So so so tired

[AnnieS2511]

I just need to vent for a minute... My almost 4 month old is SUCH a bad sleeper and always has been.. during the day she takes maximum 20-30 minute naps and at night she is up anywhere from every 20 minutes to 2 hours.. always.. every day.. I feel like we're always finding 'excuses' as to why she doesn't sleep - sleep regression, a cold, she had her shots, it's full moon, etc.. but I'm starting to think she's just a bad sleeper.. is this our life for ever?? How old were your babes when they started 'sleeping through the night'?? Not asking for 8 hour stretches, would just love to sleep for longer than an hour at a time...

Is she EBF? How easy is it to get her to go back down? What happens if you leave her to it?

Yeah she's EBF... it usually takes about 30 mins to get ger back down.. if i try to put her down before she is deeply asleep she'll just wake up again as soon as her head hits the crib... i tried leaving her to it but she just screams bloody murder until she is picked up again

Have you thought about maybe switching to formula for a bedtime feed to really fill her up?

@ReallyLilyReally I thought that was a myth?

Mine is 6 months and a shit sleeper. 30min nap in the day and up between 4 and 6 times a night sometimes for 2 hrs or more. It’s killing me!

My first was a dreadful sleeper. He pretty much woke at least every 2 hours until he was 6.5 months old. He only started sleeping through at 12mo and not consistently until he was 2. He's 2.5 now and still averages a couple of bad nights a week. My second is so different- he's been sleeping 5+ hour stints from about 4 weeks old. Both breastfed babies so breastfeeding isn't necessarily to blame! It's really tough but take it as easy as you can and try not to compare to other babies as that way madness lies.

Thanks ladies! Happy to hear we're not the only ones!! Hopefully we'll all be able to get some sleep soon

My okay sleeper turned into a horrible sleeper from 3 1/2 to 6 months. I turned to co sleeping as he was feeding every 2 hours. I really sympathise with you as it is very hard to function on no sleep. Some days I couldn't string a sentence together.

Young babies wake, they are meant to - I wouldn't recommend early weaning /adding a formula bottle - as long as baby is putting on weight. I would say that there was maybe a regression/ spurt at 4 months so baby did initially need the extra feeds at night but then just got into a habit of smelling milky mum and wanting the comfort.

At 7 months we've just moved baby into own room and done a bit of sleep training and baby now wakes once per night with the exception of last night where baby slept whole way through!!

I'd stick to the lullaby trust advice of keeping baby with you until 6 months BUT I honestly believe it was the move to own room which has improved sleep for all of us. Although I wish I had been brave enough to move baby into own room a bit earlier and had started sleep training for naps much earlier.

On the hard days keep repeating that it is just a phase - get out for a walk with the pram for a blast of fresh air and make time for a bath. You will come out the other end.

My DS is only 3 weeks, but we started topping him up with formula of an evening, with no ulterior motive than to give my body a break as I was finding the constant cluster feeding hard going, and it has really helped settle him at night. He went from 2hrs max to 3.5-4hrs, which is much much easier to cope with!