Every night feels likes a lifetime

[ThursdayLastWeek]

DS is nearly 7mo and his lack of sleep is getting me down.

I feel like I have troubleshot everything, but nothing works.

Dummy worked for a while - no longer.
In cot/co sleeps - still wakes frequently.
BF or FF - wakes frequently.
In the last week I started to put him down on his front which worked for two nights (well he still woke twice for feeds, but that's good for him) but now that's stopped working too.

I'm really at the end of my tether. He's currently rolling around my bed, chewing the dummy and squealing. And I keep thinking 'I hate him' - and then of course I hate myself

I know people will say it will get better he won't be like this forever, but every single night feels like a lifetime right now. And I can't cope.

[TheHubblesWindscreenWipers]

Urgh. Got him to sleep. Awake five mins later.
This just sucks. I feel like I never get a moment to myself to just regroup. I'm a real introvert and I suffer when I'm not allowed to be alone. Stressed. Unhappy.

[Purpleboa]

Hello everyone! I think I have found my tribe...Can I join?

DD is 15 months and always been a poor sleeper. For a year I was on my knees with it all. Bit better now but we're only coping by co sleeping - me in the big bed with her and DH in the spare room. Far from ideal, but I now work 4 days a week and need to be able to function. We were averaging about 1 to 2 wakings a night, which were easily dealt with. I was always tired but not insanely so - as you will all know, that's a vast improvement!

After a week of DD being ill though on 'holiday' (hah, nobody got any sleep) sleep has gone to shit again. Multiple wakings, wriggling around, and I'm shattered. It's affecting my performance at work too, making silly mistakes and my boss is picking up on it. Every day is a real struggle. I'm eating so much junk food just to get through.

I was talking to a colleague whose baby is the same age as mine. She mentioned she is going to a gig tonight, and apparently she and her partner always have a weekly date night. Last date night me and DH had, he ended up spending half the night in the restaurant loo because he had a dodgy stomach!! We're both constantly below par. I didn't realise how much it affected me till my colleague mentioned her date night, and it made me feel very envious. I mean, some nights I'm so tired I can't even talk to DH! It also made me feel sad and a total failure. Can't believe I'm at almost 16 months and still struggling with the sleep thing!

Sorry for the rant there! Hope we all have better nights tonight.

[ThursdayLastWeek]

Hello everyone - sorry for radio silence, i was so fed up I was even boring myself THINKING about DS sleep.

I've decided that during half term we will commence some sort of sleep training, be it night weaning or controlled crying...he's waking up five or six times a night. It's simply not necessary.

I started last night, to ease him in, a small step. He routinely wakes three hours after going to bed, so I made the wake ups between 10-12 feed free. I had to use all my mum skills to get him to sleep and he didn't go for longer than 40 mins but I got him to 12.40 when DH got up and fed him.

He said he kept him awake until he finished the bottle and then he slept u til nearly 7! Miracle!

user I'm so glad your DS1 is ok. What a worry for you all.

Hubble here is a hug. HUG HUG HUG?

Hello purple! I know what you mean - the rare good night leaves me positively bouncing with energy, and highlights how much of a half person I am all the other times.

[ImSoVeryTired]

Damn this bloody cold to hell. I just woke the baby coughing and blowing my nose.
Noticed when I was getting him in his baby sleeping bag, his teeth are actually starting to make an appearance. He has little bumps there, bless him (lots of chewing and drooling up till now but no actual signs of them). Probably contributing to the extra bad nights we had over the last 2 weeks.
Good luck tonight everyone.
Welcome Purple.

[TheHubblesWindscreenWipers]

Teeth are hellish. Ds grew six At once - I'd prefer to forget that week...

He won't stay asleep so I'm doing until 1am the dh will take him from there.

I think this is a calculated tactic on ds' part to reduce his chances of having a sibling ....

