5.5 month old won’t sleep.

[cobaltblue27]

I have a five and a half old baby who since she was four months has been the most terrible sleeper at night, and day time naps have now stopped.

Last night she woke six times between 1015pm and 0620 and am now giving up resettling her. Yesterday I gave up the idea of a lunch time nap after she kept waking up....

It takes at least 20 mins to settle her to sleep. I’ve had to go back to using a tight swaddle to have any chance. And she still wakes up without fail after half an hour during the day.

Her longest sleeps are from 7pm until 1015pm and then until 0230am. She’s then up at 4am several times until I give up.

I am so tired I am at the point that I wish I could leave.

I am breastfeeding her and haven’t really started weaning yet but my other two children are terrible eaters (my eldest is autistic) and so I am convinced she won’t eat either. I am really worried she will also be autistic. I can’t do CC as our house is small and then I’ll wake up tbe autistic four year old.

I basically wish I was dead at the moment as there is no end in sight. This is just getting worse.

This obviously sounds a bit dramatic but I really feel like I can’t take this any more.

Is it hunger do you think?
Have you considered a formula top up?
How is her weight gain?
Could it be noise or overstimulation?
Sleep deprivation is torture.

Could she be overtired?
Move bathtime earlier and then bedtime? If she is not day napping it's a vicious cycle!! Trust me I've been there!! Even my now 8 month old can have her moments... she's had a few days this past month refusing naps and then taking ages to settle at night.

Can hubby help whilst you get some rest? Even an hour in the day I find really makes a difference - even if you just rest the bed with a cuppa for an hour....

Hang in there you're doing an awesome job. You are not alone
❤️

She’s definitely overtired. She’s hyper alert and behaves like she’s on amphetamines. Which means she just won’t sleep. It’s a vicious cycle. DH never going to help much. I’ve moved back into her room as he was getting really tired. I wish I was dead I am so tired and can’t stop crying. She hasn’t slept today either. I feel like running away and never coming back.

Im going to relay some stuff from Sarah Ockwell Smith that was golden for me.

DS was a very non sleepy babe. He did snooze but only with me feeding him. We worked things out in the end.

So here's the website:

www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwi0ib-01PfhAhWRVBUIHdyLB-EQzPwBegQIARAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsarahockwell-smith.com%2F2017%2F09%2F05%2F8-ways-to-encourage-better-baby-toddler-sleep-without-sleep-training%2F&psig=AOvVaw098e0AvwZwtW8Z8TAUeRuK&ust=1556708285957170

Possibly the longest link in the world there. I apologise.

Also, I highly recommend white noise. Itll feel like torture to you but this stuff was amazing and DS still falls asleep to it.

Try the Relaxio app or the White Noise app. They're brilliant.

Sarah Ockwell Smith has written a book on baby sleep as well so if you're like we were (hated sleep training, really didnt work for DS) then that might be worth a read.

I would second looking at Sarah Ockwell Smith. You also have my sympathies re being beholden to the needs of an autistic four year old

This sounds so tough. Please know you aren’t doing anything wrong.
My 6 month old is also waking 4 to 6 times at night. I know other babies doing same.

There are huge developer leaps just now. Turning/sitting etc which knackers their sleep. Also teething definitely kicks in.We are weaning onto food which is making things worse but has to be done at some point.

Can you plan to co-sleep for a spell to help you and baby get caught up on sleep?

I would do whatever it takes to get baby to nap - walking, sling, driving. If you can get them to sleep by day night hopefully will improve. Oh and twenty minute naps common here - very frustrating but normal.

Lots of hugs. You’re doing great.

I have taken interest in this post. Our 6 month is also a terrible sleeper. I've downloaded the Relaxio app and am wondering whether the original poster tried it too and if so have you seen any improvement? Thanks. John.

Perhaps I'm going against the grain a bit but only up once between 7pm and 2.30am doesn't sound too bad to me! Can you try and push bedtime back so that those two longer stretches are when you are in bed? That's what I always did until DS was able to go longer in total. If she went to bed at 10.30, she'd sleep until 6am with only one wake up, which doesn't sound too bad! Then if you manage to get her back down again she (and you) might sleep in until 7.30ish.

Perhaps I'm going against the grain a bit but only up once between 7pm and 2.30am doesn't sound too bad to me! Can you try and push bedtime back so that those two longer stretches are when you are in bed? That's what I always did until DS was able to go longer in total. If she went to bed at 10.30, she'd sleep until 6am with only one wake up, which doesn't sound too bad! Then if you manage to get her back down again she (and you) might sleep in until 7.30ish.