My children never sleep and I don't give a fig

[morningpaper]

You know I really don't care that much

Aren't ALL parents knackered?

Last night: (Child1 is 5, Child2 is 2)

7pm: Children fast asleep
8pm: Child1 coughs herself awake, sits up in bed crying, I blow her nose and settle her back down
9pm: Child2 loses dummy, starts shouting, I replace dummy
10pm: Child1 has huge coughing fit again (repeat hourly throughout night)
1am: Child2 wakes up shouting loudly about wanting bacon - settle her back down
2am: Child1 wakes everyone up laughing hysterically in her sleep then has coughing fit
3am: Child2 gets out of bed and manages to shut her own bedroom door and then starts panicking and screaming - I bring her into my bed
3.15am: DH goes into Child2's bed
4am: Child2 needs a wee
4.30 am: Child1 wakes up coughing and crying - DH settles her back down
5am: Child2 wakes up shouting that she wants her diary back - has to be settled back down
8am: DH wakes us all up for the day

I've had five years of this. It doesn't REALLY bother me or DH that much.

I think some children are naturally awful sleepers.

come and lie down in my bed Noddy

it's warm and cosy

Mind you, sometimes she arrives by my bedside with an armful of toys, which I feel suggests a bit of pre-planning on her part

I think I've just got used to the interupted sleep - if you've never had a full night's sleep then you don't miss it

and obviously I take uppers with my breakfast

I agree - some children just are unsettled sleepers. I accepted it in the end, but I always found it hard and know I will again (we are ttc no.2)..

(remembers the sleep deprivation and feels sick)

my ds didn't sleep for 13 months and it left its mark on me

Luckily most of mine have been good sleepers. Dt1 was awful, and ds1 (14 months) is a pain at the moment but I am hoping it won't last much longer!

Ok, so you don't give a fig about sleep.. fair enough. But what about yer kids? Sleep is dead important for wee people!

You mean you haven't tried controlled crying mp?

Ok, so you don't give a fig about sleep.. fair enough. But what about yer kids? Sleep is dead important for wee people!

They are in bed at 7 when I open the wine and up in time for school

I don't MAKE them wake up screaming for bacon

yes you can't make your children sleep any more than you can (well should) MAKE them eat

if they are too tired from waking up then they can sleep later, I don't think MP is poking them with sticks

Well last night we turned in at 11pm and at 11.05 child2 woke up SCREAMING SCREAMING SCREAMING: "WHERE IS GRANNY! I HAVEN'T CUDDLED GRANNY!"

She was insonsolable, absolutely HYSTERICAL for about 40 minutes!!! We tried to colsole her but in the end I took her into my bedroom and closed the door while DH stayed in with Child1 who had woken up.

She stopped crying but was awake until nearly 1 a.m. - Just tossing and turning.

Goodness knows what our neighbours think - I heard them go to bed at the same time we did. I'm sure they think we are AWFUL PARENTS.

Sleep is ded important for me too. Sadly not for dd it seems.

She wakes up anything from once to five times a night and wanders in and wakes me up. She doesn't lie in bed shouting for me, she jsut comes in and rattles me "Are you awake Mummy" "Yes well I am ^now"

We are just running with it atm, if we co-sleep we all get more kip although dh doesn't sleep in our bed any more .

I have to say MP I admire your attitude - I am coping with it far less well.

We have it with ours too, mainly ds2 (13 months) who feeds 4-5 times a night still and never seems to sleep. I'm used to it but still tired obviously.

Worst night was Friday when I had about 2 hours sleep all night. I'm a light sleeper too and find it hard to get back to sleep after being woken although it's easier lately with being exhausted.

Ds1 (4.4) still wakes in the night and early mornings 5am and dd (6 in a few weeks) gets up in the evenings a lot. She has asthma so coughs a lot at night too.

You do get used to it but I have every sympathy for others with children that don't sleep too as everyone copes differently.

They BOTH slept through last night and today I feel absolutely APPALLING

I feel so tired I want to cry

lol!

I am totally with you on this MP.

Dd1 is a fab sleeper, 12 hours a night. Since 3 months old. Now almost 7.

Dd2 is the other end of the spectrum. Usually wakes 2-3 times a night, for no reason, and calls and hsoits until one of us gpes in or does a whispered SSHHHHHHHHH to her.

The past fortnight she has had a hacking cough and has woken up aprrox 8 times a night. She has also wet th ebed 3 times in that fortnight.

I almost sleep walk into her room when I hear her now.

Elliot...(or anyone else) you say you don't go to their room or let them in bed with you but what would suggest for a 2 year old who can find his way from his room into bed with you in the pitch black? I had to get rid of the cot as he can climb out of it! The catch on his bedroom door is broken and am not that keen on locking him in anyway. Also he moves around in his sleep (sometimes over quite large objects) and wakes up in funny positions nowhere near his sleeping pad. The HV suggested a stairgate across his bedroom door but he can open them.

Mine isn't sleeping much at the mo. I figure I can either rail against it and be knackered or accept that sometimes some children don't sleep much, and be knackered.

Meh.

Jeeesus, I can't believe how chilled you are about that MP. I'd be a complete and utter wreck with that little sleep. In fact I'd be so vile to my children in the morning that they'd soon learn not to disturb me. It just wouldn't be worth it on their part.