SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK PART 5....... God have mercy!

[Tamdin]

Can't believe we're onto another new thread already!

Morning Baz. Glad your night was OK but bummer about being awake from 4.

DS is similarly going through a very fidgety stage, I have found it helps just to let him wriggle about on the bed or sofa til he's expended some energy.

We did manage to keep LO in cot again all evening but it was not a brilliant night -- settled OK in the evening, woke 11.30 (fed), 1.30 (fed), 3.15 (wide awake and trying to play til 4.45 ), finally went back to sleep but woke early (for him) at 6.30.

I wonder if he is just sleeping too much in the day now, as he has started having a longish morning nap some days as well as long lunchtime one. Yesterday he had 1.5hrs morning, 1.5hrs lunchtime and another 30 mins early evening. He has just gone down for his morning nap so if it's an hour or longer I might try pushing back his lunchtime nap and then seeing if he can do without the early evening one...

Baz, we found that getting DS outside sa much as possible helped, so he could crane his head round and look at stuff without having to move . In fact, he still needs a good hour or so outside every day to stop him being grumpy! It is a frustrating stage and it will get better once crawling is mastered, but then you have to watch out for hazards everywhere...

Glad there were some improved nights. Baz: the early morning unsettled period is a killer, isn't it? Even if you have a quiet period early on.

Tam: sounds like a good night

Amber and Tibs: hope you didn't have too many problems.

Well, a better night for us (wouldn't be hard!). DS had another long afternoon nap, this time sleeping on DH for about 2 hours. Asleep by 8, woke briefly a couple of times but DH shushed him, woke for feed at 11 and 1:30, into bed with us (arched his back and yelled when I tried to put him back in the cot) and I think only woke once between then and 6ish and that was becasue I turned over. Does anyone else find this? I get stiff from being curled on one side all night, but as soon as I try and move he wakes up.

We are frantically packing stuff up to go into storage. We have far too much STUFF, a dozen boxes of books and CDs already and we've only done one bookshelf . The idea is to bung it all into a local storage place, then DH will do some decorating while I'm visiting my parents next week, then we put it on the market. Fingers crossed! Any news on your sale, Tam?

morning all. OMG is this a growth spurt or are things getting worse? Meg my night was similar to yours:
he settled in cot 7.10, had to resettle him 8.20, just got into my lovely warm bath and he was awake for feeding 9.20, so at least thought would get a good few hours of sleep before next waking as it was a full feed...nope he woke at 11 for another full feed, then again 12.20 for another full feed. then again 1.30, then 2.45, 4am (managed to settle without a feed at this one), then 4.45 at which he came into our bed, had a feed then slept till 7am. I worked it out I didn't get a total of an hour's sleep in one go all night. sorry, I only joined you yesterday, don't want to monopolise this!!!
he didn't have any solids yesterday, do you think that might have been it? - i mean, he's only on first tastes, bit of puree & baby rice. bumped into world & his wife in tesco, all wanted a chat, so by the time we got back he wanted BF & nap straight away, so missed morning meal, then he had full feed 12 and 2 either side of nap, so wasn't interested in tea at 4pm, - and there was me feeling smug as i knew he'd had loads of milk esp. after his double feed at bedtime too. I give up!!!

about to crawl back upstairs for his morning nap & feed. hopefully i'll nap too. Meg, his naps sound similar to your DD, but he doesn't usually have a late one, just up to an hour 9-10 and up to 2 hours betw. 12ish - 2.30. he does get a bit cranky late pm sometimes, but I tend to take him out in pram and he might have 5 mins, but generally just looks out quietly, so at least he's refreshed for bathtime.

It's raining, so think will stick in pjs for a while!

Meg: naps sound about right to me - you may find (we do) that shorter naps mean a more unsettled night. for your wide awake period. Why is it always the early hours of the morning?

Could it be TEETH? About the right age. Any dribble/chewing fists/disgusting nappies?

Chooile: get as much rest as you can today. Was checking growth spurts yesterday and 6 months is a classic time (as is 9 months which would explain a LOT for us). Also, I found DS was more unsettled when we first started solids as his system was getting used to the new stuff. Hoe things settle down for you soon. How long do you find spurts normally last? DS's always go on for a week - I sed to read the guff about spurts lasting a few days and laugh bitterly.

IBS - know the frustrated thing. ds doesn't like being held at the moment unless he's tired, but gets frustrated easily at not being able to get at what he wants. the only thing he likes is me holding him in a standing position so he can push down on his legs. that and being thrown up in the air. eh, no advice sorry. it will pass as everything ..

no dinner, no breakfast. no solid food will pass his lips. ah well. he's liking his milk though which is kinda nice in a way.

this whole thing about breastfeedng mum and baby sleep cycles being connected is great and all, but sometimes i just blardy want to go into a deep sleep and not hear every time he whimpers!

ah yes, standing up has always been a favourite game

Morning Tam, Choolie and EP

Choolie sorry you were in the 'shite night' club as well. Yours deffo sounds like a growth spurt. Not sure about here as he did feed but not for that long -- have that sinking feeling he's just addicted to boob for comfort. Actually at 4.45 even the boob wasn't working and I ended up bouncing on the end of the bed to get him nearly asleep before I could put him down. (Yes, I know, I break every rule in the book on getting them to self-settle. I bet most people would at 4.45am.)

