Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Sleep

Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler. Need more advice on your childs development? Sign up to our Ages and Stages newsletter here.

Original poster

Sleepless of Mumsnet - join us if your LO consistently laughs in the face of sleep!

999 replies

Purpleboa · 05/12/2015 13:53

Hi everyone. I thought I'd create this thread when I saw that there were quite a few of us lingering on the 4 month regression thread, with babies that clearly didn't get the memo about things getting better!

I've seen another thread for parents whose children are long term poor sleepers but I think it's been relegated to zombie status. So I hope nobody minds if I start another one! If your LO consistently struggles to sleep, whether it's down to diet, night terrors or just sheer bloody mindedness, please pull up an armchair and join in! I'll supply the espressos, hugs and chocolate, wine and tears served after 4pm.

I'll start: my DD is 25 weeks. She's gorgeous, adorable and the absolute light of my life. Unless it's between the hours of 7pm and 7am! She's struggled with sleep always. I thought things would improve following the 'fourth trimester' but she got a cold, reacted badly to her jabs...and before I knew it we'd cruised into the 4 month regression. Which she's either still in, or she's teething, or developing, or wonder weeking, or fck knows really!

The past two weeks have been particularly painful and I feel I'm reaching the limits of my endurance. I love being her mum, I love spending time with her...but not sleeping makes it oh so very hard.

I have found Mumsnet to be a wonderful source of support during those dark and lonely hours when you feel like you're the only person in the world going through this. So I wanted to give back and support others too.

I'll put the kettle on...

OP posts:
Original poster
Purpleboa · 21/12/2015 00:23

Right there with you Think Flowers

What do you do when your LO won't settle? I used to be able to get my DD down in her cot again after she fed. But recently it's become impossible. At best, she sleeps in it for half an hour before waking and crying.

I've given in and she's now sleeping on me. I can't go on like this.

OP posts:
starfish12 · 21/12/2015 06:41

Hi can't scare me. Re the dairy why don't you give it 2 weeks to allow the proteins to leave his body and see if there is an improvement then challenge him with a yoghurt. Then you know whether there is an issue if a reaction. Milk ladder is supposed to be undertaken when 6 months clear of dairy to see whether things have improved. Oh and you haven't done anything wrong. You would know if he was reacting to your milk in the early days as the reaction would be so obvious. Just means they aren't too sensitive which is a good thing.

Go baby purple re the crawling! She's clearly too busy to sleep!

I'm wondering if weaning is making a bit of a difference.... first wake up was 1am which he hasn't done since a newborn and he ate a huge tea last night. I've probably jinxed it now!

Youcantscaremeihavechildren · 21/12/2015 08:33

Well that was a crappy night...DS woke 5 times before midnight. I tried to not fee him and instead rocked and endured screaming, got him asleep and laid down..10 mins later he's awake and I've given up and fed him. In bed with us again all night. I wouldnt mind but I want a bloody drink over Xmas and can't do that if he's in our bed.

Starfish yes that's what we tried before, he seemed ok the sleep went awful again.

thinkfast · 21/12/2015 08:59

Can't scare me - dd's consultant says if you give them dairy to early and she has a reaction you need to wait 6 m to a year before trying it again to see if they've outgrown it

Lost track of wake ups last night as dh did some in the early hours but I got in bed with her at 5.30 and she slept til 8.45 Grin

starfish12 · 21/12/2015 09:37

Currently trialling crying to sleep for naps as DS is going ballistic in the sling and if i hold him (he is clawing, scratching me and wriggling out of my arms - so strong) so kind of have no choice but to leave him in his cot screaming. Sad

Original poster
Purpleboa · 21/12/2015 09:46

Morning all! takes coffee orders

Starfish - sympathy on the sling refusal. I'm dreading the day that happens as it's currently the only weapon I have that works for sure! But she's becoming a lot more wriggly and fidgety, it's like trying to sling a bag of eels sometimes! We've started to put in the pram for some naps, whilst in the house as it's too rubbish to go out most days. Push her a bit and she goes off. Hoping it's a transition between the sling and the cot!

Does anyone else get light headed with lack of sleep? I feel like I'm about to pass out today!

Have made a pact with myself to get as much rest as I can over the hols. Even if it means getting a sleep at family gatherings. Need it to survive!

In better news...she's starting taking a bit of milk from the bottle! Early days but here's hoping it continues. Going to persevere and try and replace a feed with the bottle so she's well used to it.

OP posts:
zombiemeow · 21/12/2015 09:53

Think Thanks glad you managed a couple of hours this morning. I don't understand how they keep going on such little sleep either Hmm

Youcant there seems to be a lot of cmpa babies on here, I would definitely try cutting out any dairy for a while and see if that helps. Ds is currently doing the milk ladder, he hasn't seemed to have any reactions until night time where he gets very unsettled. I am taking a break from the milk ladder now. Does he sleep ok once in your bed?

Purple I know the feeling of them 'never going to sleep through' it's soul destroying isn't it. The constant panic that they're going to wake up any second. Ds is 1 now and he's bloody heavy, I'm only small and his dad is very tall so I think he will be like him, my back is killing having to hold him to sleep all the time.

Starfish woo for the 1am wake up! Hope it's a sign of things improving for you and I hope your not waiting too long for him to have his nap.

Our nights seem like they're very slowly improving, ds woke about 4 times, then he woke up at his usual 4.30am to start the day and I just kept giving him his dummy and saying 'go to sleep' and some time after 5 he went back to sleep until 6! I think the milk ladder isn't helping things so will probably stop for a while now.

He's just having his first nap on me

zombiemeow · 21/12/2015 09:55

X post with purple!

