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"

Does your DH do anything by way of cardiovascular exercise ginger? I find aerobic exercise excellent for stress (when I can get my arse in gear to actually do some!). I love Tae-Bo kickboxing style classes (although I managed to revive my SPD doing that ) but even a brisk-ish walk really helps when I'm feeling tense. Might help if he can structure his days with a wee bit of a walk if he enjoys that?

Thanks for suggestions re diet but think I've exhausted that too

He did IARC but finds that excersise if often a trigger for migraines. Vicious circle really. I'm a great believer in excerise so try to push it but not really getting anywhere.

thanks for your suggestions, hope I don't sound like I'm discrediting them.

Not at all, I know exactly how it is when everyone tries to help but you've ticked every box already!

Hope there were some improved nights out there

DS slept through! Went down at 7:30 without crying and awake 7am as I was about to get up (he has radar, I swear, I was prepared to sneak out without waking him). He was v v tired after a day at the CMs, so we shall see what tonight brings...

Haven;t heard from RoRo for a while, does anyone know if she's OK?

Yay Loudboy!

Well done EP. Sounds great.

Nothing short of a miracle occured this lunch time. DD actually took herself off to bed! Was very tired so I said 'shall we go to bed' off she trotted up the stairs me following. She snuggled up on the bed and as I was closing her blind and faffing about she went to sleep! Interestingly though, she woke after an hour and I had to go into her to resettle her. Why can't she do that at night then?

[shakes pompoms]

Hoorah for ginger's DD and EP's DS!

It must be in the water - last night I put DS in his cot awake and he went to sleep with some back-rubbing for the first time. Normally that would result in agitation and yelling but he just settled down and drifted off. He woke again 20 minutes later but it was a start!

Super quickie just to say that yes, I am still here, and yes I am okay (Thanks for looking after me, EP!), and work is insane but I will update later!

xx and zzzzzzzzz

RoRo you're back!!! I was getting worried about you! I'm looking forward to your update. How are things with your DH? Have you managed to have any sleep? so many questions.....

Meg: I was gutted when DS1 stopped naps altogether (especially as DD was still a small baby). But when it came for DD to give up her regular nap I was less bothered because it meant we had more freedom to go out and stay out IYSWIM. DS2 seems determined to never sleep during the day for longer than 1/2 an hour which is a tad annoying, but maybe that will change.

Ginger: Well done to DD. My DD was such a fab napper and she still occasionally takes herself off for a lie down! I can't see DS2 being quite so ameaneable (sp?).

EP: I am fast becoming convinced that there is a psychic connection between mother and child. I still often wake minutes before my DCs. When DD was a baby I used to lie and think comforting thoughts to her in the hope I could settle her with telepathy. (That's desperate isn't it!! I'm not a nutter really ).

Well DS2 is much improved. He settles himself at night and sleeps until at least the early hours. Which considering less than 2 weeks ago he was waking on average every 2-3 hours is fantastic. I try to follow your rule Meg of no feeding before 6am. This morning I caved at 5.30 after some resettling from 4.20 onwards. But I put him straight back down and he then slept until 7.30.

Sorry IARCFB I forgot to say well done to your DS for not giving you the screamathon.

I have ramdonly won a MN prize!!! Part of it is tickets to the travel show at Earls court this weekend. I won't be able to go so if any of you in London are interested CAT me.

CM: my only MN prize was tickets to the baby show at Earl's court, which I couldn;t make and didn't want to go to anyway. Why can't I win teh luxury breaks and pampering products? Grrrr. Well done on your DS

Rose (have decided more acceptable shortening): well done your DS! Did it mean a better night?

Ginger: DS doesn;t take himself off for naps but does for bed - he tried to persuade me yesterday that bedtime was at about 4:30 - I'd tired him out in the morning in the park and he was knackered. I wasn#t prepared for a day starting at 5am, so held firm till about 6 . He opens the door and marches into the bedroom, gathering books on the way (after some negotiation, we are down to reading 6 a night )

Glad you're still about

Hi RRM, glad you're back.

