Has anyone genuinely not coped?

[SaltK]

Hi all. Feeling like a total failure this morning. My 9 month old's sleep is and always has been horrendous. We are trying to sleep train with little success. Tried giving in and co-sleeping - doesn't work. Only thing we haven't tried is controlled crying, and tbh that is partly because I'm so scared it wouldn't work and we'd be left with no options.

Everything you read, people just say "it's hard but it ends, you cope, you just have to" etc. But I honestly don't know if I can. Has anybody not coped? Is it even an option? Feel like I'm headed for a nervous breakdown. Not sure what I'm looking for from this post, just feeling hopeless this morning.

I didn't cope OP.
I have the worst sleeper I have even heard of.
For her first 16 months of life I had maybe 3 hours sleep every night.
She now is only up maybe 4 times a night.
When she was 6 months I thought I was going to die.
I remember telling a friend who was pregnant.
She didnt understand.
She now has a baby and she sleeps so much better than mine and she said she doesnt understand how I coped.
I told her I didnt. I had PND triggered by it, I wanted to die so I could sleep. I was so tired I just wanted to die. No other reason than to sleep.
I still am.
Sorry OP, so sorry

I'm genuinely not coping to be honest. I spend most of my time wanting to cry because I'm so exhausted. DS has slept through once. Lately we're back to hourly screaming. By the time he settles and I've gone back to sleep, I'm up again a few minutes later. I'm currently visiting the in laws and DH has gotten angry that I'm trying to get DS to nap rather than spending time with MIL and FIL.

But no nap means an even worse nights sleep for both me and DS. So quite honestly I give zero fucks as no one else is volunteering to have him overnight.

No advice OP. But sympathy.

Sorry OP, your thread fell off my watch list and I didn't see your update! Hope things are okay. How is DS now?

We continued with the CC. Had a couple of setbacks with two new teeth, but other than that we're doing okay. DS still isn't great with napping (usually wakes after 30-40 mins and I have to try to resettle, doesn't always work!) and we've had a few missed naps followed by a grizzly day! Plus he's started waking up earlier and earlier. 6:15 the other day, today it was 5:55!

BUT. I don't rock him to sleep anymore. DH can share putting him down (he actually goes down better for him which is not a problem!). He's stopped disturbing DD. And, most importantly, he's sleeping so much better at night. He sleeps through for the most part, and if he wakes up he seems to be able to settle himself. We had one morning where he woke up at 3am and sang for an hour... and then fell asleep again. That wasn't great for us, but obviously good that he went back by himself.

CC isn't perfect, and it isn't a magical solution. But on the whole I'd say it worked well for us. DS is in the process of trying to drop a nap, so maybe after that it'll improve again.

Very best of luck to you and I hope your DS is feeling better

Thanks for the responses. Windysowindy and otterses I'm so sorry you are going through this as well. Much sympathy, it is absolutely doing me in.

CoodleMoodle thanks for the update. Sounds like things improved quick quickly for you, apart from the early rising. CC has been very hard for us, no improvement yet after 3 nights, if anything last night was worse. I'm still torn about it all, mainly because I know it doesn't work for every baby. Am going to ask my health visitor for advice. Thanks for all the support on this thread. Might be starting a new, more CC-specific one in a few days of we don't get anywhere! Best of luck to everyone struggling