To everyone here who has children who are poor sleepers........

[ssd]

I promise, they will grow out of it

I've read so many posts on here from, frankly, knackered mums and I see myself in all of them

My 2 children are about 3 years apart and I've had years and years of both of them in with me (and dh in their beds), having to lie beside them at night to get them off to sleep or to sit and hold a hand while they drop off, trying and failing at controlled crying as I was in tears too and I hated it, trying every night light known to B&Q, story tapes, dreamcatchers, endless picture books, cuddly toys, blankies, you name it, I've tried it to see if it would help my non sleeping kids get a sleep.

But do you know, the only thing I found to actually work is TIME. I hate to say it out loud so I'll write it here, but I think after 11 years of broken, miserable sleep, my kids have finally started sleeping by themselves, all night. They still wake early, but so what!

So if you are totally at the end of your tether and have given up, please read this and think

IT WILL GET BETTER

(honest!)

thank u so much for your encouragement. sorry for lack of caps & text speak i am typing while bfing.

Thanks ssd - my DS is a nightmare at the moment, but i think im to blame so cant moan too loudly.

Nice to know that theres a tiny light at the end of the tunnel

x

P.S - when my best friend had her baby boy, my other friend bought her a bracelet and had the word "big picture" engraved on it, to remind her that whatever niggly problem he has (not sleeping perfectly, have snacks when he shouldnt be etc), in the grand scheme of things, its not so bad. I always think of that whenever i get stressed.

dear god, I know you mean well ssd, but I'm only 7 months in with my awful sleeper, and I'm not sure I can take another 10 and a half years of it!

I'd like to add a note of encouragement to those struggling with poor nappers. My 9mo DS, who was a serial catnapper until about a month ago, has just woken up from a lovely 2 hour kip for which he went down with zero protest I never thought such a thing was possible but it happens quite regularly now.

Thanks Cyteen. Did you do anything to aid this? I cannot get my DD to nap well- never have done & this hot weather is not helping.

Nothing I wasn't doing already - putting down for regular naps, going in to soothe after he pinged awake 40 minutes in, all that business. None of it worked, and then suddenly it did. I honestly believe they do it in their own time. Have faith!

Did you really deal with bad sleeping by an 11 year old!!!!! I wouldn't have lasted! I've got 3 children 4, 12, 13. I'm having a few probs with LO's (4yrs) sleep at mo, but only been a couple of weeks and think I've now got it sorted! I would have told my older kids by the time they were 6 or 7 in no uncertain terms that bedtime was bedtime and that's that!! You must be a saint to have put up with it for so long!

Thank you ssd!

I'm no saint!!

I mean with a combination of 2 kids, over the years its taken 11 years for them both to settle down, ds1 has been sleeping ok for ages but ds2 hasn't until recently!

I tell myself everything is a phase - unfortunately that goes for the good stuff sometimes too, but definitely for the bad stuff. I like the 'big picture' idea. I apply the 'death bed' test - when I'm breathing my last will I be glad I always got the dishwasher emptied in the morning, or will I be glad I left it to fester and played with DS instead? Goes against the grain as I like to get and on and do things, so sometimes I need a reminder. Hmm, I might get 'big picture' tattooed somewhere to remind me!

we could probably all get that tattoo MrsHD!

totally agree with your post, also your kids that cling ti you when they are small start to want to spend time with their pals when they are bigger and they naturally need you less, enjoy the cling on stage even when it drives you nuts!

thankyou! not sure I could take 11 yrs of this, but I appreciate your message

Soooooo...3 years dow, only 8 to go. That really helps, thanks

down

yes, it truly drove me maD!!

hope its not that long for all of you!

thanks for the support SSD but the thought of another 9yrs of 3.5hrs sleep a night is awful.

MN is my lifeline as I can moan here about the lack of sleep whereas in RL I just have to put concealer over my eyes and get on with it.

MRSHD - like the idea of a tattoo however a messy house makes my stress levels worse so we turn it into a game where DS1 "helps" me tidy up.