End of tether and need to vent

[spinnergeologist]

My 10 mth old is being a pain. He has never been a good sleeper but with return to work looming large on the horizon and my husbands move to a new more demanding job also on the way, I am getting more stressed about the lack of sleep. Bed time was initiated at 7.00pm with reading, bath, feed, some calming music and bed in his own room. By 10pm he has woken up and been put back down 3 times and it is taking longer and longer to get him back into the cot. By 12am and no sleep yet, I'm too tired to keep trying to get him in his own bed and bring him into ours. By 2am my husband has got up and tried to get him to sleep himself. Now in it 4.50am and I have yet to get any sleep, my husband has only had a couple of hours and I am about ready to kill something. I have been getting by on the hour in the morning when my husband takes the dog and son out for a walk, but I will loose that with my return to work. The only thing that seem to get him to sleep longer is a really huge meal before bed, however, this is really dependant on if he feels like eating or not. Most of the time he doesn't, and short of turning him into veal, I can't get him to eat more. Added to the mix is a insert string of expletives neighbour who plays loud music against the walls if he feels we are too loud. That includes crying babies. He will wait until my son is finally back to sleep before doing this.

I think the stress of going back to work coupled with the stress of looming christmas is starting to get to me. I really feel like their is no solution and guilty that I am having to keep my husband up at night as well.

Rant over, feeling slightly better now if not less tired.

I don't want to leave your message unacknowledged. It sounds a truly horrible situation. Has it been going on for always or is it a relatively new phenomenon? I don't know if you're looking for ideas but I'll give you some anyway

Have you tried varying bedtime earlier/later. Try a week of each perhaps - doesn't sound like it can get much worse

What about day time naps? He must be sleeping all day if he is getting so little sleep? Try to keep him to his proper nap times if you're not already doing that, wake him if he sleeps being 4.30 for instance. We have a similar time routine for our children and I woke them at 4.30 if they weren't already as they would be a nightmare otherwise as bedtime.

And i would stop stressing about Christmas. It doesn't need to be perfect, it will be what it will be... there'll be another one next year to do all the things you want to do this year but you'll have more energy and therefore be able to take more joy from it.

I really feel for you. DC1 was never as bad as that but when I went back to work he was still waking 3 or 4 times a night. He calmed down eventually and generally sleeps ok ish now and has four a year or so (he's 3).

Good luck and hope you got an hour or two in the end.