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Original poster

Non-sleepers unite...

999 replies

Jellybean2017 · 18/01/2018 22:40

New thread for night (and daytime!) chatter for those awake more than they'd like with a non sleeping baby/child 😊

My DS is five months. First baby likely to be only baby if I don't start getting more sleep He is a nap and sleep fighter but incredibly cute so I choose to forgive him 😂

OP posts:
lizzlebizzle33 · 15/02/2018 22:50

Hope everyone gets some sleep tonight, not even attempting to put Ds 2 in his cot tonight with him being so poorly, fell asleep with me on the sofa and I've just brought him to bed with me now,

On top of having an awful cold and now eye infection he's also on day 3 of no poo, I can only imagine his level of wft right now.

lizzlebizzle33 · 16/02/2018 01:45

On our first wake up, soaking wet baby 😩 the curse of the side sleeping. Maybe I should put an extra nappy on the side? 😂
I never co slept with ds1 so I have no experience of this. any tips?

NinaMarieP · 16/02/2018 03:23

We went through a phase of peeing through when he was on his side. Like every night. Twice a night sometimes! It got better when we changed to Naty by Nature nappies.

So I would try different brands if the nappy's not too small. Mind you I still have to change him during his feed or we'd probably have an incident, we've done 9 hours at night without a change but we've never pushed it to the fabled 12!

WhoAteAllthePercyPigs · 16/02/2018 04:20

Another bad night. This is just the norm now. Does anyone else have real trouble settling their DC back to sleep? From 1am onwards DS is pretty much a nightmare to get back to sleep. We can have period of an hour to three hours of awakeness! It's driving me mad and getting me so frustrated. I don't why it's happening?

I see there's been a lot of chat about sleep training, really glad it's worked for you @lallypop. We tried a bit of the gradual retreat with DD but it was so upsetting and made no difference that we didn't persevere. The problem we have is DD is next door to the bedroom DS and I are in, so there's no way I could risk excessive crying. Not fair on her. Those of you with more than one DC, how would you get around that? @realistmum I see you're trying it too, how's the disruption?

Like with DD, I am probably just going to go with it and hope it does improve without me having to do much. I'm basically too bloody tired to even try - can't even get it together to get DD potty trained so sleep training ain't got a hope of happening Grin

lizzlebizzle33 · 16/02/2018 04:39

Thanks @NinaMarieP maybe I will try another brand, I don't think they're too small. Could be though, but I just refuse yo accept s 3 month old needs s size 4 nappy! 🙈

@WhoAteAllthePercyPigs same here, after his 'big sleep' he's usually restless and difficult to settle from 2am onwards ots a battle 😩

Meepmoop · 16/02/2018 05:04

We've had a better night tonight, DS managed a 5.5 hour block and then a two hour block. Now resettling again.

I'm pretty sure my wisdom tooth is coming through as my mouth aches and my throat feels awful. I don't want to be sick

@lizzlebizzle33 You could try a side up just at night time and see if that makes a difference

Original poster
Jellybean2017 · 16/02/2018 05:32

DS keeps wiggling himself around and kicking me in the face. What a lovely way to be woken up Hmm

We have same problem with resettling after midnight... Sometimes he's awake for hours.

OP posts:
HashtagTired · 16/02/2018 05:32

Ds has the most horrible cough. I've googled it and websites suggest that unless he's struggling with breathing then it'll pass.
I've heard nothing like it. Really hacking and throaty. I've taken a few recordings on my phone so will play them to ds in the morning and call 111 if still concerned. His breathing, when he's not coughing, is absolutely fine. Normal speed and not raspy. It's just the cough and the gasping invetween. Poor little soul. Given calpol too. Hopefully that helps take the edge off his inevitably sore throat.

Otherwise it's a pretty normal night here. He's still waking after 2 hours of sleep and I just can't crack that. He's 6 months in a couple of weeks and (providing he's well) dh and I have agreed he needs to go in his own room. That might settle him more, who knows, but it's time to do it.

HashtagTired · 16/02/2018 05:33

I'll play them to dh. Not ds!

HashtagTired · 16/02/2018 05:37

@xxrealistmumxx I'll need some hand holding when we crack the sleep thing next week!

Zampa · 16/02/2018 06:46

@lizzlebizzle33 Try putting a reusable nappy pad in your lo's disposable nappy (the type used in cloth nappies). This should help soak up excess wee overnight.

Abih91 · 16/02/2018 07:13

Hi all,
First post, first baby!
Posting as I have a nearly 4 month old 17 weeks today but not 4 months till the 20th (is that how it works?!?!) baby boy who is a poor sleeper from day one.
Currently trying to teach him to self settle which is working (had two self settling moments last night) but he wakes every hour from 2pm which is knackering. He did 7-9 / 9.30-1.50ish which is a major improvement from every hour and a half but then hour wake ups after that. With the self settling I only intervene if he starts to cry. I feed him every time as this settles him quickly. Should I try something else when he wakes? Sometimes rocking helps but didn’t last night. He’s a small baby only 11lbs and on 0.5th centile so could he actually be hungry?! He also screams every night before bed but that’s another story!
Thanks.

lizzlebizzle33 · 16/02/2018 08:01

Ooh thanks@Zampa I hadn't thought of that!xx

AMagdalena · 16/02/2018 08:05

DD did 4 hrs in the travel cot. The rest doesn't matter 🙌

lizzlebizzle33 · 16/02/2018 08:06

Aww bless him, pretty much same age as my Ds2, he also wakes hourly from around 1-2am, it's awful isn't it!

I don't really know what the answer is, it could be that he is hungry but my boy is a big fatty hrs 17 lb and he wants to feed to go back to sleep too.

