SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK PART 8 -- Pack the bags under your eyes and join us!

[RoRoMommy]

Well...I had to think of something! DH's suggestion "Eyes wide shut--the art of sleepwalking"

RoRo sounds like you had a good night , hope you're not suffering for it this morning!

Beal at 5am start, bet you're looking forward to when they're teenagers and don't crawl out from under the covers til midday...

DS went 7.30-7 without a peep although he is a bit coughy and wheezy so we'll have to keep an eye on it just in case the bronchiolitis returns.

Hope everyone else is having a nice relaxing Sunday morning. Off to the shops soon to stock up on mince pies as my mum's coming over this afternoon

i'm so lgad your ds has learnt how to sleep, mine better had by next summer!

morning all, i'm guessing you've all had really good busy weekends and your DCs have been fab at sleeping! unlike mine we were up again at 4:30 this time wtf can i do??? one always wakes the other up, and they're in separate rooms! what will i do when they have to share?

(it's EP here with my Pratchett name btw)

Meg: sorry to hear about your nan. Hope the abs continue to work .

RoRo: DH mutters as well and I can see that it is tough for him. I suppose it comes down to keeping talking and hopefully seeing the funny side of it all...

Hi Jodie

I like the optimistic comments that I have been off sleeping, far from it! Just busy. Also, we have started on the latest Perine Sleep Plan, which involves DS actually sleeping in his cot for at least part of the night - DH and I are having real problems getting to sleep as DS gets larger and larger and more active. So we had 1 night of hourly wakings and in bed with us at 4:30 am then one night of 2 - 2.5 hr wakings and in bed with us at 5. Hope it gets better rather than worse tonight. I am going against most advice and waiting till he is dead asleep before lifting him in, as otherwise he is wide awake and angry in about 2 seconds. Also using the cot for naps, which is being more successful - he slept for 2.5 hrs yesterday afternoon and I had to wake him up for tea .

I'd forgotten the irritating thing about cot sleeping: yu stay awake for ages listening out for breathing and hoping each snuffle won't turn into a proper wake-up - grrr.

Hope everyone else doing well. Only 2.5 more working days for me until Xmas - and lots to do...

glad you;re back EP/CV - hope tonight is better. i think the naps in the cot works really well at geting them used to sleeping in there at night.

Hi EP. Good luck with the sleeping in cot -- we too had got to the point where we were getting even less sleep when he was in bed with us. Certainly I would never get any housework/cooking/eating lunch done if he didn't nap in the cot during the day! Really hoping that tonight is another step in the right direction for you. Are you attempting to cut back on night feeds at the same time, or tackling one thing at a time?

Beal you must be knackered, having been up for 12 hours already! Hats off to you for coping so well.

Hope everyone else is well (Tibsy, Ginger, Charliemama, CSB etc... where are you all?). LO is climbing all over the place at the moment so spending most of the day chasing round to stop him bumping his head when he inevitably topples over.

Nights still going well -- woke at 4.30am as he had got himself stuck in the corner of the cot, but once put back in place he went straight back off til 6.45. Naps can still be hit-and-miss, but I don't really mind when I'm getting a full night's sleep. I haven't done CC with daytime sleep as I can't face crying in the day as well, and as long as we muddle through that's OK with me.

Just a quickie because DP is getting DS ready for bed so there will be indignant protestations shortly and I will have to go and settle him. First time today I've had both hands free to type much!

Night time sleep better, and evenings been better too (back to waking at 45 mins rather than 20, yay!). Sleep just coming more easily again, thank heavens. Still battling with the settling for DP thing, I'm having huge stress about going back to work next month. Even DP is worried i think, he's normally so laid back but has said he'll work another month and let me stay home if things are no better after Christmas.

EP - I like this Sleep Plans thing, makes me feel all positive

Hope your nan is on the mend Meg.

Is everyone else OK?

good luck for this eveing CSB, i;ve just taken my wakings as the norm now and will just have to reside myself to this fact. [bealcain is defeated]

Hi everyone! Meg, glad to hear the abs worked, hope nan is still feeling better by the day.

Beal, you are amazing...good luck with the 4am wakings, I remember that stage, for crying out loud. It's like, ffs!!

EP, good luck with the cot sleeping transition. I tell you what, I have had no luck getting to sleep when he's in the cot for that very reason...the listening for a shuffle, then a whine, will it turn into a whinge and a proper waking?? Ergh. I hope your LO gets used to it and you and DH get more sleep! I am just hoping DH moves back into bed soon...

CSB, I am so pleased that things are improving...babies take baby-steps, after all...

Hugs and kisses-under-the-mistletoe to the rest of you!

Last night was RUBBISH! DS woke every single hour, I didn't think it was possible, but yes, every one. It's that last of the four teeth at the top giving lots of trouble. My mum said he was really unsettled today as well. Poor bear. I came home from work early and played with DS and mum and me tried some BLW recipes from aitch's blog. Not bad, and DS loved the chix fingers!

Miss you all! Counting the days until Santa comes with bags of sleep for everyone.

