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Original poster

Misery loves company: anyone want to join me on a support thread for those desperate and demoralised by their 8/9/10 mo sleep?

999 replies

Suchanamateur · 11/12/2012 14:36

Bloody sleep regression. It's like 4 months all over again but worse because it felt (briefly) like we were getting somewhere. Feck. Anyone else want to share tales of woe or is it (a) just me or (b) way too depressing to post about..?

OP posts:
ElphabaTheGreen · 14/01/2013 18:43

Have you tried NCSS Commander? I tried bits of it a few months ago and it didn't work then but I've been trying it again in a bit more earnest the past few weeks. I like to think I'm getting some tiny results, but then I'm also fully expecting it to go tits up, especially with the nine month sleep regression around the corner.

CommanderShepard · 14/01/2013 18:57

We're doing the sleep log at the moment. I really hope it works because I read it thinking "OMG you actually get it" and even DH was enthusiastic and he's a born cynic.

We track feeds and nappies in an app anyway because we are anal so logging sleep in it isn't an onerous task. She napped better than she ever has today - she was in bed with me admittedly but if it has a positive effect we can work on taking me out of the equation.

ElphabaTheGreen · 14/01/2013 19:40

I admit I skipped the log bit. I kept a sleep log for a week a month or so ago and it just made me depressed and revealed what I already knew about DS's sleep (it's shit).

Have been using Pantley pull off and we're around phase 2 of him being able to go to sleep in his cot. I've redoubled my efforts to get him attached to the 'lovey' he's had since he was born and I'm making an even more conscious effort to put him into his cot awake during the day and have a quiet play.

I still have a feeling that it's the constipation which is making him sleep, though. I reluctantly dosed him up with lactulose tonight. If you don't hear from me again, look out for me on the news. I'll be the one floating around in my stock pot in an ever-rising flood of baby poo.

HearMyRoar · 14/01/2013 19:45

Hello Commander and Taten. Welcome to the gang. :)

Commander I sympathise with you when it comes to people telling you to CC at every opportunity. I once had someone at work give me a lecture on how I should leave dd to CIO. I was in the middle of a meeting, had only met them about 10 minutes earlier and had just mentioned that I was rather tired in a jokey conversational kind of way. I was mortified and not a little annoyed. Me and DP both agreed that cc or cio are just not for us so have gone down the co-sleeping route.

Last night dd actually slept rather well, by which I mean she only woke up 4 times and didn't take hours to settle again. She also didn't finally wake up until 7:15...which is an outrageous lie-in considering she is usually up and playing by 6am. I am pretty sure it is thanks to the teeth coming through. Though dp tells me her naps have been all over the shop today so not sure how tonight is going to be.

HearMyRoar · 14/01/2013 19:47

Oh dear Elphaba sounds like it could be messy! :o

CommanderShepard · 14/01/2013 19:54

I've been trying to put her down for an hour now. She will not go and just screams and screams. I'm in tears. IT IS NOT FUCKING FAIR.

HearMyRoar · 14/01/2013 20:37

Oh commander that's rubbish! How about if you just give up for a bit and take her to sit on the sofa for 20 mins. Maybe give her a toy or put something quiet on the TV. I know this is exactly what everyone says you should not do but when dd goes through phases of not settling it seems to help both of us just to take a break.

StitchAteMySleep · 14/01/2013 20:54

Welcome commander, for times like that is my secret weapon, worked for both my two, sit in the dark with it on, after about 10-20 mins they go to sleep.

HearMyRoar · 14/01/2013 21:29

Dd just did her first wake of the night for some serious farting. I swear I have the windiest baby in the world. I've decided that most of the sleep problems stem from teething, farting, or teething related farting. Not much I can do about any of them really...

StitchAteMySleep · 14/01/2013 22:25

Mine too HearMyRoar, I do on occasion give gripe water when I can't take the endless transfer fails and waking due to wind. The teething is a bit easier to handle imo, just give ibuprofen, cuddles and feed.

StitchAteMySleep · 15/01/2013 00:27

On that note stitch has just been up for a fart and a feed, they must be in tune HearMyRoar Grin

HearMyRoar · 15/01/2013 07:42

Last night was pretty grim. Dp ended up getting up with her at 2am for an hour to calm her down and give me a chance for a snooze. I think it must be that missing fang on the move.

Hope you're doing OK Commander and got a bit of sleep in last night.

stitch I now have visions of our dcs farting to each other through the night like little stinky fog horns :o

StitchAteMySleep · 15/01/2013 09:00

Bad night here too, she didn't settle after my last post and was farting, writhing and crying out in her sleep, so I was up and down with her until 2.30am.

