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Slumber Party...The Sleep Deprivation Support Thread

249 replies

InmaculadaConcepcion · 27/05/2010 13:12

We're all in this together... how about a bit of mutual schadenfreude/grim humour/shared agony as we blearily stumble through another day...

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woodlandfaerie · 05/07/2010 15:34

you know I said I would be doing the bottle such? well, he is currently refusing to take the bottle at all. So not sure if it will work. I am not sure what is going on, but he is not happy with it, only wants to have boob, but a problem being there is no milk at 10am as I am sure it has dried up by now. He has those teeth 'blisters' appearing which means the teeth are on their way, but not that low down so i reckon another couple of weeks yet. I gave him some calpol though as he is taking the bottle, then trying to suckle then crying, and pushing it away. He is also grimbling when eating and has not slept much either.

InmaculadaConcepcion · 05/07/2010 18:42

Good luck for tonight, everyone!

DD had a couple of decent-ish naps, seemed to eat a bit more during the day and just went down without being fed to sleep (with dummy, but spat it as she was on the point of falling asleep, so I figure that's okay) and her little fan is very quiet and creates a pleasant breeze over her, so hopefully she won't get restless with the heat tonight.

Of course, after such a good start, it'll probably be a dreadful night (!) so I won't get my hopes up.

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woodlandfaerie · 05/07/2010 19:38

IC oh i hope it is a good sign

Oh and whoever it was saying they were in aw of me for doing the party...don't be, it was a mad thing to do! We cleaned the house for a week for it to be destroyed in a couple of hours! Tidied it again today so we could experience it! Luckily, I have a really good under eye concealer, although needed it all over as my skin has some colour in with all this sun and the concealer is for my usual pasty looking face! It is amazing what adrenaline can do.

Well, after calpol this afternoon DS seemed much calmer and happier with his food, he ate a lot, then some more, and then passed out on my boob after drinking much less than normal and fussing less, so i think perhaps his teeth are on the move, or else he is coming down with a bug.

I would say it is a good sign, but tbh, i have giving up trying to read signs

woodlandfaerie · 05/07/2010 19:39

Oh i meant to ask, do any of your babies absolutely drip with sweat when they drink their milk? I might do a thread about it.

InmaculadaConcepcion · 05/07/2010 19:47

The bits of DD that are in contact with my bare skin tend to get very sweaty, yes!

What concealer does everyone use? I've got a Mac one, it's excellent (just as well, needs to be industrial strength).

May you have a good one, WF - and thanks for the positive vibes!

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TigerFeet · 05/07/2010 19:57

Hello all, may I blearily join you?

DD2 is 9mo and is a rubbish sleeper

Every now and again she'll sleep OK for a week or two, lulling me into a false sense of security, and then BAM! Every two hours again.

She is bf'ed at night and also has a dummy. SHe goes off to sleep reasonably well but will she stay asleep? Will she heckers like.

She's growing like the proverbial clappers atm and has just undergone a huge developmental spurt. Teeth are floating about as well I'm sure, she already has 5 but obviously the rest must come through at some point.

All quiet here at Feet towers atm so I am going to bed. She doesn't usually wake until 1 (then 3, 5, up for the day at 6) so I might get a few hours of uninterrupted zzzzzzzz's

Hope you all get a reasonable night tonight

woodlandfaerie · 05/07/2010 19:59

IC I use

No.7 skin calmer all over my face, followed by No.7 illuminating Concealer under the eyes/in the corners, and in the creases of my nose and that little bit of skin between the nose/lip and the laughter lines. I used to use the Benefit putty/paste (can't remember the name) but it is very thick and heavy and sat awfully on my dry skin, where the No.7 one is very soft/moisturising so does not highlight my dry patches, so i only use the benefit one to cover zits now.

I then put a little tinted moisturiser/No.7 moisturing foundation (can't remember the name without looking) which I use to make sure my eye colour matches the rest of the skin!

My aim is to not look like I have any make up on at all, just look naturally fresh and glowing .

I also picked up a few L'Oreal bronzing wipes, which helped a lot. But don't use it straight onto the face, as it will turn it very brown! I used it on my very very pasty legs, then with the almost dried wipe I went over my face and neck (had some red/brown from the sun, but eyes covered by prescription glasses, and had a vague strap mark. it evened out the patches lovely, hardly made my face darker, but much more even coloured especially around the eyes, hid the horrid purple bruises that lack of sleep has caused. I was very impressed (but remember to do it, then forget about it and not think 'oh it has not worked, best do it again, as I did on my legs, as it gets darker overnight )

Suchanamateur · 06/07/2010 12:40

Welcome to our merry, sleepy band TigerFeet but sort you have to join us.

Re sweat- absolutely. DS also has horrid ecxma (sp?) at the mo so is also greasy from cream as well as sweaty. Makes feeding a very slippery business indeed.

When I can be bothered, I'm a Laura Mercier camoflage girl- two colours you can blend. But I'm pretty lazy most of the time and just look hideous.