Righto ladies, I'm here. [breath]

Not a lot to report really. Have been very busy caring for sickies, working and just doing stuff. Which reminds me. The ironing needs doing, I've got to write some letters for work and oh yeah try and get some sleep!!!

So, we've had some rotten nights and not quite so rotten. Teething and inexplicable night time screamathons have kept us going for a few days. (suspect it's the teeth still although she does seem to get very very cross indeed if awoken by anything )

DH still no better although he's trying to carry on as normal but work is becoming inreasingly difficult because he can't focus properly. He's back at the Dr tomorrow though.

Christmas is passing the Ginger household by at the moment. Not had any time to Xmas shop and spent all evening writing Christmas cards and realised that i've missed the posting date for international post so friends abroad will be neglected this year.

Anyway, enough of my moaning. Meg, hope your Nan is improving and glad the wee fella is still performing with good nights. Beal, hope you get a lay in soon, Chubby, my DD used to fight everytime DH took over but these days she would prefer him to do anything over me doing it. He will come around.

Anyway, better go, DH has just announced he's having another migraine Ahhhhhhhh

NO beal shall never be defeated!

Ro sorry your LO has been miserable - hopefully tonight will be easier. Must be great to have your mum aound at times like this though.

Ginger I am also very sorry to hear that your DP is still unwell, you poor thing having to be nurse AND do Christmas stuff AND be mum! I hope your DP feels better really soon, and that you get some rest.

Can I run something by you guys?

DS is settling a bit better for me now. I almost got him to sleep by lying next to him on our bed and patting him this evening. I was thinking about introducing some changes to our set up and wondered if you seasoned sleepless people had any comments?

At the moment he goes down on our bed in the evening, but will be crawling soon doubtless (he's trying pretty hard anyway!). We have a cotbed set up as a sidecar but it doesn't see any use really as DS prefers to sleep next to me in bed. This works OK but it means we wake him when we go to bed. It also means we'll be stuck with cosleeping pretty much permanently, which isn't the end of the world but we do like a bit of 'grown-up' time sometimes ...

I've been thinking about putting the cotbed in DS's room and trying to get him to nap and start the night in there, and just shoving our bed against the wall so he can still safely come in with us. It means DS can sleep beyond our bedtime if he needs to and DP and I would eventually get some time alone. I'd still bring DS into our bed at his first wakening of the night.

Has anyone tried this and how did it go? My main worry is that our current practice of leaving him on our bed won't be safe for much longer. I guess mattress on the floor would be a last resort but we have nowhere else to put the bed!

Hi CSB, your plan sounds exactly what we did for many months. LO would nap and start the night in his cot, and go back there after feeds, but at some point in the night if he wouldn't settle then he would come in with me. If you don't want to have our bed against the wall you could use a bed rail (we used Babydan portable one). Although DS can now climb over that!

i think it is a v good compromise if you want to get the benefits of co-sleeping but have your bed to yourselves some of the time .

Ginger, sounds like you are still having a tough time of it with your poorly fella. Have you and DH got some time off at Christmas? Really hope you will all be able to have a rest, I reckon you need it.

RoRo, damn those teeth. LO has still only got two so we have got all that to look forward to!

Beal, hope you get a bit more of a lie-in tomorrow.

CSB, that's exactly why we had to stop co-sleeping in the conventional way ie taking her into our bed, as she'd just crawl around the bed in the night in her sleep. What we did was this. Cot in her room. We had a roll out matress that we kept underneath and at night would settle her on that, wait until asleep then stick her in the cot. When woke in the night would take her onto the floor matress with either one of us. We then bought a proper double matress a couple of months ago because it became clear that the cot wasn't working. (kept bumping her head etc) She now sleeps on her matress and I either go and join her when I go to bed or go to my bed and join her when she wakes. (mostly the former because I'm too lazy) The idea being though that i'll just eventually just settle her and then return to my bed.

Works for us as DH and I have our room to have 'adult time' we also still co-sleep which suits her (and us) and we can also take it in turns to have nights off in the big adult bed as and when. The last 3 nights, we've all slept together in DD's bed as DH has been feeling lonely. So, even though I have 4 bedrooms, we all squash into one, the second smallest Hillarious, can you imagine the likes of GF and CV? They'd roll their eyes out of their heads at that

Hello. Had a busy 2 days, DD was 3 today . Wanted to check in with you all. Will try to write more tomorrow.

csb - i think it sounds like a really good polan. the thing i've learnt most from this thread is be open-minded and try everything once, if it doesn't work try something else. good luck! (I love gingers plan we're doing it with new one)

ok so it was 5am today....yay!i still feel like crap today and woke up with really bad morning sickness, was on my way to get ds2 out of cot and puked up....nice!!!!

still only 10days till my birthday cept i cant bloody drink now god i sound like a moany old hag!

RoRo - i didn;t out my order in with Santa [bealcain cries like a baby at 4am!!]Hope ds was more settled last night. do you not have CM at all now? your mum sounds fantastic, does she want a surrogate daughter??

