Girls, I really need some help! (Sleeping!!!)

[rheannymac]

Okay, I posted a few weeks ago about how bad Harrys sleeping was....well, it's gotten worse!
At first I put it down to one bad night, which meant he had a long nap, which impacted on his next nights sleep and it all had a rolling effect on his sleep.
Then I thought it was down to teething, then the heat etc.....
Now it's 6 weeks down the line, he sleeping is horrendous and I feel so exhausted I'm at breaking point.
He wakes every hour or so and I have to go through and re-settle him. Sometimes it literally just takes me popping his dummy in, which is fine I can handle that. Other times, like the past few nights and last night imparticular, he was up for an hour before he drifted back off. He's not crying or fussing, he's just awake and wanting to play. He'll crawl up his cot & try to sit/stand. Last night he was up every hour, then up at 2.30 for an hour, then back up at half 4 for half an hour before getting up at 6am. He then only napped for 45 mins this morning and is napping just now.
I've tried everything. I've tried him in all kinds of pjs, just a nappy, just a vest, baby grow, sleeping bag, no sleeping bag, I've given him nurofen, I've changed his sheets, I've tried putting him to bed earlier, later, with a bath, without a bath, different dummies......nothing! At one point I was even considering buying a new cot
The only thing I can think of that has changed is we lowered his cot cos he started pullng himself up. His terrible sleeping started since we lowered it, dunno if its just coincidence or if its got something to do with it?
We still have no teeth so tempted to say its still possibly teething related but he's not waking in pain at all anymore, just waking in general.
OH sleeps through it all 9 times outta 10 so we came to a deal where I deal with him during the night and he gets up every morning with him (We used to take it in turns to get up in the morning) but he works mon-fri so I still have to get up at 8ish so he can go to work.
It's just so exhausting that today when he woke from his nap after 45 mins, I just sat and cried cos I just want him to start sleeping properly again!!
He's 9 months so could maybe be sleep regression?? But does it last as long as 6 weeks? He's also just yesterday entered a leap so even more fun ahead!

Any suggestions at all would be great ladies before I have a mental breakdown!

 

[mrs v]

All I can say is I really do sympathise (see the thread on why doesn't my baby sleep) and I am 10 months on and can count on one hand the amount of times lo has slept through...I have tried everything apart from controlled crying, and am still up a minimum of twice per night...I really hope you get a break soon hun xx

 

[rheannymac]

Thank you lovely. It just seems all of a sudden, he used to sleep through fine, yeh there were nights that were worse than others where I would maybe be up a few times popping a dummy back in but he never used to actually wake, he was just stirring for his dummy.
Here's hoping we both get some sleep soon huh! xxx

 

[MrsT2011]

I'm sending you massive hugs as I know how awful it is. Can I suggest a few things - consider getting rid of the dummy and any night feeds. If he wakes up to play just leave him to it as he is ok and will settle himself back down. If he wakes crying give him a minute (I'm not suggesting cc here by the way) then go in and lay him back down. Do you have a video monitor? If so that's handy as I only went in if he stood up. If he was laying down and having a cry I knew he was trying to resettle himself.
I know it sounds harsh but if you can avoid picking him up or talking to him he will realise its not fun so he'll go back to sleep. Give it 3/4 nights and I'm sure you will see a difference.
The first night we did this he woke every 2 hours (improvement from every 30mins)! The second night he slept 7-5!!!! He now sleeps 7-6ish and I can't complain.
This may not be every ones cup of tea but it was either a couple of nights of being a horrible mummy letting B cry without me or every night picking him up whilst he sobbed his heart out as he couldn't resettle. I actually filmed him to show my health visitor because no one believed me that it was that bad but it was and I got referred to a sleep nursery nurse who really helped us and cranial osteopathy which help - he became a tummy sleeper after this!

Hope something's works soon Hun x

 

[claire671]

Oh love not good I have to agree with MrsT, try to leave him if he isn't crying and see if he'll settle himself. If Michael wakes in the night and doesn't cry I just leave him to it. He has a couple of soft teddies in his cot to play with and he eventually falls back asleep, sometimes really quickly other times might take 10 mins but if he isn't crying I don't go to him. It's a hard one though. I hope you manage some sleep soon! Xx

 

[Lynds77]

Ahh welcome to our world hun! 9mnth sleep regression

Although our babies have never slept through so its just made them worse! It will all be over soon. It will all be over soon. It will all be over soon

I so cant wait until she climbs into bed beside me and we snuggle and sleep till 10am x

 

[sallybee]

I agree with the previous poster. It may be time to get rid of the dummy. All I do now when C wakes is go into her room and sit in a chair next to her. She has slept through almost every night since I started doing this as I used to give her milk or dummy but not now! Big hugs Hun it's really hard hope something works for you xx

 

[Gayle30]

Im currently here too and ive always had a perfect sleeper. It started when I moved DG into her cot from her crib. So yeah about 7 weeks ago now. It's hard to get her down and when she does she normally sleeps through but we have had some rough nights like you. Up for 2 or 3 hours playing up. She stands and screams and shakes the bars until she s picked up and cuddled. Ive tried everything too but nothing works. This weekend we are moving her to her own room in the hope that helps. If not...baby for sale.

