Neverending sleep disaster

[lambdroid]

I’m now entering week 10 of shit sleep with my nearly 6 month old.

The peak of awfulness was 8 + wakeups a night. We were down to 4 but it seems to have edged back up to 5 again. I consider myself lucky to get 2 hours straight and have only had 3 hours on a handful of occasions since this started.

On the nights I get 2 or 2.5 hour stretch I can manage, but one bad night is enough to totally screw me over as I just seem to have no reserves. And now she’s started having up to an hour awake at 4am.

She’s breastfed and won’t take a bottle or sippy cup. Some success with a Doidy cup but I struggle to find time to express and she won’t drink formula even mixed with breast milk. I started weaning a bit early out of sheer desperation but it doesn’t seem to have helped. We use white noise, a sleeping bag, co sleeper crib and baby nest. Haven’t swaddled for a while because she can roll. If it’s really bad then I have her in bed with me, but hate doing this as I then sleep even worse.

She usually has 4 x 25-40 minute naps. Sometimes I can stretch the middle nap to 2 hours plus which does seem to help but is pretty hit or miss. Will nap in the sling or in the pushchair in the mornings, but hates the car.

I run a business, also have a 2 year old and start back ‘at the office’ 2 afternoons/evenings a week from next week. I haven’t driven in 2 months, my house is a disaster. I cope well with little sleep but this extended amount of such broken sleep is another thing entirely.

Wtaf do I do?

Can’t really help but I really feel for you.

Your little one sounds JUST like mine. We were pretty good until 4 months then not great now awful. I'm thinking it's teeth so trying with some calpol before bed but it's so hit and miss. No wise ideas sorry, but you're not alone! At 2/3/4 am just remember there are others tearing their hair out too!!

Mine is still like that at 1. The only thing that worked with my ds who was the same was night weaning and sleep training but I'm a lot softer with my dd so am still putting up with it. Don't have any advice really but think it's probably fairly normal at that age.

@lambdroid I know you've probably checked this - but teething?
Sounds like mine at that age, now 13 months. Just would not go to sleep for very long or would be awake for hours in the middle of the night. This went on for 2 weeks and then 4 teeth popped right out all at once and we were back to sleeping well again - until the molars came again at 12 months! But I was ready for them 😉

Anyway just a suggestion. Could try a bit of baby nurofen or baby Panadol?

Jolly jumper before bed is always a good one too.

Thanks all.

Could be teeth, but nothing obvious.

I had tough times with my first, just never for so long in one go. Managed to get her down for a long nap this afternoon which usually helps, so fingers crossed.