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Original poster

The great non-sleepers... continued (again 😴)

999 replies

Jellybean2017 · 21/02/2018 01:32

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

My DS is six 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:
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6
MummyCuddlesSolveEverything · 07/03/2018 07:12

How did people get on last night? We got a couple of 3hour stretches, one at the start of the night (watched bake off dh and got about an hour of sleep)and one at the end of the night. It meant he was up at 6:30 though but worth it I think.
I think we are making very slow progress but I don't want to get my hopes up.

Looking forward to tonight because dh is out so I can go to sleep when ds goes to bed without feeling bad.

Original poster
Jellybean2017 · 07/03/2018 07:29

I was dreading last night but he did an 8 hour stretch then a 4 hour one. Thank you DS, best nights sleep in well over a year. Now how do I recreate the perfect conditions?!

OP posts:
Meepmoop · 07/03/2018 07:31

Okay night here two lots of 3.5 hours and currently waiting for DS to wake up. He's in a 2.5 stretch at the moment. We've got an early morning group today so should probably wake him up so he gets a nap in but I think I'll leave him for the minute

NinaMarieP · 07/03/2018 07:36

I think last night we achieved sleeping through.

I also think they've replaced my baby with a robotic infant that follows all the rules.

He slept 3x 1 hour naps. He went 4 hours between some feeds and 2.5 hours between naps without being a grump.

He woke at 9.30 for a final feed and then slept until 7am... (ok so he woke briefly at 5.30 and came into bed with his dad but I didn't have to feed him so it counts!!)

Not sure if it was the three meals he had yesterday (porridge with yoghurt and cinnamon, a stewed apple and beetroot with sweet potato) or the fact he turned 7 months yesterday.

I don't expect he will repeat it and I am still not well rested as I was awake every few hours coughing like mad.

lizzlebizzle33 · 07/03/2018 07:44

Wow some really good nights, I thought it had been quiet on here, I hate you all ha ha

FrozenMargarita17 · 07/03/2018 07:57

Jealous of the good nights!! My girl woke up 3 times between 7-11. Then up at 1 and wouldn't settle properly. Was singing away. Shattered but not as bad as yesterday!

UtterlyConfused111 · 07/03/2018 08:15

5 hours straight!!! Woo hoo!! without dummy dropping!!11pm to 5am. Most sleep I’ve gotten for ages! I woke up at 3.29, and thought she’s doing well she hasn’t woken up and fell asleep again. It was lovely. Not sure it’ll happen again

@lizzle - know exactly how you feel. Was dreading the night and I was snuggled in bed this morning dreading the day

Newmum26 · 07/03/2018 08:16

Good nights all round! Yay to the sleeping through NinaMarieP!
We had a better night than before, 7pm - 6.15am with a wake up at midnight as he was coughing loads so I decided a bottle may help if his throat was dry so I just dream fed him and it seemed to work! Hate these coughs that are lingering on!
Just having my first coffee of the day 😁 x

cheshiremama89 · 07/03/2018 08:35

Worst night ever

DS didn't go down for more than 30 mins at a time, it actually broke me.

I just cried repeatedly, not helped when DH rolls over and says useful things like,

"Is he hungry?"
" Maybe he needs changing" Angry

Taking him to GP later as he sounds full of cold and pretty sure DH has tonsillitis as he has white spots on his tongue...

Officially a broken woman Sad

Mum is coming over later to help, she has suggested introducing some formula.
Really torn at what to do...

He isn't good with a bottle of expressed, but I do need him to take a bottle so I can leave him for a few hours

Emberblu · 07/03/2018 08:46

Oh @cheshiremama89 how awful Sad you definitely need a few hours to yourself/to recharge. If lo wont take a bottle could you have someone syringe/spoon feed him? And if you can't express enough one bottle of formula on the odd occasion really won't make much difference if you're worried about your supply?

Ds has a fever from his jabs yesterday but he slept from 7-4.30!!! Then was up for the day (upset) at 5.30. Probably knocked out from the calpol and fever poor guy. Guiltily I feel good for having so much sleep... and now he's napped for over an hour when he only ever does 30 minutes... must be feeling really icky Sad 🤒

xxrealistmumxx · 07/03/2018 09:50

haypanky that all sounds like a good approach to me! I know there's an element of developmental ability but it sounds like you've got some good habits going on. It gives me some hope!

Sorry to hear you're struggling cheshiremum, it really is rough going the first few months. If LO can take a bottle it will at least mean DH can tag team with you. That helps a lot.

Well I'm still feeling totally wiped out from the mastitis and antibiotics. I've been sleeping in with DD and just coming through to feed LO who is in the room with DH. DH is also unwell and wiped out, it's sooo tough when we're both run down! We're down to two wakings with a 6am up for the day. It's not horrific bit after over 6 months of such little sleep I'm craving a solid 7.5hrs! One day she says hopefully

Jellybean it sounds like your LO is cracking it! That's some pretty good sleeping going on. Yay!!!

