Long term poor sleepers...anyone??

[Purpleboa]

Hi all. There was a thread for those of us with continually bad sleepers, but think it's achieved zombie status - hopefully that's a good thing as it means babies are sleeping! Starting a new thread though, as my DD who has just turned 1 is sleeping even less, and I'm feeling lonely and desperate!

She's always been a poor sleeper, ups and downs but only done a 6 hour stretch once, and on average were talking every 2 or 3 hourly wakings. Recently things have got very bad, multiple wakings then up for the day at 5am. I think she's on the verge of walking and talking.

I don't breastfeed her during the day anymore but I'm finding the night feeding so hard to give up. I know, I know, I need to night wean her. But I'm so exhausted that I haven't got the energy to do anything mire than shove a boob in her mouth when she wakes!

We co sleep for most of the night, DH in a separate bed. When I think back and realise it's been a year of this, I feel like a massive failure. I don't feel I can confide in people in RL because they're all like 'really, she's still not sleeping??' It's embarrassing. I'm back at work too and it goes without saying that exhaustion has become my natural state. Sometimes it feels like life is just a constant drudge and I never have time off!

I'm not looking for advice as I know what I need to do - but any hand holding or similar stories would really help me feel a bit more sane!

I've got one of these too... 9 months old. Wakes constantly. as in every twenty mins.... It's really tough and My health is suffering.
we've tried everything- even controlled crying, and nothing worked. I've sort of given up now and accepted that I'm not getting any sleep for the foreseeable future.
For some reason I want another child. I must be mad.

I had one (now 5 years) who didn't sleep at all consistently for long stretches at night until he was 18 months old, woke 8-10 times a night. He never napped more than 30 mins until he hit about 1.5
I actually had a mental breakdown around the 1 year mark.
I have one now who is approaching 9 months and doesn't nap either, although sleeps occasionally well at night.

The 5 year old sleeps fine now.

You are not alone, and you certainly are not failing. You do the best you can and that's all one can do.

I like to tell myself (through tears sometimes) that this phase of child rearing is a very small portion of the bigger picture and that there are going to be a million priceless moments to come.

Sometimes I wonder how the human species has managed to flourish considering how difficult our offspring are to raise. It's not like they come out walking and running with the herds a few days later...

21m. Wakes every 2h throughout the night. Our first took 13m but now sleeps through (he's 4) and we were really hoping DS2 would do the same but still hoping. We were cosleeping for ages and have even moved the spare double bed into his room. We manage now to leave him in his cot but the only thing that settles him is a bottle of milk. He sometimes has 3 overnight! So we're trying to reduce that and this has led to him screaming through the night. My DH is great and we take it in turns to have a night sorting him so the other can sleep but everyone is still awake through the night and I am exhausted. We both work and it is taking its toll.

Sorry went on a rant there. I don't really want to sleep train him as we never did with DS1 but I am considering it...

BTW I think it's really normal for them not to sleep at this age - some are just luckier than others.

Hi all. Thank you so much for all you responses. Really helped to make me feel not alone in all this! How we manage to keep going and procreating is indeed a miracle...

Well, things are slightly better here. I've finally managed to stop breastfeeding all together! Which feels like a massive achievement after 13 months. Early days but I'm praying it'll help night wakings. Fingers crossed! We're also trying to stop co sleeping and settle her in her cot as I don't think it's working for her anymore. Third night in, still quite a few wakings but I need to stay strong!

Oh and that's great neW's Belfast Smile! Has it continued?

It hasn't totally continued, but his sleep in general hadn't been too bad until a couple of nights ago. He hadn't been in his own bed, though, as we were on holiday, so that may be why.