VERY Tired and Distressed need advice

[Ruth2808]

My nearly 6 mth dd used to sleep through the night pretty much from birth but for the past week or so has continuously woken up crying. She is already on 2 meals a day and has breast when ever she wants during the day and a full bottle just before bed at 7.30 ish. Last night it was just constant! I am so tired I have 2 older children who are now on school holidays and they have a sobbing wreck for a mother this morning! Sometimes she wants BF but most of the time it's just a cuddle and she'll stick her thumb in and fall asleep but as soon as you try and put her down she starts to cry again. Please come up with some advice or I will go insane.

Really sorry but probably not going to be of much use. My DS did the same thing last night, he was a bit better when I took him into bed with me but it might have just been that he was easier to deal with (also he is quite often a lousy sleeper), he has a streaming cold this morning - perhaps yours is coming down with something?

Anyway you have my sympathy if no practical help. I hope its better tonight

Poor you. They're such random little creatures aren't they? Think you've got it all sorted then out of nowhere they just decide they don't fancy sleeping properly anymore for no apparent reason...

Not sure I have much practical advice, although you have my sympathy. From a practical perspective though, I guess it's clearly not hunger that's waking her it's simply that she wants attention as you say. I take it she's not teething or anything?

My DS has done this from time to time (now 18 mths old) - the only thing that really worked in breaking the pattern was gradual withdrawal of the attention over several nights to get her out of the pattern (e.g. holding in cot and cuddling > holding in cot with arm next to her > hand on her > standing by cot).

For a quicker fix, although it's probably not PC, sometimes after a particularly brutal few nights, he had a little bedtime spoon of Calpol to help him/ us get a better night's sleep... sounds like you might be at that stage! (Curiously, a couple of times, an 'assisted' nights sleep did also help break the pattern...!)

She is probably teething. Can you buy some teething tablets? They worked wonders for me.

She has had a snuffly nose so for a couple of nights we've tried Medised to knock her out!!! But that still doesn't work!!!!!!! sLOWLY GOING INSANE

Sound's like teething to me. My nearly 8 month old slept brilliantly until she started teething a couple of months ago. Teething didn't seem to bother my older 2, so I guess every child is different. I tried everything - teetha, teething gel, medised - & none of them had any effect. She's finally got a tooth and it's calmed down a bit so hang in there.

Medised does not work on all of them
My vote goes with teething and the new experience of solids. Try giving Calpol about 30mins before her last feed and see if that helps her go longer. I found it worked better than medised as a pain killer.
If she is snuffly put a few drops of karvol/baby olbas oil on a tissue and tuck it down the side of her cot near her head but out of her reach.

If it is any help my DD does this occasionally now and it is usually because of a tooth or cold coming on. Once it is over she goes back to her old routine quite well but it takes a few days.

Good Luck

Ruth2808

Seriously, I don't work for the company or anything goofy like that but have you tried teething tablets. They dissolve instantly and work really well. Doctor says they are fine and if you ask pharmacist they should be able to help you.

What are teething tablets? Sound A bit ominous

It is homeopathic stuff...check this out. I am telling you they made my life so much easier

www.hylands.com/products/teething.php

Thanks everyone the herbal granules seem to have really helped and her first tooth has just started to poke through. She has now been sleeping through again which is utter bliss!!