Woo for the bottle! Grin that means when you see family you can get yourself off to bed!

When I'm tired I feel like I have a major hangover even if I haven't touched a drop of booze Hmm

Lilipot15 · 21/12/2015 10:12

Yes to that hangover feeling when tired! I've also noticed that I've had to ramp up my eating and drinking (soft drinks) as DD2 feeding lots. DH thinks I'm addicted to orange squash!

Original poster
Purpleboa · 21/12/2015 10:30

Ha yes a hangover without the fun! Hmm...

OP posts:
starfish12 · 21/12/2015 11:12

Purple - yippee!!! That's brilliant progress. She will be off your boob in no time. My DH has just made DS a bottle of his vile formula with raspberry crusha in it... I can't see him drinking it.

zombie that is awesome too re going back to sleep!

So he screamed only for 10 mins and fell asleep and is still going!!! I've used the time to trial making a dairy free chocolate mousse! Today is a good day Grin

zombiemeow · 21/12/2015 13:32

Starfish, a df chocolate mousse sounds amazing! I'm an absolute rubbish cook.

Arghh ds is tired but fighting it again. He woke up tired because I dared put him down to sleep.

I really need him to nap in his cot, even I get him on his bean bag it's a pain having to tip toe round him all the time Confused

starfish12 · 21/12/2015 18:37

I'm rubbish too but this was v easy! Just whizz a load of stuff up in the blender... not much room to cock it up Xmas Grin

zombiemeow · 22/12/2015 06:13

Ergh, utter crap night. Lost count of wake ups and up at about 4.

He's tired now, we need to go out early this morning so I'm desperately trying to get him to nap so I can get ready, bet well be late.

Hope every one else had better nights.

Pyjamaramadrama · 22/12/2015 08:16

I don't think my ds will ever sleep properly.

We're doing all the right things. He goes to sleep in his cot from awake. Sometimes we have to go back in a few times but he goes to sleep.

He has a nap routine, he does fight his sleep but he still goes off eventually.

Weaning has started and he's now having two small meals.

We've stopped the night feeds in exchange for water.

We've stopped bringing him in to bed.

He still woke up several times last night and was up for over an hour at one point.

I know that's not nearly as bad as some on here but this is a much improved situation and I think it's as good as it's going to get.

Pyjamaramadrama · 22/12/2015 08:20

Considering we've done all the things the sleep experts say and he's still waking what seems like every sleep cycle. I think some baby's are just not good sleepers.

UnplainJane · 22/12/2015 18:35

Pyjama I so agree - we also do all the 'right' things and have no bad habits - by rights DS should be sleeping 12hrs solid but at 20mo still wakes between 3 and 5 times a night Sad

zombiemeow · 22/12/2015 20:35

Yep unfortunately I think some babies are just rubbish at sleeping, apparently my cousin was like that. He just never slept through but in the end learnt to entertain himself. He's almost 30 and still doesn't sleep much Hmm

Coldand · 22/12/2015 20:40

Mine is 22 months and sleep has always been a nightmare. She is breast fed to sleep but I have cut out all other breast feeds. If she wakes up in the middle of night I pretend to be asleep. She gets absolutely hysterical every bedtime. I am shattered and really wish she could get herself to sleep

Coldand · 22/12/2015 20:42

Since we co sleep she also has a habit of pinching and kneading my skin really bad as she falls asleep. I am having two weeks off over Christmas and am hoping to shift her out of my bed. Any tips appreciated

Pyjamaramadrama · 22/12/2015 20:54

Coldand, we were cosleeping for at least part of the night and daytime naps. I have pulled the cot right against the bed so that I can reach through to him. He's only 6 months though.

I'd kind of decided I didn't care if we coslept as long as we slept. The problem was I couldn't leave him in the day as he is rolling and almost crawling so I decided to stop. I'll still use it as my last resort.

My sleep is more important than good habits!

Original poster
Purpleboa · 22/12/2015 21:38

Hi everyone. Hope nights are going well as far. We're visiting relatives for Christmas, staying in a hotel for the first part. Last time we stayed in a hotel, DD actually slept surprisingly well. Sadly this is not going to br the case tonight. Went to sleep at 8.30 (our fault, we were visiting relatives so she was up late and overtired) and she woke again at 9.20. Still awake, struggling to sleep on me.

This is also the first night DH and I have shared a room in ages, so that's adding to the tension too!

I desperately need sleep. But I don't think I'm going to get it.

Right now I couldn't give a fuck about the festive season. I resent visiting family and would rather be in our own home. But dh loves Christmas and seeing his family. All I want for Christmas is sleep!! Will be glad when it's all over, sorry to say.

Anyone else feel the same?

OP posts:
puttheteaon · 22/12/2015 22:58

Go for it, sounds like you need a break Smile

Just a quick question, not had ds in with me for a few months but used to when dh was away and he was up a lot. Anyway his sleep is sometimes awful, tempted to bring him in with me but terrified he'll wake and crawl out of bed, how do you manage co sleeping when ur lo is active?

puttheteaon · 22/12/2015 23:03

Ooops, replied to ur hotel idea purple, a few pages behind!

We've got to go visit my loon of a mother in law just after xmas, last time we were there she crashed into his room, kicked over a shelf, said it wasn't her fault and then went back to bed leaving me with a wide awake crabby baby. Can't wait for the festive period to be done, just end up mega stressed and more sleep deprived than ever!

Coldand · 23/12/2015 01:00

Pyjama that is the set up we have but I m at the end of my tether esp with this pinching she has started. Also I miss DH he has moved out of the bed ever since we started co sleeping. (Baby was born actually) I just want my space back.