Got caught up in a stupid debate on MN about sleep training. It's soooo easy for mum's of good sleepers to demonise sleep training! So judgemental. I'm secretly hoping there next is a nightmare. The lovely thing about this thread is that it's full of support and not criticism!

xxrealistmumxx · 07/03/2018 09:51

*their, not there !

xxrealistmumxx · 07/03/2018 09:51

*their, not there !

cheshiremama89 · 07/03/2018 10:14

Thanks @xxrealistmumxx @Emberblu

I think I might try some formula today, I've got it in my head my milk isn't rich enough for him Hmm

Haypanky · 07/03/2018 12:42

I wonder, is it mostly people with babies who are natural good sleepers who demonise sleep training??!! In my personal opinion, it's really important for babies to learn to sleep well for their own sake, for their brain development, their mood and all the things that follow on from this, like eating well and being in the right mindset to learn about the world! Sometimes they need help to learn to sleep. To me, an hour of crying while they are supported in learning how to settle themselves (while not what anyone would choose for their child) is better than months or even years of being up multiple times a night, for the baby as much as the parents. Am clearly a sleep training monster as both of mine have needed 'sleep training' 👾🤣 I partly blame the name sleep training, really it's just parents helping their babies to learn, like you would with any other thing throughout their lives 🤔

Haypanky · 07/03/2018 12:49

Cheshire mama, the most helpful thing is if a bottle means you can offload a night feed onto someone else, put earplugs in and get a chunk of sleep yourself. I didn't find that formula helped either of my 2 go longer between feeds until they were older, my daughter was bf for 5 the then switched to formula, my son only bf for 2 months if that, then switched and he would only go 2hrs between feeds still, gradually extended to 3hrs, then 4hrs when we introduced solids and has only now night weaned at 10 months. You might find yours is different, I just wanted to warn you in case you were disappointed! For me, it was invaluable having my son take a bottle like I said at the start, whether that's breast milk or formula, whatever works for you. But formula may not be a miracle fill-er-up-er.

MummyCuddlesSolveEverything · 07/03/2018 13:17

cheshiremama89 sorry you had such a rough night. It's so difficult when they are like that, you start to question everything your doing. If you want to try a bottle give it ago, you could give formula or express and see of he'll take it to give you a break. What you said about your milk....your milk is designed for him and responds to what he needs so will be rich enough. Could he be going through a growth spurt? If he is by feeding more often he will up your supply as your body will realise he needs more. kellymom.com/hot-topics/growth-spurts/

AMagdalena · 07/03/2018 14:28

@Haypanky I need to politely disagree with you re sleep training. My DD is far from a good sleeper (she's 7 months, only been 'sleeping through' for the last week or so), she refused to sleep in the cot from 12 weeks, would wake frequently from birth, only naps on me, she still doesn't self settle, but she sleeps a lot better, but the first 6 months were awful.
I believe self-settling is a developmental milestone; some babies will reach it sooner than others, but they will all get there.
I don't judge parents who choose to sleep train, but it's not very true that only parents of good sleepers are against sleep training.

@cheshiremama Sorry you had a rough night.
As for your milk not being enough, as long as your LO has been having enough dirty and wet nappies amd gaining well, your milk is definitely enough.

We had another good night. DD woke up at 6.30am, had a feed, chatted to herself and we woke up at 9.30am Shock

Haypanky · 07/03/2018 14:43

Amags that's totes fine. I can only go off what mine are like, what I'm like etc! I agree sleep is a developmental milestone, just not that they therefore all do it without help.

In the case of my 10 month old, he would cry no matter what I did, cuddles, no cuddles, shh pat, fed, not feed, etc, I spent weeks/months giving up and taking him downstairs at 1am for a few hours. Eventually it just seemed to me like he was crying because he wanted to be asleep?! If that makes any sense! So I saw my role as helping him learn to do this. I stayed with him throughout so he wasn't left alone to cry. We're only on day 4 but he seems a much happier boy for having had sleep. But they're all different. And most turn out alright in the end 😉

Haypanky · 07/03/2018 14:52

Sorry for the opinions there, please take them on face value, am in no way preaching, on a high horse, or any horse at all, totally horse free in fact which is slightly disappointing, would quite like a horse... agree the value of this thread is support through the haze of sleep deprivation... Stepping away... 🐴

MummyCuddlesSolveEverything · 07/03/2018 15:08

haypanky I can see where you are coming from...it must be easier to say you don't agree with sleep training if you have a baby who sleeps. Without really understanding just how exhausting it is how can that judge??
However I don't think sleep training is for us, I just don't think it would work for us. That doesn't mean that it's wrong, or that it doesn't work for a lot of people. We know our children better than anyone, and I think we have to trust our own instincts as to what's best for our children. My instincts are telling me sleep training isn't for us,but you've followed yours and it's worked for you. I guess in a roundabout way so as to avoid possibly upsetting anyone I'm saying there is no right or wrong answer only what you think is best for your baby. I'm pleased it's worked for you and you're starting to get more sleep...long may it continue!

lizzlebizzle33 · 07/03/2018 18:14

Hi everyone, I hope you all had a lovely day. Even though the sun was shining here I decided to stay in with ds2 and aim to get him to take 3x 1hour naps, ha ha major fail.

He is now obviously tired and would probably like to nap, so you think I should just let him and deal with a late bedtime again or try to keep him up and hope that he goes to bed for 8pm which I would like? X

MummyCuddlesSolveEverything · 07/03/2018 19:40

lizzlebizzle. What did you decide to do? What ever you decided I hope it works.

My ds wouldn't have his last nap (usually at about 5:30/6 for 30mins) and so I've just kept him up and he's had a long bath so he's not going to bed too early. Just came up to bed and he was asleep with a minute or two so he'll be up hungry soon.

tealandteal · 07/03/2018 19:41

lizzlebizzle I did exactly the same today didn't get anything done but focus on DS having naps. It's nearly 8 now so I guess you made your decision re the late nap, hope it went well! DS did manage 3 naps today but was up at 5.10 so I'm not sure it really counts Confused

lizzlebizzle33 · 07/03/2018 19:58

Hi, so he fell asleep having a feed so I didn't really have a choice in him having a nap, but Ds1's bedtime shenanigans woke him up after 20 minutes so he's now sat shouting at hollyoaks.

I guess I'll try and get him to bed soon, really not looking forward to that. I've begun to hate evenings and the impending bedtime 😩