5 MO in a cycle of overtiredness

[Sleepisnonexistant]

Does anyone have any suggestions for getting my 5 mo out of a cycle of overtirednes... well thats what I think is going on....

It's been 3 weeks and u can count on one hand the number of stretches of sleep she has had more than one hour. Nights are horrendous. Days have never been great with naps, but im not even able to get a good nap out of her with a contact nap, whuch used to be my fail safe method. Tried shortening her WW to 2 hours yesterday to try and help the sleep deficit... she only napped 2 hours all day. Shes yawning constantly, rubbing her eyes and flits between this and a bit 'manic' overtiredness.
And now at 5am I'm here typing this, having slept for about half an hour to 1 hour myself. Number 1 I want to help my LO, but I seriously need help too. I've never felt so ill from sleep deprivation and I'm finding myself becoming isolated. I'm not depressed (been there in the past) but can see me heading that way if I don't get something sorted. I'm a really sociable person, but have cancelled on friends numerous times over the last 3 weeks and not gone to my LO baby groups and classes. The thought of getting behind the wheel of a car terrifies me so I'm limited with what I can do and my only time out is pushing LO around in her pram, trying to get her to sleep. My husband and mum are doing all they can. I can't keep going to bed at 7:30- 8 pm only to have such little sleep.
I hate the idea of CIO and don't like the idea of co-sleeping. Has anyone ever used a sleep coach and have any recommendations?

How is she fed?

You could try altering her rhythm a bit.

Up and dressed at 7 everyday with a feed and go from there. See if other naps / sleep fall into place.

What happens when she doesn't sleep? Are you rocking her lots or in other ways trying to get her to sleep?

I discovered once by accident that just leaving mine alone in their cot sent them to sleep. I'd put DD in her cot while I sorted some clothes in her room. I wasn't chatting to her and she just fell asleep. There wasn't any crying, she'd been happily watching me sort the clothes.

Didn't want to read and run - there's a woman called Sarah Norris who is a "baby consultant". She's got an amazing Facebook group called "brilliant baby solutions" that's been really useful for us. You can post your question and she'll get back to you with some ideas of what it might be. Her book is also really useful for identifying where the "routine" is going awry.

I will try to link it here: www.facebook.com/groups/brilliantbabysolutions/?ref=sharewww.facebook.com/groups/brilliantbabysolutions/?ref=share&exp=9594

Thanks everyone. She's only BF. Will not accept a bottle despite months of trying (and she used to take one up until 3 months ish weirdly!)

She's been up now since 7 with my husband, but was sleeping on and off in little cat naps for the hour ish before that.

If she's happy and awake (about a 3rd of the time) i just leave her to her own devices to put herself back to sleep. ... its just i dont sleep then as shes so noisy!! Otherwise I Feed, Rock, pat and shush or combination of all. She seems to be able to pit herself to sleep when happy, it just takes ages (40 mins).

Sounds like the 4 month sleep regression. It's a thing. Don't worry it will pass. It's awful but just stay in survival mode. Everyone breathing, basically fed, house not on fire = winning.

If you like wearing a sling I found them really useful, also walking in orange and then wheeling it into house but definitely sleep or sit whenever possible and lower your standards.

There's another one around the 8 month mark too.

Get her in her own room. My daughter is also 5 months old and I struggled to sleep due to her noises and it's so much better now she's in her own room. Try a complete change of routine, white noise, curtains shut, try a different type of bottle maybe? Get yourself in the car if you can, babies often sleep for hours in the car.

Own room could be an option too. My youngest went into her own room at 4 months because we were waking her up and she slept better in there.

Having a bottle or formula won't make them sleep. That is a lovely bit of marketing put about by the formula companies.

Think own room it is, HV said the same today.
Completely agree that a bottle or formula won't make her sleep twizbe. Was just hoping she could take the odd feed off someone other than me so i can catch up on some sleep. Bf is starting to feel so restrictive. I have loved the bonding side of it and convenience compared to bottles, but you can never have that evening off or even a decent sleep. The last 'me time's had was a haircut in November. 😪
Has anyone used huckleberry to predict naps and help with scheduling? I'm clutching at straws now. Next I'll be hanging an egg above her bed like a mad woman!

I find 5 months to be a bit of a wall with breastfeeding. I've known many women really struggle with being 'touched out' at this point.

I found though that once weaning started they quickly dropped a feed and that suddenly made it all so much easier. That just continued and by 10 months we were down to just 2 feeds a day. I could have done those 2 feeds forever.

I didn't use an app for predicting but I did find that starting the day at the same time helped us to become more predictable.

Enforce a strict nap schedule using the sling for a few days. As in, walk her in the sling to keep her asleep for a decent amount of time. Tiring for a few days, but might get her out of the cycle.

Try to get her to fall asleep on her own. Personally I'd used to leave them to cry for up to 6 minutes, this is NOT CIO, 6 minutes is enough time for them to grizzle a bit and possibly fall asleep alone. Longer than that I'd then help with pat shush. No feeding to sleep.

Sleep, attachment and bf are all interlinked. I was having the same issue with DD but once she came off the breast, we were able to wean her off of me (we were able to wean ourselves off of each other!) and things progressed to sleeping in own cot, then own bedroom, then all night in own bedroom.

