Supernannying is driving me insane.

[PerchanceToDream]

Hi all

Not looking for any particular advice, just some empathy and solidarity please!

We're doing the Supernanny technique with 21mo DD - putting her back into toddler bed again and again ad infinitum until she gives up and falls asleep . This has been working wonders in terms of getting her down - she's gone from an hour to about 5 mins. That's brilliant.

But now we're tackling middle-of-the-night wake ups and fuck me it's so hard.

Last night (or rather 4-5am this morning) after an hour and a half of jumping up and putting her back in I had the most vivid, terrifying multiple false-awakenings nightmare of my life which incorporated bloody Supernannying! I was still doing it in my sleep but I wanted (and tried) to kill DD .

You know sometimes you have those dreams that stay with you for life? This is one of them. I've finally woken up this morning totally freaked out thinking no wonder sleep deprivation is a form of torture - it really can make a person go insane so easily, and also the fact that PND and sleep deprivation is SO dangerous.

We've just seen a sleep specialist and we're armed with new things to put into action so this is the beginning of the super-strict regime. And DP and I have decided to take it in turns to be 'on duty' in the middle of the night as there's no point us all being broken in the mornings.

That's all. Just needed to vent, sorry! xx

Oh god you poor thing. I had night terrors when DS was a tiny newborn and was convinced I'd smothered him in the bedclothes. I used to wake up screaming (which would then wake DS and DH up). They were so vivid, it was absolutely hideous. Hope it gets better soon x

Thanks, teacher that sounds absolutely terrifying! And with a vulnerable newborn too. It's so scary when you're sleep deprived and the boundaries between dreams and real life become blurred.

Taking turns is a very good idea. At least you will get a bit of unbroken sleep and things will be a bit easier during the day.

Can I make one little suggestion? Very little. Buy her a new very special teddy with a very special little teddy bed and a very special little teddy pillow and teddy does stay in his bed all night long. Put the teddy down in his own bed at night and he will stay there all night. I know it's silly, but with all the other things I tried (with ds2, when he was about 2 and a half) the teddy bed helped make him more secure that it is OK to stay in your bed all night.

Ooh that's a good idea. Thanks, maybe I'll do that. She has nighttime "teddy issues" as it is so perhaps I could incorporate a little bed into the equation. She deliberately throws teddy out of the bed and then cries for it so that me or DP have to come in and pick it up. Sleep specialist says tough, teddy has to sleep on the floor. Bit harsh.