We had a v bad night last night after a day of bad naps. 1am wake up which took over an hour to resettle, 3am with another hr and then hourly after that. Cue argument with DH this morning about what we were going to do about it. He thinks we shouldn't go to him until he is really crying so he 'learns' to self settle. Problem is that he will just widget for an hour or so and then start to cry. Meanwhile immawake... Now he pretty much needs a dummy for all naps, I think if we are to do anything about night waking, we probably have to get rid of the dummy entirely and follow mynameis example. But I'm not sure I have the energy right now . Any views? Do we just try and ride it out?

Hope others had better nights!

InmaculadaConcepcion · 06/07/2010 14:47

And a bleary welcome to you, Tigerfeet! Yup, sounds very similar to my DD (except she's a few months younger. However, it wouldn't surprise me if she's still doing that wake up pattern when she's the same age as your DD2...)

Good beauty tips WF - thanks!!

Well, that good start soon messed up royally. It was going well-ish to begin with - DD waking up every 3 hours for the first three. Problem was, she kicked her way out of her swaddle at 0400 and was lying there cooing and smacking her lips, feeling nicely fresh in the fan-breeze AND WIDE AWAKE.

Feeding got her drowsy, but numerous attempts to get her down didn't work and she wouldn't be fobbed off with a bit of the dummy. In despair, I put her next to me in the bed where she suckled and snoozed until 07.30 - while I felt uncomfortable and thirsty but didn't dare move. Meh.

Roll on tonight, then....

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InmaculadaConcepcion · 06/07/2010 14:51

Sorry, X-posted with SAA...

Not sure what to advise re dummy and night-waking - I often wish DD WOULD take the dummy to resettle her during the night - but more often than not, she doesn't want it.

Um...?
Solidarity on a rubbishy night, anyway...

We're off to the UK then France for six weeks tomorrow, so no doubt my posting will be less regular. What it will do to DD's sleep pattern, I dread to think!! Probably won't make much difference either way...

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Suchanamateur · 06/07/2010 14:59

Wow- have a great trip IC. Hope you return with tLes of sleeping triumphs. We'll miss your positivity in the face of extreme sleeplessness.

TigerFeet · 06/07/2010 15:45

Have a fantastic trip IC. Sounds wonderful.

I introduced a dummy a couple of months ago - dd2 wasn't interested at first but then took to it really well. For a while, if she woke at night I could just plug her and she would go back to sleep. That doesn't work any more... now we have a non sleeping, dummy addicted baby. I have thought of removing the dummy again but tbh she mostly spits it out at night now anyway, seemingly it's a bf she wants (or perhaps just a cuddle?) and she gets comfort from it at other times so I will keep it for now I think.

It would appear I don't look tired at all... people say how well I look... or perhaps they are just being kind or are just used to me looking like shit

AngelDog · 06/07/2010 20:13

Just dropping in to say hello to IC - enjoy your trip.

DS is now waking every 2 hours at night, apart from the early evening when he wakes more frequently. Everyone I see tells me how much motherhood clearly suits me, I look so well. Urgh.

woodlandfaerie · 07/07/2010 09:59

tiger sorry I had x-posted with you and ignored you by accident, sorry , and sorry you are here .

IC probably missed you but have a great trip! Insane, but if you are going to be tired, might as well be tired on holiday eh?

Sleep - OH MY GOD. I have just had a great night. DH went out overnight to watch footie at a friend's house, DD in bed and asleep by 7:10pm, DS asleep in bed by 7:30pm, dream feed/fussed at 10:30pm, I thought I was in for a rough night, but then he settled, woke at 1am for milk, then straight through to 6:15am, when he fed and would probably have gone to sleep again if he had not had an enormous poo! DD up at 6:20am, so a good straight 11 hours there too. All in all, a happy mummy here, even though I did wake a million times myself I shall enjoy it for the one-off it is likely to be.

I am back at work today for a catch-up, to start at the end of the month properly

Suchanamateur · 07/07/2010 10:35

Cracking news WF. There is hope. And just in time by the sounds of things.

No such joy for me. Second night in a row of hourly wake ups and long settlings from 1am. I am a broken woman.

Sorry to hear you are having problems AngelDog.

woodlandfaerie · 08/07/2010 18:58

Hey all, sorry you had such a terrible night saa. I hope this evening is better for you.

Last night was good, not as good as the night before, but still good imo. Asleep late as he appeared to want to watch footie! So asleep 7:45pm, dream feed at 11:15pm (had not even stirred when DH went to feed him, might have gone til midnight or so if left!) straight back to bed without waking til 2:30am, fed, asleep until 5:00am, then fussed til 6:15am when he got up with DH after DD woke him! Unfortunately, we had guests so i didn't get to bed til gone 11:30pm myself.

However, he is now asleep not sure what that means, if it is a nap or him done for the night!

Kalikaroo · 09/07/2010 09:09

Hi everyone! Do you mind if I just have a quick rant to get it all out??.....