Then she woke me at 5am banging and shouting in her cot, so I went in there and she is wide awake playing with one of dd1's plastic tennis rackets that she had managed to grab from a toybox!

feekerry · 15/01/2013 19:28

Evening all. Another shitty night last night. Up about 5 time between 7 and midnight then i gave up and into our bed and actually we all slept okay. I actually debt give a shit anymore. As soon as she wakes i am just going to bring her in with us.
I really relate to those of you who talk about losing temper etc. Its so hard. I just looked at dd last night and i was so close.to screaming just go to fucking sleep.
Anyways tonight i have warmed a blanket with a hot water bottle and really snuggled and tucked dd up. Really going for the nicey nicey approach as i think we are all just getting a bit wound up about sleep atm. I have rocked/fed her asleep and tucked her all in.
Fingers crossed

CommanderShepard · 15/01/2013 19:38

DD finally went down in her cot at 2230 last night and came into our room a bit after midnight. Tonight is gearing up to be the same - twice I've put her in her cot and twice she's woken up and screamed hysterically until I pick her up and comfort her. At which point thumb goes in mouth and she falls asleep. And repeat...

I've done nothing about dinner and I'm so hungry.

feekerry · 15/01/2013 20:26

It does make me feel a bit better that others are going thru similar (not v charitable, i know!!)
commander that sounds exactly like me.evenings recently. Exactly the same

HearMyRoar · 15/01/2013 20:27

Poor Commander and poor little commander, have you got a dp/h around who can take her for a bit? Or would she maybe settle in your bed for a bit just so you can eat something. You could then have a go at moving her later. Hunger and non sleeping baby is horrid.

If you really can't get her down and have nobody else to cover I would at least take her with you and grab some toast and a banana to keep your strength up.

I know you have almost certainly tried everything but just in case there is anything you've missed here is my check list for getting dd to settle

  1. is she warm enough. It's freezing here so extra blankets have been added.
  2. is the sheet warm. Dd now sleeps on a fleece blanket rather then directly on the sheet as it doesn't get as cold and saves hot water bottles in the night
  3. lots of teeth drugs!
  4. I keep her upright (well, at a slight incline really with head higher then body) for 20mins after feeding or she gets terrible trapped wind.

Umm... I'm sure there are other things others do that might be of use to you and they can add to the list.

Oh yes, dp is now banned from washing up after bed time as all the clanging and banging woke her up.

HearMyRoar · 15/01/2013 20:30

...though saying all that dd still doesn't sleep so don't know why i'm handing out advice really. [Hmm]

CommanderShepard · 15/01/2013 20:49

She is in bed! Hallelujah! And DH is home and on the next shift whenever that might be (and brought a takeaway god love him)

HearMyRoar · 15/01/2013 21:17

Whoop! All is saved. Hurrah for your dh who clearly knows when a takeaway becomes a necessity :)

StitchAteMySleep · 15/01/2013 23:48

Well done MrCommander!

Mine are asleep, hoping for a better night after 2 poomageddons today

Wishing a good night for all.

ElphabaTheGreen · 16/01/2013 06:17

Still waiting for poomageddon here. Day six of non-productive straining.

And sleep has resumed customary shitness so my theory of the constipation making him sleep better has gone bung.

Starvation countered by crap diet is one of the hidden pitfalls of a non-sleeper, innit? DS fell asleep on me upstairs once shortly before I was going to have lunch. He then proceeded to sleep for TWO fucking HOURS. Did I have my phone with me to alert DH who was downstairs? Did I heck. I started to go into shaky, food deprived meltdown and started pounding quietly but repetitively on the floor with my foot to summon help without waking DS. It worked, thank god, or, mark my words, I would not be here recounting the tale today.

feekerry · 16/01/2013 19:14

Evening all.
Now im sure this will have been a one off fluke but........ I did as hear said above about the fleece over mattress. And dd slept most of the night!!!!!!! Best night in about 7 weeks!!

Basically what i did was wrap dd mattress in a lovely thick fleece blanket. Put a hot water bottle under it and she did 6 hours straight, woke and fed then straight back down till the morning !!!!!!
Her room is always right temperature etc but wondered if she just wasn't snuggly/comforted enough?
Anyway have done same tonight so we will see!!

HearMyRoar · 16/01/2013 20:09

glad to be of service :o

Now if I could just work that kind of magic on my own dd that would be lovely. Wow, 6 hours...that sound amazing. :)

Dd was actually pretty good last night. A few evening wakes but then only one between 11:30 to 6. So that was lovely. We then had to wake her up as she wanted to snuggle with dp and go back to sleep but he had work and I didn't want to screw her day up by letting her sleep too late.

She also did 2 40min naps..in bed. Alone! Yay!

Anyway after such as good night and day I am expecting hideousness tonight as that's how it always seems to go.

Any sign of that poo elph. We are all in suspense :o

Boomerwang · 16/01/2013 20:12

I desperately sought this page and thread out and now I've read a few posts I'm pleased to know that my child is normal. She's nearly 10 months and for the past few weeks it's been a nightmare getting her to sleep. She's teething again and has a snotty nose. I've knocked her afternoon nap down to half an hour or even no nap at all, but she's still not sleeping until after 9pm. I've stopped putting her to bed at 7pm because she just won't sleep. I'm happy to let her cry for five minutes and then go back and shush her a bit but my boyfriend thinks I'm being cruel so he plays the martyr by staying with her til she sleeps and then complains of being tired the next day.

She wakes up in the night bouncing around her cot too, when you know there's NO chance she'll go back to sleep, not even after a feed. She never used to need food at night, not since a couple of months old. Is this also normal?

I hope it passes soon.

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