The dreaded SLEEP REGRESSION support and solidarity thread!

[Tiredemma]

Here we are. Sleep deprived, emotional and craving all things sugary just to survive the day.

bah.

On phone so struggling to name check but thanks for thoughts on feeding & weaning. Am inclined to wait to wean, I can't see it making any difference initially despite friends insisting that baby rice is the magic cure for all sleep issues. Maybe I've got it wrong and I'm meant to use it to glue her to the mattress. Preserve me from helpful 'advice' from people whose babies have self settled to sleep through the night in their own rooms since day 1. Allegedly anyway...

It's not shaping up to be a good night here. Still haven't managed to put her down without screaming. She has been on boob pretty much solidly since before 7 and cries if I take her off. Even the nocturnal newborn stage was better than this. I am at a loss how else to soothe the crying as nothing else works but I can't sit here with my boob in her mouth all night!

Artemis, have you got a dummy refuser too?

Much, much sympathy. I fed DD2 to sleep tonight for half an hour, can't imagine how you must be feeling.

Had a chuckle at the idea of glueing the babies down with baby rice - a much better use than food. It's like wallpaper paste but less tasty! I know what you mean about the "advice" and you are so right to be sceptical. I'm convinced that all those babies who magically settle when given food would have done so anyway.

My mum is on at me to try baby rice. Dd is 4 months. Goes n that i 'needed it'. Forgets that she used ti drive me round in car in middle of night to get me to sleep!

Mind you i'd had my first chocolate easter egg by 4 1/2 months! That might explain a lot.......

Agree with artemis

Well we have been up hourly so far :(

What do we think to the cold playing a part? I've noticed ds hands&arms are so chilly to touch when I comfort him. Plus we left the heat on the other day by accident &had best night with him for weeks. We can't afford that ever night but maybe coat mittens to bed?!

Oh dear desperate me. Where are those straws again....

I've not posted in a while but still here with the hourly wakings and taking solace from this thread. Thank you all for your wisdom and good humour!

Does anyone else go to bed each night with the irrational thought that 'this this might be the night they sleep through?'

juvenille yes. Everynight. Every night I dread whats to come though.
alex we have one radiator on in bedroom overnight, turn all the rest in house off. Its 20 degrees. Makes not one bit of difference to us.

I can't do this anymore, I really can't. I was up every.hour. tried to settle each time but no success. Only thing that will do it is boob and I know she's snacking cause she doesnt take long. Up between 2 & 3 for no reason. Her cry is frustration or discomfort. She farts everytime she wakes but doesnt make her feel better. Slams her legs on the cot.

Its been 4 weeks. Plus I saw a new tooth coming thru last night. Told dp & hus reaction is "yes I heard". Poor you. Did you hear from the couch with yiur ear plugs in did you? Did you have to get up, spending half hour settling each time meaning you'regetting half hour sleeps uf yr lucky? No. Didn't think so. So dont compare your tiredness to mine you dick.

I feel like I'm on the edge of a breakdown. I feel constantly sick & dizzy from tiredness. I dont know what to do.

artemis you are not alone lovely!

How old is dd? My ds drove me nuts evening cluster feeding at about 16 wks my milk flow was slow in eve so I expressed in the am & filled him up with boobs then bottle though as I type I think it was your dd who declined a nasty bottle? I'll shut up, sorry!

Well... At 1st wake up, an hour after going down, but 2.5 hrs after last feed, I fed him and shock put him down awake. I spoke to him for 10 mins and bored him to sleep! He harrumphed, turned his head and nodded off! It's what DH managed last night.....so 2 nights on the trot...coincidence or are we finally getting over feeding to sleep?

It's only at first waking never mind the other gazillion but hey, small steps?

alex do you have economy 7? If so you could get an oil filled radiator for about £30 & run it overnight in the cheap electric.

cindy feeling your pain re DH. Can you get him to take dd for a morning or afternoon so you can get a block of sleep? Or a relative/friend. Are you co sleeping? I'm gutted we are back to it but I was in your godawful situation an gave in. Disturbed sleep, yes, when he roots about snuffling in the dark but do much more restful this way. Otherwise shove dd his way for an hour, have a hot bath and try to chill for a bit.

Cindyrella- You sound quite desperate-
what is teh baby like in the day- are you able to get any sleep during day hours (and I am a person that wants to punch people who say 'sleep when the baby sleeps')- but you have to have a break somewhere.
I can see that your are BF- will your baby not take a bottle of expressed milk (that your DH can give)?

Apologies if these are options that have already been discussed

Hi tired! I am :( i can express yes and dp takes her most weekend mornings but his work hours mean he's in bed at 8pm & gone by 5am. No use to me!
I have finally got her into a nap routine during day & she'll sleep in house but i lie there desperatly willing myself to sleep. Just cant...SO frustrating!

Im considering going to see both health visitor & doctor. This cant go on.

She seems frustrated &/or in pain when waking. This all started at Xmas when first tooth popped out & now more coming thru. Ordered teething powder & large box of straws from amazon in another desperate attempt to help.

I just dont think its regression anymore i really dont. Thats why i'm grasping at straws trying everything i can think of.

cakebaby i was cosleeping until i was told off advised by hv not to. I now have her crib against the other side of the bed so i can just crawl across & get to her. Not hsving to put feet on floor really maintains the sanity!

I never found the powders to be of any use (and bloody messy!). I have been using Anbesol Teething Liquid for DD. It has Lidocaine in it so numbs the mouth.

I think that you need to speak to GP and/or HV.

