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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:
starfish12 · 07/12/2015 11:34

I fed my baby so much at tea time that he had such a bad tummy and was screaming between 9 and 11pm. Oops. Confused

Queendedede · 07/12/2015 11:52

Zombie my DS as teething on and off with molars for 4 months until they were fully through. Calpol never helped here - we always go with Nurofen, GP advised it too as it is an anti-inflammatory as well as a painkiller.

saranga · 07/12/2015 14:48

Ffs. My boy had 3 naps of 5 hours yesterday and still wome up hourly in the night. I tried shuffling across the bed from him when he,was asleep and he kept waking up.
The only consolation I have is he doesn't cry when he,wakes, just feeds back to sleep.

saranga · 07/12/2015 16:46

And now he's been either feeding or sleeping all day. We might have had 2 hours of normal wakefuklness.

francis223 · 07/12/2015 17:40

Could I join in?
My DS is two weeks away from his first birthday and has been awful at naps and night sleep his entire life.

We had to rock him to sleep for the first six months. We are currently on two hour wakings at night whether co-sleeping or in his cot. I feel dizzy, lightheaded and so weak from a year of sleep deprivation and have no idea what to do to help him sleep longer! He wakes crying and won't settle unless bf. If I don't bf, he fully wakes and takes two hours to resettle to sleep. Uhhh.

Our nightime routine consists of an hour of settling him to nod off, and I spend the rest of the night with one ear listening out for the next cry. Weep.

zombiemeow · 07/12/2015 19:14

Does anyone else feel sick in the night? When they wake and you know your only going to get a tiny bit of sleep before the next wake up Hmm

I'm going to try and make a proper note of wake ups tonight, I'm usually too tired. He went to bed at 6.30 and woke up at 7, he went back to sleep at 7.06.

Does anyone know what normal milk intake is for a 1 year old? He has been having 1 7oz bottle the past few days usually in the middle of the day but doesn't seem that interested.

It's his birthday tomorrow, maybe being one year will be a turning point and he'll start sleeping through yea right

DixieNormas · 07/12/2015 19:23

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DixieNormas · 07/12/2015 19:23

This reply has been deleted

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zombiemeow · 07/12/2015 21:20

It varies so much, sometimes he will have 3 naps, sometimes he will have one very short one. He will be tired but completely refuse to go to sleep

Original poster
Purpleboa · 08/12/2015 00:28

Oh ffs. As if sensing how tired I am, DD had opted for hourly wakings tonight. We got her down a bit earlier than usual - asleep by 730 when it's usually 8 - so that might be the culprit. Feeding her now, feeling rotten. Yes zombie, I frequently feel sick during night wakings.

I need to start changing how we do things, I know, but god I'm so tired and don't have the energy too. But it's very evident that what used to work pre regression now just doesn't.

OP posts:
Original poster
Purpleboa · 08/12/2015 03:13

It's 3am. She's woken hourly. So why the hell won't she go back to sleep??? Why is she not tired??

OP posts:
thinkfast · 08/12/2015 04:53

Dd also wants to be up all night Angry

zombiemeow · 08/12/2015 06:38

We had 5 wake ups in total, so quite good for ds. He's already napping now though Hmm

Did she go back to sleep purple?

Queendedede · 08/12/2015 07:34

19mo had two wakings - 11pm and 4am, good for him! But up at 5am...... Very unusual as usually up after 6am. Needless to say he is a moaning crying wreak already, roll on nap time - only another 4 hours to go! Confused

starfish12 · 08/12/2015 10:31

Zombie my DS1 was on 2 8oz bottles at one... morning and eve.

Original poster
Purpleboa · 08/12/2015 11:29

She did go back to sleep till 6. But am shattered today and feeling particularly low. Had the health visitor out and I think she's got me pegged as a case for concern...even though I was trying to tell her that if I got a good night's sleep, I'd be happy as larry! She was offering me counselling and I was like, I just need to know how to get my baby to sleep!! Plus she weighed DD and she's lost a bit of weight so now I'm worrying about that. Feeling pretty emotional right now.

OP posts:
Pyjamaramadrama · 08/12/2015 14:00

Hi purple, I shouldn't really be on here but your posts always stood out on the sleep regression thread I've been really rooting for your dd to sleep a bit better.

Your HV sounds rubbish I can't believe se said that. Did you explain what you've said here how your surviving on so little sleep?

Did she not have any suggestions to help your dd to sleep?

How much sleep do you reckon your dd is getting over 24 hours?

DixieNormas · 08/12/2015 14:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DixieNormas · 08/12/2015 14:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

zombiemeow · 08/12/2015 15:19

Starfish, do you think I should try to cut out snacks and up bottles or do you think it will be ok?

Purple Thanks your hv sounds useless Angry I think that's just cruel to start suggesting counselling when the problem is obviously lack of sleep. Did she give you any advice?

Don't know if any of you want to try, but like I said I'm seeing a sleep consultant. I had to push quite a lot for an appointment, they first completely denied these sleep consultants existed, in the end they have referred me but there was a huge waiting list. I have an appointment mid Feb, that was only due to a cancellation and the severity of ds sleep issues. I may have said that all before, sorry if I did I blame my goldfish memory on sleep deprivation but it may be worth a try for some of you. It took me months of moaning at gps to get it.

starfish12 · 08/12/2015 18:15

Hugs purple - sounds like a crap HV visit. Re the weight loss is your DD being sick/loose bowel movements a lot? Just wondering if you need to revisit the dairy thing? Ie if her body isn't absorbing nutrients properly. Or maybe she's just ready for solids?

Zombie - no I think that's fine as you can get dairy in him in other ways like yoghurt, cheese etc. Plus having one 7oz bottle is fine anyway. My son was a bit of a crap eater and loved his milk. I wouldn't cut back food as they should be ramping up on that past one. Just keep offering the milk. Maybe try and put it in a beaker for novelty factor if you want him to have more..?

thinkfast · 08/12/2015 21:34

Purple so sort to hear you're still struggling. If it's any consolation I am too. Every part of my body aches including my mind.

Trying to work out if night weaning is an actual possible thing. We have started to introduce solids and I have de some carrot purée when da was having supper at about 5.30. Put her down and 7.30 and she slept til now which is unheard of so in thinking it will help eventually. She's v constipated though.

Out of desperation we have done some controlled crying when putting her down at night which seems to be working once she's been fed at least for the first part of the night. Much better than HOURS rocking shhing dancing round the room with her in the middle of the night which has done my back in. Thought formula fed babies were supposed to sleep better.....

thinkfast · 08/12/2015 21:35

Ps sorry for the typos not functioning at 100% at the moment

zombiemeow · 09/12/2015 07:38

Quite surprised, we had a good nightBlush ds had 3 wake ups, the longest being about 10 min, he keeps waking up at 5am though and will not go back to sleep at all, but he is tired so usually ends up having a kip after his breakfast Hmm

Think, have you tried offering water in the night?

thinkfast · 09/12/2015 08:00

Had a dreadful night including a poo and a vomit which woke her right up. Think I will try offering water tonight