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.

Weesazz - I have the same problem. At the beginning the dummy was a great answer to a lot of things but has become a massive issue. It looked like the only option was to wait out the horrendous nights until 6 months then do controlled crying. Not a prospect we were relishing!

We decided instead to wean her off it quickly but gently. Instead of putting her down for naps at a certain time and sticking to a bed time we have stopped the routine we were on and waited until she was really tired but not overtired (quite hard to get right) then snuggled her into her cot with a few teddies and some soothing music & dim lights until she went to sleep.

There was some crying but not full on CC / CIO so we are happy with that. Day two now and we haven't used the dummy yet - after a good night I am determined not to go back. I feed her at night now (she didn't seem to need this for a while but i think is having a growth spurt) but usually once is enough (she is bottle fed).

I'm hoping this will teach her how to get herself to sleep and she will forget the dummy, then when she is ready I guess she will drop the night feed.

We haven't cracked it yet by any means but it does feel like Lodi g the dummy would be a massive step forward in itself.

I don't know if anything in particular will crack it as such, everyone on here seems to have tried different things, I think consistency is key but also helping them learn to self soothe! A few on here have used a moderated version of cc where they've sat with there baby's while they have cried, I think if you know your baby isn't hungry or in discomfort this may be necessary!

At least your baby has slept through once so you know can do it again some of our baby's have never done it!!!

How are you doing tonight Artemis & noisy?

Hi Boo, we have a similar situation to you in that DD normally goes down OK for the first few hours, it's only after the first wake up around 10/ 10.30 that things generally go pear shaped. She's been asleep since about 7.30, I came to bed half an hour ago but can't seem to sleep as I am just waiting for her to wake up! She has a cough at the moment and we had a really bad night on Monday, she coughed herself awake and ended up crying so many times we lost count and didn't settle at all between midnight and 2.30am. Last night was not so bad with only a couple of wake ups, and I'm hoping tonight will be OK too as DP has a job interview tomorrow so is excused night duty and will scarper to the spare room at the first whimper!

Can I join you ladies? My Ds is 17 weeks, up til about a week ago he slept really well. We put him down at 7.30, after bath, massage and bottle. We read a story, stick on lullabies and rock him. He then has a dream feed at 10.30. He then slept til around 3am waking for a feed then waking for the day at 6.30. He even managed to sleep through a few times. He's always fought naps but we've got better at spotting sleepy signs and helping him nap with white noise. But that all feels like ancient history now! He's up around every hour, he isn't hungry, I change his nappy, check temperature, cuddle and try to shush. He's either very grumpy when he wakes or giggling and wanting to play! He's also has decided that 5 am is te to get up and will protest loudly if I try to get him back to sleep. I do bring him into bed with us but he just starts laughing! He's also resisting naps like crazy and won't sleep unless I take him out on the car for a very long drive. I'm going bonkers through lack of sleep!

Welcome Ginny be assured you're not the only one going bonkers!

Boo we had a crap night after a reasonable one the night before, but tbh I was half expecting it. DS ended up having his last nap of the day really late so he was very hard to settle. Finally went down at 9.30 only to wake 30 minutes later as usual. DP decided to give him a bottle, after which he slept for all of 3 hours. I BFd him and settled him, then he woke about an hour and a half later. So it was into bed with me where he fidgeted for ages and feed on and off till we got up at 7.30. Not great.

Well for the first time in the whole 5months we've had ds2 I got DP up to have him for me at 4.10 this morning, I was so tired & id really had enough but hey ho were over half way through another day!!!

Boo I nearly asked my Dh to do that yesterday but it was his birthday so I didn't. Been a very difficult day in the tonic household. Baby tonic had one long (1hr 1/2) this morning between 9 and 11 and since then has refused naps. He's been on the absolute brink with his eyes closed but even then he won't go! Tried everything today, but even the car hasn't done it. It's my turn to put him down tonight, i think I'm in for a battle x

Here we go again, struggling at the start of the night. DP promisingly got DS settled by about 8.30. However he woke at 9.10 and is refusing to go back to sleep.
He's been crying on and off ever since, despite me and DP rocking him. It's more than his usual shouty cry, the poor thing sounds really upset. It can't be hunger, though give it another half an hour and it might turn into that! I don't know if it's teething - he hasn't seemed as bothered by that today so we didn't give him Calpol (it doesn't help him sleep any better anyway).

DP is now trying a nappy change and it's gone quiet for a moment. Either that or I've gone deaf!

What's ridiculous, and perversely funny I suppose, is I'm dying to go to bed as I'm really tired from last night's antics, but I can't til DS goes to sleep!

Oh dear noisy how did the night pan out in the end? I'm unfortunately no better off although I'm visiting family for a long weekend (feels like a very long weekend & I've only done night one so far!!), no travel cot as yet means ds2 in bed with me which meant for a night of constant rooting, nuzzling, feeding etc!! Going to be a long day which I'm fed up of really as I would normally enjoy visiting friends & family over half term but with no or little sleep it's not got the same appeal!!!!

noisy I feel your pain. The early part of last night Ds went crazy. Somehow Dh managed to get him to sleep, after about an hour. He then started again at 12, 1 and 3. Amazingly after 3 he slept til 6, in his cot too! I hope that signals that today may be a bit better (fingers crossed).

The nappy change at 10 revealed DS had pooed yet again and his little bum was sore. Then I guess because he'd got so wound up he still wouldn't settle and DP ended up bringing him downstairs so I could go to bed. They fell asleep together on the sofa (I know, it's not recommended) til ds woke hungry at 2.30 (woke me up too even with earplugs in!). DP gave him a bottle and brought him up asleep just after 3. He then woke at 5.30 so I brought him into bed where we had the usual pattern of feeding on and off till 8 ish. I'm feeling pretty worn out today as my sleep was so fragmented.

