my DS..there is always teething or cold to keep him & us from having a good nights sleep. I found the teething granules a god-send for helping him sleep a bit better..day & night. In fact he was upset with both teeth & sore throat on thur & the granules really helped to settle him down. It's good that your DH is on hand to help. Wishing you luck for tonight.

Pipoca my DS has NEVER slept as long as 10-6. Think our record is six hours. Not saying that in a 'so don't complain' way, just pointing out that it is good your LO has achieved that, it shows she can do it and she will again. Also, I think it is far lesson common than people think for children to 'sleep through' when they are under a year. I so get what you mean about there always seems to be something stopping sleep, it does get frustrating. Just remember to celebrate the small successes.

Well done wifey and broom. Fingers crossed we'll at get there eventually! Xx

Yes, you're right Ams and that's what I hold onto in the long, dark nights of frequent wakings. She even once slept from 10pm to 8am, so she can do it. I think she got so out of the habit of it with being ill for so long, just as she was on the cusp of sleeping for longer. I worry about habit and sometimes think I should try and do something but it's easier just to feed her so as not to wake DS.
We'll all get there some day. In the meantime I'm mainlining chocolate

Definitely agree with Ams about celebrating the small things. Managed to get DD to sleep before 8 again today have already been up twice since but never mind so celebrating that.

Good luck to everyone for tonight.

DD has on a couple of occasions (in the very distant past ) slept 7am - 5am, so we know that she can do it. She just seems to have forgotten how. For me that makes it even more frustrating! We'll get there in the end though - please god just let it be before I go back to work!!

Really windy here tonight, it's howling and the trees are blowing about. I suspect it will wake DD up...yawn.

Positive vibes for us all tonight.

I think DD's all time record is a 5 hour stretch and that was once

On a more positive note, we have been managing (I say managing, I mean she has started of her own accord!) settling in the cot between 7-10pm for the last few nights so at least DH and I can enjoy an uninterrupted dinner and a glass of wine together for the first time in a year! It's actually like heaven. Baby steps I know but it's made me so happy

Good luck with the night shift everyone!

DD is currently screaming in her room while DH tries to resettle her. She'll be up for hours now- all the crying will have woke her right up .

She did a 5 hour stretch from 7-12 (brilliant) but of course woke up half an hour after we went to bed. If previous nights are anything to go by, I'll be up til 3 now. We've agreed that I won't feed her until 2, just try and pat, cuddle and shush to sleep. It's going to be a long night...

MrsD It makes such a difference when you get your evenings back doesn't it. A peaceful dinner and wine is such a mood
lifter.

Just wondering, have their been any good news stories on the thread? Has anybody graduated with a good sleeper?!

Well after sunday's good night we have had 2 more crap ones. Waking at 11, 3 and 5. However she has only been coming in our bed after 5 so I feel more human!

She slept better as a newborn

Morning everyone...yes that time again. How was everyone's night? DS had a rough evening crying as he was poorly but slept 8:30pm til 6:15am. He only coughed & cried out a few times but didn't wake up. I'm under no illusion that this is going to continue..as he is poorly & getting himself very tired. However...our main problem has been teething & when I checked last night..another 2-3 were through!
Well I feel less 'zombie' today! Hope you ladies have a good day.

Wifey that is a brilliant night! Well done to all of you. Glad you're feeling better. Amazing how just one 'okay' night helps you get back on top of things. Makes me laugh to think that per children I would count a night of only six hours sleep as poor, these days it's joyous!

starshaped I don't think we've been going long enough yet! I had a real breakthrough after trying CC (he now sleeps in his room in a cot, goes down at seven, goes down awake at night and for naps) but things are far from ideal, still wakes several times a night at least.

Wanted some advice... For the last week or so nearly every night LO wakes at 11.30, 2am and 4am, like clockwork! I tried not feeding at 2am as he's obviously not hungry, and got him back to sleep after half an hour or so. He still woke at 2am the next night though and I just fed him to get him back to sleep quickly! If I persist in not feeding at 2am, how long do you think it will take him to stop waking up at this time, as it is obviously just habit? If I could just get him down to two wakings it would make such a difference! Also, toddler has woken at 5am every morning for a week, he is still tired though and because he doesn't nap in the day any more it is making him so grumpy! Any ideas how to get him to go through a bit longer? It basically means my day begins at 4am because by the time I've settled baby back down, toddler wakes up!

Thanks. Really hope you all had a good night x

Ams...if the 2am feed is habit...it could take a while to break. Does your LO have a dummy? The 2am waking could be for comfort...a dummy might help with that. My DS has a dummy which helps sooth him... although its going to the 'little babies' when he is done teething!

ams re the toddler- going to sound strange but ensure they have food and drink for supper and your putting them to bed early enough. Also check heating timer to see if this correlates with wake up

Thanks for advice... I think you're right wifey, just need to persist with dummy not breast for a few nights not just one!

Buggy the heating does come on then you're right. Do you think that's waking him then? Should I put it to come on later? Poor old DH will be cold getting up, but I can live with that if it helps...!

It made the world of difference for us with dd1 - shell go till 7 now!!!

My dd2 won't take a dummy and think I'm going to stop offering breast at the 2 am wake. As last night she didn't really feed, think she was just stiring

That sounds like a good night wifey!

Just read my message from last night back. Apologies for the terrible English. I must have been tired!

As predicted, DD was awake and screaming between midnight and 2am. She then went back down and slept til 7:30

It looks like my problem is a bit different to most peoples. DD can and often will sleep for a decent stint but is consistently waking I'm the early hours of the morning for a couple if hours. I know I shouldn't moan because at least I'm getting some sleep but it's killing me and causing DH and I to bicker about how to deal with it