Please, someone talk me down. I can't take anymore.

[Jnice]

The 4 month sleep regression has been going on for weeks. Combination of getting sick, reflux getting worse and growth spurt messed everything up. DS is my 3rd, I remember this period being tough.

Last night I hit a wall and could not continue. I crashed on the bed with DS at 7pm leaving DH to put our other 2 ds's to bed. I woke up at 9 and so did DS, it's almost 4am and he's been awake to feed 5 times tonight, I just asked my DH for help and got into a row, so back in with DS feeding and now he's spat the whole lot up again.

I have PND and tonight is just the worst. I honestly don't know how to get through this anymore. I don't need drugs, I just need some fucking sleep.

I don't know what I'm asking for, just someone to remind me that it will be ok and I cando it.

Hang in there and remember this too shall pass. I know what you mean just wanting to sleep. My 10.5m DS has recently started to refuse to nap during the day and only falls asleep holding on to my hair. I actually went around the park yesterday (3 times) and you could hear me yell "just go to sleep now" all the way to Hampstead Heath. Not helpful, I know, sorry, but just wanted to say it's normal to hit a wall sometimes but it does get better, eventually. They will grow up, you will sleep again. May the force be with you!

thank you - DS is drifting off now, hopefully will give me 2 more hours before morning.

Hope you make some progress with the naps, I hate nap time!

You can do it. It will pass. I promise. You have described my life this time last year. I used to lie on my bed and cry as so exhausted and depressed but mostly guilty because I was horrible to everyone including my innocent DS1. My DD2 completely wore me out - a 2 hour stretch felt like a treat some nights. I swore I'd never have another child as I was living a nightmare. But it passed and a year on I'm feeling broody. For fuck's sake.

I feel for you. Nothing practical to offer. Just hope tonight is better for you.

Really sorry to hear you are struggling. I am in the same boat, my DS is almost 5 months old and for a few weeks now has been fighting sleep and all sorts. I have been in tears most of the days this week. I have no solution for myself let alone to offer you advice, but just wanted to say hang in there and lets hope this passes soon. I hope you have a better night tonight!

Thank you queenof what is it with hormones? I was the same with the urge for another. I wouldn't change it but honestly I thought I was due a sleeper

bubalie sorry you are going through same you're on the October 11 bus aren't you? I haven't been able to face chatting there much because I always seem to be down and have nothing positive to say. Keeping up with reading though. I hope things improve for you soon.

Jnice, we are going through exactly the same thing with our ds2, 20 weeks today. Naps are ok, but I can't slep during naps so only get maximum two hours sleep in a row at night. Last night I was up 5 times and he fed like a voracious beast each time so I know he's hungry and not just waking. It is making me crazy!

I have PND also and the lack of sleep does make it much worse. No advice, only support to say, You Are Not Alone

lookout - sorry to hear that I think most of PND is sleep deprivation (a significant amount anyway). Hope it improves for you soon.

After a few weeks of hell DS woke only once last night at 3 - he wanted to party though and took 90 mins to get back to sleep. I feel almost human today! Even if that was a one-off it is wonderful to get a break

Here's hoping bub and look get one soon too.

Just coming out of the other side of this (I hope!). We moved DD in the New year to her own cot in her own room. this coincided with the 4 months sleep regression and she went from feeding twice in the night and going immediately back down to waking four or five times for feeds and up to 7 times just to be settled. She woke regularly at 3 am and was wide awake for over and hour. One night she had me up every half hour all night.
I reached breaking point at 4am one morning when she peed all over her vest, sleepsuit and cot while I was changing her and sat and sobbed until DP heard me and put us both in bed and slept on the sofa.

For the last couple of nights she has settled to 2/3 feeds and self soothing back to sleep when she wakes for a grumble. I'm not sure if she has jus grown out of it or what I have been doing has made a difference.

I have recently stopped BFing to sleep during the day and have instead started putting her in her pushchair to sleep. It takes some rocking but she eventually naps and stays asleep longer than if she nurses to sleep and I manage to put her down. I also keep her awake after 3pm or so and bath her earlier (from 7pm to 6pm).
I also refuse to pick her up unless she is genuinely upset and just stroke her head and if she is just wide awake and refusing to feed, I leave her in her cot until the moaning starts. I cannot let her cry, it breaks my heart. I also put her in bed with me when it was just getting to be too much which meant she slept longer than half an hour and I got some rest too.

You can do it and it will get better. Can anyone support you during the day so you haven't got so much to do? I find that i can almost cope with the lack of slep but throw in childcare/housework/shopping etc and I feel like breaking.

Jnice, glad you had a better night. I had a better one last night too. Well, he only woke 3 times rather than the 5 he has been waking for the last nearly three weeks. I felt great today too, but I'm stealing myself for another bad night, don't want to get my hopes up and all that. Hope you get another good night!

Areallytiredwoman, I can't wait to get to the other side of this. It is hellish! Sounds like a mixture of growing out of it and you persevering with the same reactions probably did it! I know ds2 is still hungry in the night cos even when he was waking 5 times in the night, all but one of those he usually fed really well! A growth spurt I'm thinking. Coupled with sleep regression. Along with teething. Man, there's always something to disrupt the nights!

Yep and you do what you need to get by. If one more person (ie my mother) says to me 'oh you don't want to put her in bed with you, you'll never get her out', I'll scream.
I asked her yesterday if she knows any 30 year olds who sleep with their parents and she said not. I pointed out that clearly they do leave your bed eventually then

My recently discovered crow's feet are not fairing well with lack of sleep - all the Olay in the world isn't going to help with these bad boys

Why 30 years old, do you know any teenagers who sleep with their parents? I don't. They will leave your bed eventually agreed, my big hope is that once DS can understand what we are trying to say we'll sell the idea of sleeping in his own cotbed, just like Opsie Daisie who he has a secret crash on!