DS (14mo) has never slept through the night and has for the last 3 weeks been waking up every couple of hours, sometimes more, and SCREECHING/SQUAWKING in a way that makes my brain want to explode!!! He's teething and it's been really hot here too, so he's pretty miserable, but not as miserable as me!!! DH is a stay-at-home dad and I have to go to bloody work and today I have that feeling where I wonder if it's possible to DIE of sleep deprivation (I'm sure you all know that feeling... )

Aaaaaarrrrrggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, sorry, rant over - as you were!

TigerFeet · 09/07/2010 14:39

all your stories sound sooooo familiar, I feel for every one of us.

Will you all hate me if I tell you that since my last post dd2 has slept must better?! In mitigation, I can be fairly confident that it won't last. She just woke once last night, at 4am, quick feed and back to sleep. I had an early night last night so got a few hours precious unbroken sleep. Amazing what a difference it makes - you get so used to being knackered that it becomes normal and you forget what it's like to be bright and breezy.

Kalikaroo I don't think it's possible to die of sleep deprivation, but I think it works like a hangover, you feel so bloody rough that you almost wish you could

Suchanamateur · 09/07/2010 17:24

Kalikaroo- I feel like I might die of sleep deprivation and I don't have to go to work. Incredible that you manage it.

TigerFeet- we love success stories here. It gives us all hope that there is a sleeping future so bring it on! Hope it's not a one off- sounds like a great night.

No success stories here. Worse in actual fact. More hourly wakings but from 7pm this time, not the dreamfeed. And I usually get a couple of hours in before midnight as my DH does the dreamfeed but he has had terrible food poisoning so I've been doing it. Feeling like death warmed up today...

InmaculadaConcepcion · 12/07/2010 20:27

Hi Knackered Online Pals

Thanks for the good wishes!

Trip wasn't too bad - dreadful for DH because the long ferry trip included several hours of big swell and he was ill. I felt a bit icky for a while, but got over it. DD wasn't too bad and slept okay, but it was like breast feeding while on a roller coaster...

DD's sleep is much the same as usual, despite being in familiar surroundings, so no worse anyway. Last night was a bit of a trial because I put her in a Peke Moe sleeping bag instead of the swaddle and she was thrashing about madly for part of the night. I figured I need to wean her of the swaddle, especially as she invariably fights her way out of it now, so time she got used to having free limbs. Must say, I'm a bit weary though.

Welcome kalikaroo - ugh, poor you. Likewise SAA. Good news though, WF.
Oops, gotta go - DH just giving me food!!

Until the next opportunity...

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MyNameIsInigoMontoya · 12/07/2010 23:16

Hi all waves - sorry not been around a few days, just busy busy... hello to Tiger and kalikaroo!

Well if you like success stories we have had at least SOME success here I'm glad to say, DD has been getting slowly better and had several nights where she only woke once and went back to sleep when fed. Then Friday night she had her best night EVER, slept through till 5.30, then I thought she would want feeding but she gurgled a bit and went back to sleep without milk, until nearly 7!! Yippee!

Unfortunately then she came down with chicken pox the next day so last night was grim, she woke several times during the evening, then almost every hour through the night with only one 2-hour stretch, ugh! DH gave her some medicine as she had a bit of temp and was quite unhappy, but sadly instead of Calpol which would probably have helped her sleep, he gave her baby Nurofen which obviously didn't...

Hopefully she will sleep better again once she is over the pox though, and hopefully Friday night was not a fluke caused by being about to get poorly! Now just got to get through a few more days of looking after a baby and toddler while avoiding any contact with people, until she's no longer catching... at least the rest of us have already had it though, so no worries about that!

InmaculadaConcepcion · 13/07/2010 10:57

Ah, poor little DD, MNIIM! Typical, just as you were making such great progress on the night waking - still, with any luck she'll be back on form again soon.

Another night of thrashing around last night, but no 0500 Five Star Nappy Filler Thrillers, so it felt SLIGHTLY better than the previous night....

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InmaculadaConcepcion · 13/07/2010 11:31

Oh dear.... it feels like it's never going to end sometimes, doesn't it?!

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Suchanamateur · 13/07/2010 15:07

Sorry to hear your DD has been poorly mynameis. hope she's on the mend soon and your amazing night is replicated forever!

Hi travelling IC- good to hear that your DD is coping with the jetset (or should that be boatset?) lifestyle, even if your DH struggled..

Sleep is a disaster area here- day and night. So this weekend, we are following mynameis lead and ditching the dummy (the swaddle will have to stay for the moment- can't cope with that as well). Bracing myself for hard work and lots of tears (more mine than DS' I suspect) using sh/pat and PUPD. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I hope it's not too hot or it could be very sweaty indeed!

InmaculadaConcepcion · 14/07/2010 20:36

Groo....

Another disturbed night with much fidgeting and long resettling...

A long nap today for DD (first for some time) - one thing I've noticed about the correlation between overnight and daytime sleep is a worse night usually equals longer or more naps the next day, so at least she's getting the sleep she needs, I s'pose.

Me and DH ended up snoozing on my Nan's sofa when we went to visit her!! Luckily, she didn't mind.

Time for bed.

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