Hey Beal! You poor thing, up so early and puking as well...oh, and you're on Santa's "nice" list so you get your share of the sleep gifts, don't worry.

CM, happy birthday to DD! How was the party? You must post photos!

Hello everyone else!

Last night was certainly better than the night before, but still not brilliant. I climbed into bed with my mum (who knew that this co-sleeping thing would last well into adulthood for some people...) at one point because DS was rolling all over my side of the bed and kept waking himself up on me!

Tonight is the holiday party for work and I got my hair done last night, chopped it all off, and I cannot wait to slip into my little red silk number and make off to the restaurant with DH...just like old times!

CSB: we have the bed rail as well. I settle DS to sleep in our bed and then (as per the Plan) shift him into his cot when he's asleep. Last night was a mare (as expected, night 3). He would not settle in his cot, so handed him over to DH in a huff. He was really good, rocking and muttering to him till he fell asleep then easing him into the cot. Woke at 1 and 3 coughing, then brought him in with us as he was cold (extra warm pjs tonight I think!). But I am Determined to get him into his own bed for part of the night at least. I feel more rested despite the longer wakings and it's nice to cuddle DH rather than us perching on opposite ends of the bed all night!

Ginger: sorry things are still unsettled. Hope your DH gets some answers from the GP today. Try not to worry too much about being 'organised' for Xmas - I haven't een written our cards yet! We're on our own (bliss!) so as long as we have a chop or 2 and a bot. of wine (I got a few in yesterday) we should be fine

Do you know this passage from Three Men on a Boat when they're packing for their holiday? One of my fave books and one of the few things DH and I agree on :

George said: "You know we are on a wrong track altogether. We must not think of the things we could do with, but only of the things that we can't do without." George comes out really quite sensible at times.

How many people, on that voyage up the river of life, pile the little craft mast-high with fine clothes and big houses; with useless servants, and a host of swell friends that do not care twopence for them, and that they do not care three ha'pence for; with formalities and fashions, with pretence and ostentation, and with - oh, heaviest, maddest lumber of all! - the dread of what will my neighbour think. Throw the lumber over, man! Let your boat of life be packed with only what you need - a homely home and simple pleasures, one or two friends, worth the name, someone to love and someone to love you, a cat, a dog, and a pipe or two, enough to eat and enough to wear, and a little more than enough to drink; for thirst is a dangerous thing. You will find the boat easier to pull, and if it does upset; good, plain merchandise will stand water.

Anyway enough waffling from me .

CV, love the passage, and very apt at this time of year when people seem to go a little mad for the unecessary. Never read the book but just may do. Is that the one that Dara Obrin (sp) and Gryff Reece Jones (sp again) paid homage to on that TV programme?

Hi everyone, gotta dash 'fraid as have ironing pile the size of everest.

We had a 5 oclock start but a pretty settled night. Poor DH is shaken up again by this migraine. Hopefully the Dr will refer him this time.

Thanks for your wishes and thoughts. Sorry I haven't been much of a support recently.

CV/EP What was the book you mentioned recently about toddler behaviour? Think I need to understand the subject

good morning all, we dont seem to be very busy anymore, i feel like i'm the only one left with awful sleepers.

although saying that, last night wasn't too bad, we were at my mum for my dads birthday, they both fell asleep in car on way back at about 7:15 they were both sparko when i got back and ds2 woke up at 12:10 and then not until 5:20 but managed to brin him into bed with us and feed, so woke at 6, and ds1 woke at 6:20, so all in all not too bad.

Morning all

Ginger: don't worry, you have got more than enough on your plate at the moment and goodness knows you have given enough support to us all over the months! Do let us know how it goes at the Drs.

EP: I love that book, and that passage is very true

RoRo, yay for getting hair done. How was the party?

Beal: for reasonable night.

Well, we had another perfect sleep-through so I feel like I ought to move on from this thread. But I don't want to! I'd miss you all too much

noooooooooo meg dont go [bealcain cries inconsolably (sp?)]

Meg if you leave us I will stamp my feet and scream until I go red!!! (has tantrum).

I'm still here Beal and trust me you are not alone . I'm just swamped with stuff to do.

DH is on holiday so keeps stealing the computer. (Also can't let on how much time I normally spend on MN )

DS2 was very wingy yesterday I think more teeth are coming.

Last night not too bad though. Asleep at 7.30, up at 12.30, 4.30, 6 ish (came in bed with me) up for day at 7.30

Ginger this thread is to support you to so don't feel bad at all.

Keep meaning to read that book CV maybe when the DCs have left home I'll find the time. I still haven't read the last Harry Potter.

How are you CSB I'm thinking of you.

Hello to Tibsy, Amber and anyone I've forgotten.

RoRo I didn't mean to forget you . I'm glad you had a night out with DH. Cheers for mums. Isn't it great to have a babysitter who wants to look after your baby.

CM - i locked myself for the weekend that it came out and finished it after a mammoth 17non -stop reading, except to change nappies and cook dunner and change the t.v. channel bad mum alert! i've since read all 7 one after another aswel