exhaustion - never ending

[Lovemybubble15]

My lo is 4 months old and is still not sleeping longer than 3 hours at a time at night. I am so exhausted - tried everything to get him to sleep and now he's given up napping longer than half hour in the day! So there goes my day time naps to try and get some extra sleep.
I am wondering if this will ever get better as I am starting to get utterly exhausted which is effecting not only how I function but also my relationship.
Little one is mainly breastfed but with a bottle at night. I'm unsure whether to change to formula altogether.
Anyone come out the other end of the same situation?

Tell us more...how does your LO get to sleep?

In the day I usually rock him on my rocking chair and he will go off for a while - but as soon as put down he pings awake. If in the car he goes off easily but that means I don't get any rest myself.
Night times are a constant battle. He will go down quite easily after a bottle of formula for about 2/3 hours but then keeps waking throughout the night - I hold of breast feeding him as I think he's in a habit of nursing to sleep but all night he's in and out of his crib and quite often I end up leaving him in the crook of my arm (which is in his co-crib) and me in bed as as soon as I take arm away he cries.

Ooh yeah. With my first 3 hours was a good night. Sleep improved once he was in own room and was totally fine once I stopped BF when he was 1 (he wouldn't take a bottle and that's a whole other story). Daughter was also exclusively BF and always slept like a log so don't think BF per se was the issue and have no idea what made him finally sleep. I was not impressed by people telling me it would get better but it did. Health visitor told me he had to learn to self settle by 6 months which I couldn't manage but it didn't stop him eventually learning to do so alone. This is really common and you will survive it. If you don't already go to bed as early as you can and try to get your OH to help out as much as poss (I didn't which is a mistake I remedied by the next baby).

I think it's the rocking to sleep that's an issue as he's come to depend on it.
Could you try settling in his cot or basket for all sleeps and naps?

@techgirl well at least I know it's not just me. Its hard to not compare with other people as I've a friend who's just had a lo and he's sleeping 5 hours already and only 2 months old! I think it's just a wait it out game then. Contemplating putting him into his own room sooner as I wonder if he would settle easier.

@genevamaybe I don't rock him at night and currently trying pu/pd. He just wants to be close to me. He screams when my partner tries and I get all stressed so have to take over. Rod for own back maybe?!

4 months is a very tricky age and you certainly haven't made a rod for your back. You do the thing that works for your baby which isn't 'wrong' - if you could just pop him down and walk out I'm sure you would be doing it!
He is very young and if you Google 4 month sleep regression or take a peek at that thread you will see that most babies go through a very difficult time and it's probably not the best time to try and change anything to be honest.
Try and ensure you rest when you can - can someone take him out in the pram during the day for you?
My nearly 6 month old won't nap in the cot either and is on my boob all night so I sympathise, I also know that one day it will change so am trying to let it wash over me ( easier said than done tho!). Only give up feeding if you want to... Remember you might lose a quick and easy way to get your little one back to sleep at night! Breastfed babies can sleep through... my first did at 4 months.
Oh and the 2 month old won't be sleeping 5 hrs in 2 months time.... cue evil laugh!!!

Bless you starfish - it helps sometimes to talk it through just to feel like am not the only one going through it. I have a fantastic mom who lets me go and nap at hers for a couple of hours whilst LO is entertained. You're very right on the boob - I don't think I'm ready to fully give up anyway as in the day it's my little time with him where we snuggle.
Onwards I go - goodness me motherhood is the biggest challenge I have ever faced.

I know... no one tells you what it's really like do they?!

It does get easier and is such a blessing despite all the thankless rocking, soothing, feeding etc. Being a mum is the best thing I ever did!

X

No I was not prepared.

But he's my world - thanks for kind words tho X