We've decided he's going into his own room tonight. He's a week off 6 months old so I wouldn't say it's drastically early. I want to see if not being where he can smell my milk makes any difference.

How's your day so far Ginny?

Just popping in to offer some support and a message of hope!

DS was a decent sleeper as a newborn - up every 3 or 4 hours for a feed.

Then at 3.5 months things went totally pearshaped - after that, he woke every 20 to 45 mins unless he was sleeping on one of us. This went on for 2 months-ish, until suddenly just before he was 6 months, he just started sleeping better. He would regularly go 3, 4-hour stretches.

I think this was classic sleep regression - we couldn't work out what caused it, nothing we tried would change it and and I don't know why it ended.

While we were in it, it was horrific, and I feel for you all. But It Will Pass. Hang in there.

Also, DS who is now 7.5 months has recently started sleeping through (ie 7 til 11 dreamfeed, then 11 til 6/7) - we did CC with him, and I am about to start a separate thread to say what worked for us and why.

Good luck all. You WILL get there. Keep the faith...

Good luck tonight noisy let us know how you get on, hope it leads to better sleep for all of you. Ohgood thanks for your positive story, good to know this will pass. Wish we could discover why this happens. Had an ok day, Ds still sea hungry all the time. He had another massive 2hour nap- I hope we aren't in for a tough afternoon like yesterday .

*seems

Ladies, I'm so glad I found this thread, solidarity indeed!
It's reassuring to hear words of comfort from others in the same position who assured it will pass. It has got better the past few nights, just a couple of short cries. I'll probably get shot for this but when posting on other threads for advice about this I've been told in no uncertain terms to get up and feed that baby, that babies need comfort (didn't I know?) and what am I doing letting her sleep all night?? Comments like that are not helpful - discussed DD with very helpful HV who has stated NOT to feed her at night if she has been sleeping through and is not crying for hunger at night as this will simply re-introduce a habit, and i completely agree. DD is a great feeder who lets me know when she is hungry/satisfied. As for comfort, yes babies need comfort but it is only natural to be concerned that a baby who slept soundly for so long suddenly wanted comfort every twenty minutes.

Apologies for the rant. Just annoys me when you've exhausted all possible reasons based on your knowledge of your baby, then ask for advice only for some to suggest you are not meeting their basic needs. Thankfully, none of these attitudes are prevalent on this thread. Keep up the good work and support ladies xxx

I know most people didn't comment but I'm wondering whether these experiences have put people off having anymore babies?? We were pretty much decided we probably wouldn't have anymore but our experience of this awful sleep deprivation (which I can now understand why it's used as a form if torture!!) has decided it for us!!! No more babies for us ever!!!

I think I probably commented before, but it's just the one for me! Time must dim the memory of these experiences though or many more people would stop at one!!

booville- If DS2 had been my first I honestly thinkI would have sought a permanent method of contraception.

Hehe those comments make me feel better to be fair! I often worry about what a crap mum I'm being to ds1 since the arrival of ds2 as awful as it sounds our family life hasn't changed for the better as a result of adding to our brood!!!! Of course I love ds2 madly just at wits end as to how to get him to sleep any better, I've already done unheard of things such as implementing a loose daily routine (again this has impacted on ds1 as it has involved cutting a couple of toddler groups short so we can get home to ensure day time naps are in his cot!) it's made buggar all difference! As always he has gone down fairly easily tonight but any minute now I'm waiting for the first of many wakings which result in constant rooting/ feeding, i completely lose track now of how many times I swap him from one boob to the next through the night!!

Boo we won't be having any more children. We were pretty sure we only wanted one but this has decided it! I love her to bits but the lack of sleep is affecting all of us, I couldn't cope with another like this. I appreciate the positive stories but I dread the possibility that she'll always be an awful sleeper and we might not get a decent night for years .

Noisy good luck with the move to own bed. I think we need to do the same, I'm sure we disturb DD when we come to bed. I've been reluctant to make the move as I'm worried I'll spend half the night sitting in a chair in her room and get even less sleep but it's worth a try.

DD is being a royal PITA tonight. I'm on my own as DP is out. She slept from 7 until I tried to go to bed 45 mins ago and has been crying ever since. I've ruled out all obvious things - changed, fed, winded, given calpol in case it's teeth - but she won't settle and is lying next to me on the bed yelling. It's angry rather than upset crying but nothing will calm her down. I'm going to have to feed again for the second time in less than an hour. Usually I can manage not to resent her but it's been a long week and the second night on my own so reserves of patience are low.

Artemis I know exactly how you feel, of course you love her as I love my ds but sometimes it feels so hard & like such a test & there are no real answers as to what to do to improve the situation! How long is this thread now? There are still some of us here as everything we've been trying has yet to work so we can at least take comfort that we are not alone! Im away visiting family for half term & I normally have such a lovely time the way things have been with ds2 (& ds1 to be quite honest!!) i just can't wait to go home, having a rotten time & feel thoroughly miserable

DD had me up most of the night last night- starting at 1am and ending up with me just having to come downstairs with her at 5.30.

I think its her teeth

grrrrrr.

Looking for some advice please ladies! Poor Ds has come down with an awful cold. Last night was horrible, he wanted to be held all night and hardly slept. He is very distressed and can't finish his bottles. I sat with him in the bathroom with the shower running for the steam, but what else can I do? Ds is my first so I'm at a loss. Dh is doing a mercy dash to boots what should I ask him to get? All advice greatly appreciated !

Baby olbas oil, one of the room vaporiser plug in things calpol do a version I've recently found the calpol nasal spray useful although be warned he won't like it as you spray it in!!! Good luck it's the worst ds has had 3 hideous colds - yawn, where is the emoticon for exhausted??