It might be they he is just thirsty if he is only having a 'snack' or he may just want the comfort and closeness of mum.

Has anybody else tried settling him? Will he only settle for you?xx

Abih91 · 16/02/2018 08:36

To be honest my partner hasn’t tired to settle him during the night as when I pick him up he just roots around for boob so OH would get fustrated and send him my way anyway.
Happy in the knowledge he’s not the only one (sorry Blush!) so will carry on how we are and hope he will get the hang of self settling between feeds instead of always wanting me.
Re bedtime screaming- we have a routine of bath, massage, feed, sleep but between the feeding and sleeping we get lots of crying which I don’t understand why!! Happens every night as soon as his pjs go on Confused

Meepmoop · 16/02/2018 09:18

@Abih91 my DS is 6.5 months old and he still cries at bedtime, like you when his pj's go on. I like to think he's just using up the last of his energy.

He also cries before a nap, I struggle to get him down before he gets too tired as he wont go to sleep unless he's really tired. We're stuck in a loop

Catscatsandmorecats · 16/02/2018 09:28

ARGH! Bloody teeth! Another dreadful night here that ended with DS2 letting out an almighty wall at 5.30 and waking everyone up. Poor DS1 was a bit confused and will be knackered later.

Whoateallthepercypigs we're in the same boat, I can't do any kind of overnight sleep training while DS2 is in our room next to DS1'S room. Sadly he is not easy to get back down without a feed so I default to boob as the path of least resistance. He is so hungry though, I'm going to start him on some food next week, he's 23 weeks now and physically almost as developed as DS1 was at 9 months so I think he's ready!

Hi abih91 waves

WhoAteAllthePercyPigs · 16/02/2018 11:44

Today has just been the shittest. Bad night, I've pretty much been awake since 3am. Then had DD's 30 month development and behaviour check this morning. Couldn't have gone worse. She refused to take her shoes off to get weighed, then had s massive tantrum and spent all session lying under the chairs going 'no'. I'm so embarrassed, I feel like they'll be judging me and my parenting. I'm very annoyed with DD, I know I shouldn't be, but it's so hard to be patient on so little fucking sleep! All I needed her to do was to be her usual self, use her words and it's just typical! I do get that I'm overreacting, but after a bad week and so little sleep, I'm at breaking point.

Oh. And did I mention my straighteners broke? Worst thing of all! Shock

yolkybokey · 16/02/2018 11:45

Hi everyone, haven't posted in a while - things are much the same as ever with us, some good nights, lots of bad nights. Still cosleeping and feeling like I'm being a very lazy mother because I just let him sleep on me on the sofa the rest of the time while I watch tv Blush

For others whose LOs are crying before bed, DS used to do this until I moved his bed and bath much earlier, I now do bath between 5.30-6pm, is that an option for you guys?

yolkybokey · 16/02/2018 11:47

Stay strong @WhoAteAllthePercyPigs - you're doing your best and that's all any of us can do. I know I would struggle with 2.

Catscatsandmorecats · 16/02/2018 12:27

whoateallthepercypigs DS1 did the same at his last check too - it's just such a weird situation I can't imagine any kids behave normally, especially as they get older and understand that you're talking about them. Don't beat yourself up, you're doing a grand job.

I'm stuck under a sleeping baby, after a shit nap in his cot he was very hungry then fed to sleep on me. I'm very hungry now!

xxrealistmumxx · 16/02/2018 13:27

whoAteAllThePercyPigs no need to feel embarrassed about your little ones behaviour, sounds perfectly normal for afeisty 30 month old to me! Like it or loath it we can't always control how they behave..... We only really have a choice over how to respond so unless you were shouting or smacking I don't think you have anything to feel bad about! and even if you were, it happens sometimes!*

Lallypopstick that sounds great! Not sleeping through here as LO is only 5.5 months so still has one night feed but will settle himself to sleep afterwards so it's not too disruptive. Going to try to cut out the night feeds once weaning is fully established. Also not going to tackle naps til I'm confident night time is sorted! Keep us posted on how you get on

whoAteAllThePercyPigs my two other DC's were awake for a while and upset when we did the ferber method with LO but i just explained to them that LO was learning an important new skill and that daddy and I were here making sure he was ok. It was really only one evening that was bad. When we considered the amount of stress the constant lack of sleep was putting on the whole family I thought that was a good pay off! I've been a much better mum to them all since we did it.

Happy to hand hold any of us who want to try to tackle the sleep thing. I'll need it reciprocated as we're not fully there yet - still to move LO into his own room and drop the feed. One step at a time!

Bains091115 · 16/02/2018 14:43

My daughter's 1 and up every half an hour EVERY night! My DH thinks it's wrong of me to be a miserable old cow alot of the time. I also have an almost 2 year old, an 8 year old and 3 teenage step children. I had 2 c sections in 11 months and it feels like I'm never going to get any sleep!!!

UtterlyConfused111 · 16/02/2018 15:01

@whoateallthepercypigs
I am completely in your situation. Dd1 has her 30 month check next month and I’m sure she will choose to have her meltdown then. And DD2 is still not sleeping and I find it so hard to be patient.... been up since 3am took I’m not naturally patient anyway but the lack of sleep....

DH is also fed up of me being down and tired and depressed - I don’t blame him yet since he does absolutely fecking nothing with the kids he has no idea how hard it is. He sees them for a couple of hours on the weekend and hands them back to me as if I were a nanny....

@xxrealist
I might go buy the Ferber book soon - that’s what you used? Remind me how old is your lo? Mine is now 20 weeks and I think it’s too soon to start sleep training - have to wait till at least 6 months?
I too have the problem with dd1 might get disturbed with the crying but if it’s only a few nights then...

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