Fucking bastard sleep books!

[4waystretch]

I know I'm being a dick but I just need to vent.

Youngest DC was an ok sleeper (all others horrendous) but has started to not be and I can't figure out why.

Read a sleep book in the wee hours and it all came flooding back how infuriating it all is. If you do exactly what the book says your baby will sleep, and if they don't it's because you're doing it wrong or not really sticking with it. It drives me mad!

And the worst bit is that they assume all people are reading the book and have bad sleepers because they've been doing everything wrong. As though we're all thinking 'it's so weird, I make my baby watch really loud telly for an hour then give him a Coca Cola and for some reason he won't sleep'. Or that we've all been throwing every sleep crutch available and then wondering why they're needed.

'When I ask parents why they think their child won’t fall asleep on his own, I usually hear an answer like,“I really don’t know. He just won’t fall asleep unless I rock him (or feed him, or bounce him, or sing to him).” When I ask them if they have ever tried letting their child fall asleep without the rocking, feeding, bouncing, or singing, I am generally met with a blank stare.' Seriously?!

I know I'm being unreasonable (hence not being in AIBU!) but after a dreadful night it gives me the rage!!!

My favourite is that all the books contradict each other so it's literally impossible not to be getting it all wrong!

And if I hear drowsy but awake one more time!

I did the things you bloody said!!! I did them from birth!!!!! I unwaveringly religiously followed it all!!! Guess what? All my children are shit sleepers. The end.

Totally just wrote a thread about this. Supposedly if DD can self settle to send herself to sleep (which she can) she'll be able to re-settle herself when she wakes up during the night (which she most definitely can't). 5 wake ups last night and I'm knackered

Utter bollocks. All the babies haven’t read the contradicting books so don’t have a clue what you’re trying to make them do. All kids are different, some are good sleepers from the word go and others take longer to get there, it’s the luck of the draw I think!

My worst one actually is the assumption that you must have rushed to them at every cough or murmur. Disturbing their peaceful slumber and forcing them to be bad sleepers because you're so neurotic that you assume a sound means you must scoop them immediately out of their bed and shove a boob in their mouth lest they be emotionally damaged or starved to death.

Every time I pick up the Baby Whisperer it makes me feel like a crap mum with a baby that’s not working properly. My baby is so unpredictable with naps and lengths of naps and wake ups we cannot follow any schedule.
I do follow the sleep, eat, play routine though.
It’s the only one I’ve read and I hate it

Bobbiepin: I could have written your post. My 4 month old son goes to bed awake most nights. He has a mobile going but other than that he generally drifts off on his own. He does this for his afternoon nap too.
So why oh why was I up every hour last night? He went to bed so well that I dared get my hopes up for a decent sleep but, alas, it was not to be.
I haven't the energy to read any books on the subject yet. I'm so tired that the slightest irritation could potentially send me on a rampage

I didn't buy any baby books for this reason. You want to feel shit about yourself? Post on the weaning board asking about Weetabix and the internet will do a nice job for free

Is there anything wrong with Wheetabix?! (i’ve not weaned yet!)!

2ducks2ducklings sending lots of empathy & your way. Do they grow out of this? Do they need to be trained out of it? DD is currently asleep in my arms, gonna have to wake her soon or bedtime will never happen.