Just wanted to send you my love. Im hoping ots the 9mth sleep regression as I sure as hell refuse to put up with this. Xxxxx
tapatalking

 

[Mrs Wibbily]

Ahh welcome to our world hun! 9mnth sleep regression

Although our babies have never slept through so its just made them worse! It will all be over soon. It will all be over soon. It will all be over soon

I so cant wait until she climbs into bed beside me and we snuggle and sleep till 10am x

really Lynds sleep till 10? I would love that! You won't love it when she climbs in at 6am smacks you in the face and tells you it's time to get up! No you will say, and you'll make her lie down until you think it's a good time to get up! She won't lie down she will constantly talk to you until you give in and get up! lol. Although this could be just at my house! lol xxx

 

[rheannymac]

Thanks so much for your replies girls.
I had replied earlier but my laptop decided to be a bum and deleted the whole post so I gave up lol

We're definitely going to try taking his dummy away, going to do it gradually though. He's just so restless, he literally thrashes around his cot. Part of me thinks perhaps he's not comfy in it anymore? He always hits his legs off the sides if he's moving so maybe it's that. I don't know. If its not any better in a week or so I'm going to get an appointment at the doctors and ask to speak to a sleep specialist. I know, there's a dr at my surgery who deals with sleep as my brother has been to her before so hopefully she will have some ideas. I just sat and cried this morning because I was so exhausted and I really just don't know what to do!

I do just want to say that I love all you girls so much and don't know what I'd do without your support and advice!

 

[MrsT2011]

I hope you get something sorted Hun. Did your brother have sleep problems? Just out of interest really as all the boys in my family have been terrible sleepers - my cousin was 4.5 years before he slept through the night! One of the reasons I was so determined to tackle B's problems head on.

My friends lo used a dummy but recently he's been waking every couple of hours for her to put it back in so she did the same as me and just stopped giving it and he slept all night! There is hope lol xxx

 

[NavyLouise]

Only just seen this! I don't really have any advice as everyone else's has been fab, but I hope you get a referral to the sleep specialist if his sleep doesn't improve as it really sounds like you're suffering
Good luck weaning him off the dummy, we were lucky that Enid only had hers for naps and when I stopped giving it to her it took a while until she learnt to nap without it but she got there.
Hope things improve soon
Xx

 

[rheannymac]

I hope you get something sorted Hun. Did your brother have sleep problems? Just out of interest really as all the boys in my family have been terrible sleepers - my cousin was 4.5 years before he slept through the night! One of the reasons I was so determined to tackle B's problems head on.

My friends lo used a dummy but recently he's been waking every couple of hours for her to put it back in so she did the same as me and just stopped giving it and he slept all night! There is hope lol xxx

Yeah he used to go through stages where he had really bad night terrors. He had them when he was little but it used to come and go and would only last a few nights but as he got older they got worse. It turned out that it was all down to issues with my dad leaving when we were young and the things that had happened running up to him leaving. He had counselling and now at 30 he doesn't suffer from them anymore. Strange how things effect people huh.

I hope so! I'm going to try only giving him it to fall asleep initially then taking it off him the rest of the night. If in a few days its not working I'm just taking it away completely. We'll see how it goes! I just want sleep!!

 

[Lynds77]

Thanks so much for your replies girls.
I had replied earlier but my laptop decided to be a bum and deleted the whole post so I gave up lol

We're definitely going to try taking his dummy away, going to do it gradually though. He's just so restless, he literally thrashes around his cot. Part of me thinks perhaps he's not comfy in it anymore? He always hits his legs off the sides if he's moving so maybe it's that. I don't know. If its not any better in a week or so I'm going to get an appointment at the doctors and ask to speak to a sleep specialist. I know, there's a dr at my surgery who deals with sleep as my brother has been to her before so hopefully she will have some ideas. I just sat and cried this morning because I was so exhausted and I really just don't know what to do!

I do just want to say that I love all you girls so much and don't know what I'd do without your support and advice!

good luck with that! I tried it for 1 night, but gave in.

she now goes to bed surrounded by them so she can always find one and just shove it in when she wake up! haha