EP, not sure it's teeth as he didn't seem in pain -- just awake (kept trying to pat my face in his 'hello, it's morning, play with me' type way, very cute but not v welcome at that time!) and rolling about cooing in the cot. I guess I could have left him to it but I know that he would only have got more awake.

meg,sorry your night was so crap. ds sleeps better on the days he has 3+ hours total naps. go figure, its a minefield isn't it.
choolie, sorry for your night too, sounds horrid. sounds classic growth spurt though. hold on, hopefully will pass in a few days.

Hi AMber. Does your LO still have three naps most days?

Meg: I'll see your bouncing on the bed and raise you a lifting the cot end and jiggling it about for half an hour to get DS to go to sleep - used to be the only way we could get him to nap. Doesn't work now he can crawl and stand

Meg yeah we're on a three nap thing still with the occassional two nap day if he sleeps in/has particularly long naps and/or just plain refuses to go to sleep if we're out and about.
his last nap is getting a bit too late for my liking, around 4-4.30, and i have had to wake him up a few times around 5.30.
i've been putting him to bed around 7.30 and most times he goes to sleep around 8, so is working okay at the moment though i think by next month the last nap might have to go. we'll see what happens. to be honest ithink i might be clinging onto that last nap because by 4.00, i really need a lie down!

choolie, a lot of people say that solids don't help a baby sleep, in fact they often wake up more as their digestive systems adjust ... don't worry about feeding solids too much if the milk is the preferred diet at the moment esp as LO is still little. (note to self: take own advice!)

www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/solids-sleep.html

oh, and i almost forgot, we had a great night, feeds at 2 and 6, up at 7.30
I feel rested, esp since dh got up and i stayed in bed until 8.30.

EP, hope the packing goes well. i also find that getting out with ds is the key to sanity. apparently it is BORING at home.

morning girlies
ibs for your night but for your 4am sleeplessness. re. the frustration, as everyone alse says really, just try everything to keep lo occupied. its a hard time for both of you, but hang on in there and it really will pass

tam good nihgt for you my love. i enjoyed waking the dead too!

meg for your night. hope you manage to get the nap thing sorted

EP - we've got books coming out of our ears too. dont think we're quite that bad tho am very loathe to give any books away tho. never know when you might need em!! for your improved night.... i swear to god ive shrunk an inch or two from being curled around dd over the months

choolie for your night my love. i'd take to my bed every time lo goes to sleep if i were you

hi amber - for no food thing but for the cuddly bfing thing.

well, our night wasnt as 'shite night' as i thought....only cos i stayed up til 12 tho dd woke several (3?) times before that. went to bed at 12 and fed her. she then didnt wake til 5am then slept in til almost 8am am feeling quite refreshed this morn
crap wweather here too, but i must make an effort to get outta this house. will go stir crazy otherwise!

tibs night.
am house bound waiting on tesco del. why do they alwys turn up 2 mins before the end of your del slot
then it'll be time for ds's nap then beofre you know it it's lunch time and i still won't be dressed!
does anyone else find by the time their dh gets home they've achieved very little

we have painted this morning though so all grannies will be getting another picture for their fridge!

EP dh convinced me that we had to turn down offer in hope that he ups it. I know this is standard behaviour when buying/ selling property but I'm such a coward i wanted to accept the first offer!
Estate agent seems confident he'll come back with a better one by end of week

tam, i was housebound yesterday had nearly thrown meself out the window by the time dp had got home did very little (housewife slut that i am ).....must get motivated today. going camping at end of week, sob should start sorting stuff out

that was so not sob ......am looking forward to it really

amber for your night.your ds is really very good on the whole isn't he. or is that just me

meg ds very cut e poking your face in the morning you'd still rather have the sleep though!

you're a better woman than me. only time i've been camping was with dh on one of first summer hols together (newquay) and it was good but it rained entire week. That was back when i was still trying to pretend i liked everyhting he did (i was only 18!)

couldn't go camping now after seeing blair witch >

tam, my LO was a right sod when he was born, but i think he's finally come okay, well, good even! he's a happy chappy in the day and on the whole sleeping to a sustainable level. may it long continue! doesn't mean i'm still not frustrated by a billion things a day. (must be more zen in future ...)
hope tescos comes soon. i'm so lazy. i never have a shower until the last minute. stupid really. i just spend LO's naps drinking tea and email/MN.
Yay for your night tibs, that is a good stretch post midnight.

i just hope the weather improves otherwise there'll be a very soggy tibsy family. am hoping the fresh air encorages dd to sleep well

amber, i could use dd's naptime more wisely, but as its sporadic, i choose not to!!!!

me too amber I trid to sleep yesterday during ds's nap but couldn't so ended up lying on the bed for hour and half (which was nice) but when ds woke up i wished i'd made the most of the time alone (catching up on sky plus/coffee/emailing/facebook etc)
sleeping when he sleeps doesn't feel like a break!

lol at image of you all sitting under your tent soaked through! in nicest possible way of course