The sucking is a reflex until 3 months, at which point it's a learnt behaviour which is why baby stopped then

4-6 months is prime time for sleep regression / sleep development.
we had a horrendous time of it during this period.
give her some time for her sleep to settle, hopefully it will pass in a couple weeks.

im the meantime have a look at some baby sleep accounts online (Baby Sleep Code etc) and try to work on good putting in place good sleep habits / routines for 6+months. For example, weaning her off rocking/feeding to sleep.

she’s still too young for any more intensive sleep training but there’s lots you can do to try to install good habits from now.

cat napping is hellish and ruined my life for 6 months but after the regressions passed both babies figured out longer naps and longer wake windows - so it will happen!

it’s a horrible phase, I feel for you - but it will pass

We're in the same boat, DC2 stopped wanting to sleep before Christmas and it's got progressively worse. Doesn't even want to be put down when they're tired now and refusing bottles of expressed milk which they happily took for 5 months. We keep waiting for it to pass but nothing is changing and we're shattered.

To add, DC2 is 7 months

I have a 5 month old and I'm definitely feeling the exhaustion. We've moved our little girl into her own room now, she's definitely getting some longer stretches. I think we were waking her up in our room.

I also when she was in our room used an ear plug in one ear. Was enough that I could ignore the fidgeting but would still hear her cry.

My LOs schedule is all over the place. Yesterday she had 2 30 minute naps, was fast asleep by 6pm. Just can't get her to do that 3rd nap some days! Hoping we settle into more of a routine soon.

Same boat OP.

I paid for Huckleberry sweet spot and whilst I think it helps me have a vague (and I mean vague!) idea of when he’s tired (he yawns when he wakes up, barely sleeps at night so must be constantly tired) I try and get him to sleep. He just doesn’t stay asleep and I really have no idea how much sleep he should have at each nap - so much ‘advice’ out there that all says different things!

I’d consider moving him to his own room but I suffer horrifically with anxiety which has been exacerbated since he was born and don’t think that would help anyone at the moment 😂😩

Wow I think I’ve found my people. Similar situation here. 5 month old slept ok and had 2ish feeds per night since the 4 month sleep regression, two cold viruses and teething everything went to shit.

Will only nap for 30 mins unless held. Wakes around every 1.5 hours in the night and wants feeding back to sleep, but can occasionally “self settle” for naps and bedtime (but makes no difference to how often he wakes). Used to accept a bottle of breastmilk or formula occasionally up until a few weeks ago and now completely refuses.

If anyone has a magic solution please let me know. On my knees with exhaustion.

Time. Hopefully baby will come out of the sleep development / regression and settle into a better routine around 7/8 months.
stick it out!

if not, gentle sleep training - 💯 worth it in my view having done it with two

Omg, hello fellow 4-5 month old sleep regression sufferers! Just wanted to say hi.

I'm stuck feeding my nearly 5 month old to sleep almost every 40 minutes. His naps have gone to shit too so it's 2 pram walks a day just to get him any daytime sleep & seemingly endless nights of no or very little sleep. He is waking earlier and earlier too, like his days are now 23 hours instead of 24!

The regression, a cold & teething hit us like a ton of bricks 5 weeks ago... I don't know whether to sleep train or let it pass in time. It's awful. Sort of nice to know we're not alone.

@TheRookieMum are you me? 😅
Also debating on sleep training. Something I said I was against but that was before I felt so sleep deprived and miserable like I do now.

@Moonshine160 ha! It's just not fair to have so much lumped on the babies, and then us by default, all at the same time, is it!

Today I don't know which way is up. Between 2am and 6:30am I had two 30 minute naps in my own bed because the LO just wouldn't be put down / chatted himself awake... it was grim to say the least... I hope y'all had better.

Exactly the same with the walking , I'm walking for hours and miles and miles each day now just to get any sleep in the day. Forget trying to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight, I'm the lightest I've been in 10 years. Unfortunately I've got that new mum bedraggled look so not glam!!
Stiuck constantly feeding to sleep at ight too. My back can only take so much rocking that I'm just giving in and feeding her constantly.
Hoping she will outgrow thus soon. Its heading towards 5 weeks and I'm so exhausted. Already on wake up number 5 tonight. Send help!

Considering sleep training too. Was so against it when she was born but I'm gradually getting worn down to the point I think it may be the only option.

Yes! My hair is never tidy, washed yes, but tidy no. And my back & knees don't do well with rocking either so maybe I'm my own worst enemy feeding him to sleep every time, but I just can't rock him long! Certainly not long enough to have him fall asleep! What are we supposed to do???

What a change for us in such a short space of time. Thought id share our success as there is hope. Its like someone flicked a switch as she turned 6 months (or switched my baby!). From 1.5 hours to 6 hour stretches at night and she is happily going down for 1.5 hour naps in the day in her cot. It's only been a few days but I'm hoping it's not a fluke!! Literally the only thing I changed is my health visitor suggested giving weetabix before bed to fill her up. Can see how that would help at night, but to see such an improvement in the daytime sleep too. Otherwise I have done nothing differently. Hang in there, it can suddenly change overnight.... and maybe try weetabix! X