CM congrats although you can't make it. I think if I went to a travel fair I'd be miserable for weeks thinking of all the places I can't go at the moment.

EP, so sweet. We have to have the "nuke nuke" book (which is DD's word for pingu, she's very very into penguins, funny child).

Last night was also a minor miracle. DD slept all on her own in her bed all night! She woke briefly at 12ish and I went in, ready to hop into bed with her but she settled back down on her own and went to sleep until 6.10 this morning. Can't believe it. Of course, this morning I felt rejected as I hadn't been woken with my morning cuddles and soggy kisses.(DH is a poor substitute) Poor kid can't win!

Isn't it weird how they all seem to improve at the same time (the reverse appears to be true also!).

Good to see you back Ro, hope things are well in your household.

Congrats CM! Shame you can't get there though. And I LOLed at your 'telepathic settling'. I am working on this technique. So far I have got 'telepathic unsettling' sussed ... he wakes half an hour after I've got to sleep, without fail .

Big woop woops for everyone's sleepy offspring though - especially ginger's DD for being a big grown-up girl!

Hope you are all staying warm and dry in this 'orrible weather - snowing again here [brrrrrrr]

where are you Rose? It's grey in London, I'd love some snow here

rain, rain, rain here. No sign of snow. I'm considering a complaint to the council

The Highlands ... proper white fluffy stuff followed by a bit of a blizzard, back to white fluff now

Lucky you. DH is Scottish, we've contemplated moving up there but not sure what we'd do for work.

Maybe you'd like to buy my house?

. I was at uni in Scotland, but St Andrews so not much snow anyway...

Hello all. It was good to read such cheery messages. to you Rose for having fluffy snow. It is cold, windy and very wet down here.

I received my tickets today, they sent me 7 x 2 adult tickets. Is there really noone who wants to go? Mind you I have to agree with you Ginger it's not really something that interests me. Why can't I win the lottery? I wasn't even aware I was entered in this competition.

DS2 is still doing well. Last night he slept from 7-5. I cuddled him and put him back down. He went back to sleep after a brief protest, but woke again at 5.30. So I fed him and put him back in his cot and he slept to just before 8. I am really praying he doesn't become an early waker because I am much more of an owl than a lark!!

Just reread your post Ginger. Hurray for DD what a star .

Quick hello from me. Quiet in here - I think everyone must be asleep.

Big hooray to CM's DS - so glad you're getting some rest now, well done both of you

We're getting somewhere too, all of a sudden. DS has taken to actually napping for an hour or two during the day! Which is fabulous, eliminates the perpetual grind of 4 x 45min naps and he's much cheerier [relief]. Plus he's now on some occasions put-downable while sleepy and can be patted/back-rubbed to sleep. I only resettled him once between 8 and 1 last night (then I took him into bed, wasn't going to spoil a good run by fighting with him!).

Having said that the second half of last night was punctuated by hour-long bouts of wailing and struggling with wind Oh, and DP ringing the doorbell at 3am

Back to work tomorrow so I hope the newfound sleepiness lasts!

Hope everyone else is enjoying a long lie - all the snow's melting here so it's kind of grey and bleak. Might drag the boys our for a walk soon anyway [wicked cackle]

Rosemary, glad to hear you are having some progress with naps. Makes all the difference to have a bit of time to yourself in the day, doesn't it?

Here, on the other hand, naps continue to be a struggle. He has definitely dropped the morning nap (apart from yesterday, but he was coldy and miserable so obviously needed the extra sleep). That I can handle, but the lunchtime nap seems to be suffering too -- for the last week or so he has woken halfway through and needed me to go in, turn him on his side and pat him til he goes back off. This might not sound like much in the great scheme of things, but when it interrupts the only break I get all day to do cooking etc, it's a bit frustrating!

He's still a bit coldy and got two teeth coming through at once, so I will give it time to settle down, then maybe give cc a crack during the day...