DD (20 weeks) has been tasking but nowhere near as tasking as my DS2 was - I truly thought I was going to have a breakdown. He never slept - never, not even in the day (or only 10 minute cat naps) so I do empathise with how you are feeling.

I have found that my DD settles well now with a 'white noise' monitor - I dont know if this might be an option.

I have finally got her into a nap routine during day & she'll sleep in house but i lie there desperatly willing myself to sleep. Just cant...SO frustrating!

A bath- in this time you run yourself a nice bath and just lie and rest in it.

When I was a staff nurse and working shifts I would often come home from a night shift and have to look after DS2. I couldnt sleep (because I knew if I fell asleep I might not wake up- so tired)- but a nice warm bath saved my sanity.

Hello Cindy. Sleep depravation is such torture. No wonder you are feeling so desperate. Good idea to see GP/HV but they may not be very helpful. Is there a BF support group close to you that you could visit? Might not solve anything but might give you some RL support and solidarity. I can't sleep during the day either.

We were up every hour after 11 again until 4am, then DD2 slept for a whole 3 hours.

I took DDs to my mum and dad's. Their house is heated via an open fire and economy 7 heating. The heater in the room DD2 and I were in was not on. It was so cold I could see my breath. Wrapped her up in an extra layer and put blankets over her sleeping bag. Her nose, arms and hands very like ice. She slept with only one wake up at midnight two night in a row. WTAF. I thought cold was waking her in our house, but visiting mum and dad blew that theory out the water.

Cakebaby, have put my order in for a couple of rods. Happy whittling.

Noted. Rods for cakeis and soup once I've completed numerous ones for myself!

Girls thank you. This thread is honestly keeping me sane. Solidarity & humour!

emma thats great idea! I love baths & how lovely to have one middle of the day. Ill try white noise too. She has it for her naps so it may help :)

soupmaker one has just started in a new community centre. Will check it out this week. Hopefully will be some non smug sleep throughers supportive folk there.

Cake large rod for me too please!

this is what I am using.

www.amazon.co.uk/Prince-Lionheart-Slumber-Bear-Cream/dp/B000L3ISWI

I think that a bath will just make you feel as if you have had 'some peace' even if its not sleep.

You have nothing to lose with either of the above- worth a try.

DD is sleeping better (woke twice last night) so although I may not be experiencing the same sleepless nights as you all - I will keep popping back to see how its going.

And it wont last forever- really it wont.

cindy if co sleeping gets you some rest in the shot term to regroup and tackle to sleep in a week or so and you are happy to, then do it. Ds was feeding hourly this time lady week co sleeping so I decided to tackle the wh

Godamned phone.

Whole issue of feeding to sleep. I've made some progress but him taking an hour to settle then sleeping 30 mins nearly drove me insane and I only lasted 5 nights if that. Back to co sleeping but he is feeding every 2.5hrs ish, we are BOTH getting rest and when I feel galvanised, I'll try again with him back in the cot, but hopefully I will start off more refreshed and won't feel like cutting my own head off.

However, as I have a crap sleeper, feel free to ignore me!

I have noted your order for back rod >

ARGHHHHH!!!!!!!!

lady= last

Afternoon rodders
Last night was roughly 2 hourly with a crying episode from 11 to 12.30- do you know how she got to sleep? It was mad. She was crying, DH had a go (made it worse) then I tried, no good - then I just put her down and proceeded to shout/argue at DH...5 mins later mid row I notice she is lying there all quiet! She dropped off with a row going on over her head!

Hahaha brilliant! Lets put recordings of eastenders on...see if that works :)

Oh CakeIs that made me laugh out loud. Bloody typical.

Oh Cakeis that's so contrary... EastEnders tonight then, or Jeremy Kyle or just take the opportunity for a good old fashioned row

Cindy you have my sympathy! sleep deprivation really is torture. Governments that go in for extraordinary rendition should just hand their terror suspects a 4-month-old to look after for a couple of weeks instead. They'd soon crack. My dd does the leg-slamming thing too, and if I pick her up to soothe her she'll pull my hair and claw at my face, which is lovely at 4am.

We had a better night in the end, still had frequent wakings and up for about 3.5 hours in total but no more screaming after the first bout. In fact after a couple of the wake-ups dd actually settled with patting and shushing after her feed whereas she usually has to be put down solidly asleep. I didn't do anything differently, the only change was that DP bailed out to the spare room as he couldn't sleep and wanted the radio and reading light on. It meant I had more room (dd manages to take up half of our king size bed and I end up squished in the middle with DP hanging off the end) and wasn't worried about waking him if she started to cry. He's currently assembling the borrowed cot in our room (going well judging by the quality of swearing I can hear) and is keen to put her in it tonight, but I'd rather repeat what we did last night to see if the same thing happens. One night on its own isn't an improvement but if she will settle without a boob in her mouth a few nights running I'll feel a bit more confident about trying the cot. So a bit like you cakebaby, hopeful of breaking the feed-to-sleep association. DD is 23 weeks so it doesn't feel like sleep regression any more unless the 4month regression is going to bleed seamlessly into whatever the next one is like the spiralling descent into hell

On a more sombre note, I found out today that a lovely friend has lost her newborn baby so I'm trying to look on the positive side of this - dd is here and healthy, I'm lucky to have her and at some point this phase must surely pass.

Is 5pm too early for gin?

White noise: check
Fed more during day: check
Drynite nappy: check
Calpol: check
Straws: check
False hope this will be the night I get some semblance of sleep: check

Good luck ladies...I'm going in!

Oh, & hv tomorrow & dr thursday.
artemis gin o clock is anytime after 12pm!