[ThursdayLastWeek]

DS1 is quite revolting with his snotty nose too ImSo. Thankfully he's a sleeper so I only have to listen to his rotten sniffing in daylight hours. I hope you feel better soon.

I'm currently waiting fir DS2s first wake up, so tonight will be the night he sleeps for ages won't it??

[ThursdayLastWeek]

I wonder that too Hubble!

I already knew DS2 is our (planned) last, I have no desire for a large family. But the chance to even have an 'accident' would be a fine thing

[ThursdayLastWeek]

First wake up negotiated with patting and back rubbing...an hour later than anticipated. I doubt the sleep will stick longer than half an hour but it's already less work than yesterday

[TheHubblesWindscreenWipers]

Upall night again. Dh took him for a couple of hours then he's been jumping on me for the past hour and a half.
I want to die. I'm so tired I can't function

[user1471421772]

That's totally shit Hubble, I'm sorry. It's horrible when you're that tired. I have had a couple of days last weekend/this week where ive been constantly in tears/on the verge of them and considering throwing myself out the window.
Not horrendous last night, but not great. Bed 7, up 10, 12 and 2.

[ImSoVeryTired]

3rd wake up in a hour. Feeling pretty hacked off. More so since I have been spoilt by 2 good (well good compared with recently, only 4-5 wake ups) nights. To top it all, I'm now feeling hungry.
Sorry for moaning. It's only the beginning of the night.
Hope everyone else's is going well.

[user1471421772]

Oh imso - how shit. However how many times we convince ourselves we won't get our hopes up we totally do.
I feel really bad saying this...but DS2 only got up once last night!! He went to bed at 6:30, got up at 10, was up for 20 mins to drink a paltry amount of milk, then slept until 5:45!!! I feel amazing (especially as went to bed at half 8). DS2 is happy too - such a revelation! I hope others had good night's too and that yours got better imso.

[ImSoVeryTired]

Oh that's good news User1471. Really pleased he slept.
Mine didn't sleep v well but hey ho. I was supposed to get a couple of hours this morning to catch up. After an hour OH burst into babies, room where I was sleeping, exclaiming 'there is shit everywhere, I've never seen so much shit'. He was holding baby at arms length trying to prevent him from sticking his hands in his nappy. He switched the light on and proceed to explain that he'd run out of wipes downstairs and didn't have any clothes for baby. Helped him clean up and at this point didn't seem much point in going back to bed.
Get downstairs and the dogs have 'cleaned' some of the poopy mess up off the changing mat he abandoned on the floor. Yuck. Also, there are baby wipes in the kitchen and the changing bag (which was downstairs) and clean clothes in the laundry basket in the kitchen.
He apologised for waking me up cos he 'had' to come upstairs to which I of course replied, no problem, of course you did (not sarcastically). Which in my head translated to, of course you did because you panicked and didn't do the practical thing of leaving the baby put, on the mat, on the floor and putting the dogs in the kitchen away from the poo. Then washing your hands, retrieving wipes and clothes from kitchen and sorting it out. Therefore not spreading poo through the house, letting the dogs eat it or waking me up!! Lol.
Anyone else had an exciting morning?
Baby is napping. His teeth are making him feel grumpy. He's developed a high pitched scream that is most unpleasant.
OH has gone to get croissants as a Saturday morning treat. He's not so bad really.

[TheHubblesWindscreenWipers]

Couple of awful nights - just won't sleep after that initial couple of hours. He spent until 4am just climbing on me trying to get to sleep . He sort of climbs up, flops on me like I'm a pillow and tries to sleep then wriggles. Repeatedly for hours on end. Like he's trying to get comfy but can't. Won't be put in the cot. Argh

[ImSoVeryTired]

Mine does something similar to me, most mornings Hubble. From 4-6 I have feeding, twitching, stroking the wall and wriggling. The only reason there isn't climbing is cos he can't manage it yet! God I hope he's sleeping better by the time he can climb.

[ImSoVeryTired]

Oh and I meant to say, sorry you had awful nights.
Why is there no sad face, there should be one. Rest assured I'm making one. Also, have

[Introvertedbuthappy]

Oh imso and Hubble - hope last night was better?...
I wish I could help you both out - Scotland central belt here though, so both a bit far. I am starting to wonder here if we're moving out the other side. DS2 went to bed at 6:30 - slept 10 hours with NO wake ups!!! and then went back to sleep an hour later at half 5 and is still asleep now! How strange, long may it continue (and hopefully rub off on your babies).
PS, I finally came up with a username, I'm username1471).

[ImSoVeryTired]

Yay for a good night and a new user name Introverted. How is the weather up there in Scotland? We are at opposite ends of the country.
Had a slightly better night here too, though not wanting to count my chickens etc.
3 wake ups. A few long stretches of sleep (over 2 hours) Yay. I can cope with that.

[rebeccahazel]

Hubbles and I'mso... DS is the same!! Wriggles and squirms even when lying on me, it's exhausting! Just don't understand it. DH is just trying to settle him after first wake up of the night, I just know I'll have to go up in 2 minutes as he won't settle with anyone but me.,

[rebeccahazel]

Ps Introverted I'm central belt Scotland too, should meet up for gin and sympathy

[TheHubblesWindscreenWipers]

Ah I used to live in Edinburgh.

On my fourth wake up of the night and his dad is away with work for a fortnight ... so not great ...

[Introvertedbuthappy]

Oh Hubble that sounds horrendous - have you got anyone who can help you out? Even in the day for a nap? If you were still in Auld Reekie I could have helped - I'm just across the bridge.
Rebecca sounds good, make mine a double
Imso the weather is pretty awful this last week. I'm bored of rain.
In terms of sleep this is the 3rd night in a row of only one get up! I still find it hard to relax but I hope this continues!

[TheHubblesWindscreenWipers]

No one unfortunately- we live abroad so no network of family/friends. It'll be ok, we manage (mainly by me putting both of us in the giant playpen and me lying down and trying to nap while he plays...)

Hope the run of good nights continues!

[Introvertedbuthappy]

That's a shame. I'm the same sadly - friends at work and MIL is in Edinburgh but is not very confident with babies (goodness knows how she brought up DH!) Must be difficult not really having a sounding board either.
Must say your son reminds me of how my eldest was - from aged 3 his sleep has been super - in fact he only just got up at 7:40 this morning (school hols here). Some of it may be side effects from his asthma attack but seems perky and is wondering when we can go Pokemon hunting...
His sleep was horrendous though up til age 3 and really then he only really slept as he was cognitively aware enough to be bribed using stickers! His sleep is the sole reason we have 7 years between our children!

[Thehubbleswindscreenwipers]

If anything, things have gotten worse. I'm trying to cut down breastfeeding to morning and evening. He is spending hours scratching my face and top trying to get milk. My neck is bleeding from all the scratching. At night he wants milk and is scratching, biting and smashing his head into my face for hours at a time. If I put him in his cot he will hit his head on the bars until he bleeds - he's got a split lip and bruises from doing that so I can't leave him in his cot. He's refusing to eat solid food but won't take formula or cow milk.
I had an appointment for counselling but she was awful - she told me to stop BF entirely and offered him sleeping pills. Not a mild sedating antihistamine- She wanted to give him zopiclone. She then told me she wasn't there to talk about me.
I'd spent a week psyching myself up to actually confess what is on my mind and this just left me feeling ten times worse. I feel like I'm begging for help and nobody is listening to me.
It's 3:39am, he's screaming and biting and scratching my eyes and head butting me. He's had one two hour sleep at the start of the night. He's refusing food, drink and I'm lucky if I can get him down for 20 mins in the day.
I am going insane with tiredness. No one is helping me. Sorry for the rant but I have no one else to talk to.