Help! I need sleep!

[T84]

dd2 is 5 months now and still won't sleep through the night. I'm in a permanent state of exhaustion and at my wits end tonight! She goes down at 730 with my dd1 then it's up anytime between 1 and 4. She tends to go down straight after bottle but I lay awake for at least another hour or 2, then up at 7am with them both, I'm exhausted! Tonight has been particularly bad with an 1130pm wake up where she took 5oz, then another 5 at 4am.

I've not yet started weaning as I was holding out for 6 months. What worries me is my dd1 actually slept worse when weaning started, so I'm not holding out hope it'll help! Anyone got any other suggestions or am I just expecting too much?

 

[El1en]

from my experience I'd say you're expecting a lot but that's because my 15m old is still up once or twice �� not that it's a competition I'm just saying

my Dr me from 6m they "have the ability to sleep through the night"

does she go down well/easily in the evening?

 

[T84]

My dd1 slept through from 12 weeks and this seemed the norm with her friends at the time. I'm sick of hearing from one of my 'friends' that her wee boy the same age is sleeping through!

It's more stressing me too because I'm back to work in 4 weeks!! x

 

[T84]

Meant to say, yeah she goes down ok at all sleep times and it's 50/50 between settling herself and falling asleep on me which I don't mind.

She fights all her bottles in the day tho and sinks these night time ones so think food is the issue x

 

[kumber]

Ds2 has only just started sleeping through and he's 1 on Sunday. He was still feeding every 2 hours in the night right up to 10 months thanks to reflux and tongue tie. I think you might be expecting too much, sorry

 

[Maud]

It sounds like you'd benefit from finding a way to relax after the night feed to help you get back to sleep quicker. Any idea what keeps you up so long?

 

[StephyLou]

What time are you going to bed in the evening?

 

[T84]

Defo think I need some relaxation techniques. It's nothing in particular, just the usual worries of being a working mum to 2 probs! Thanks for your replies ladies x

 

[T84]

Stephy I go down about 10 probs, I could do down way earlier but I'm in that war of staying up just so I have time to myself! x

 

[StephyLou]

Stephy I go down about 10 probs, I could do down way earlier but I'm in that war of staying up just so I have time to myself! x

Its understandable my LO goes sleep at 8 and i take myself off at 10 but i do think once your back to work it might be worthwhile a few times a week going to bed at the same time as your kids.

To be honest for a 5 month old waking up once for less than an hour is a really good routine. As they dont seem to be much trouble to get back to sleep could you alternate nights with your partner?

 

[Pambi]

She could be over tired at 7.30pm. Perhaps not easy with another child but I'd try getting her down 6/6.30pm for a few nights and see if this makes any difference.

 

[Emcb82]

I'm having the exact same problem and we've just hit 5 months. Won't take full bottles in the day but will happily drink them overnight. Like you, he's down at half 7, sometimes sleeps till anytime between 1-4, or will feed at 22-23 and then wake between 4-5. It's exhausting and I'm fed up of broken sleep but I also know it could be a lot worse and he goes straight back down again. Just wish he would drink more in the day and then would stop needing so much at night. I've started with baby rice just once a day as he's ready for food. Obviously it's not making a difference yet but hopefully it will!

 

[Maud]

Defo think I need some relaxation techniques. It's nothing in particular, just the usual worries of being a working mum to 2 probs!

If you are willing to try a homeopathic remedy, I used to find rescue remedy's night remedy helpful for switching off at bedtime when I was stressed. My OH thinks it's all a bunch of hooey but even a placebo effect is a good result.

If you don't already, keeping the lights low and not going online or using a phone or tablet during the night should help keep your body more in night mode. If your brain is running rings around you then perhaps try reading a book (nothing too heavy) when you go back to your bed. It'll either keep you up reading or it'll keep your brain from worrying about real stuff and might let you slip off to sleep faster (worth a try anyway).

 

[Rose83]

Hi, I'm not much help but can at least say that I'm in the same boat, I have a 5 month breast fed boy and my 20 month old girl. Bath time for both of them is about 6.45. She is in bed and sleeping by 7.15 and sleeps until 7 or 8 depending on how tired she is. She rarely wakes at all.

My 5 month old has the bath and comes back downstairs with me at 7.15 and feeds. He will then fall asleep but usually wakes another hour later and feeds again. He will then be ok until 10 or 11, feeds again and was going til 4am then feeding then sleeping til 6 and feeding again and sleeping until my daughter woke us. I thought that was fairly good but then in the last three weeks it's all gone pear shaped and he now feeds at 7.15pm, about 8.30pm, 11pm, 2am, 4am, 5.30am, 6.30am then when we get up. I've just got used to being sleep deprived I think although I don't think I could manage to do an actual job like this.

I also wanted to hold on for 6 months to wean but as he has suddenly started taking less milk at each feed in the day I thought he was maybe ready. Two days of trying and he has tasted the food but that's about it, just pushes it back out so as I thought isn't ready. Will probably carry on trying though x

 

[Flo1]

7 til 7 seems a long night for a small baby... Have you tried waking her up yourself for her night feed? I used to put my boy to bed around 7- 8 pm and woke him for another feeding around 11, when I went to sleep myself. Then he could sleep until 6 or sometimes 7.

 

[Baby2child]

from my experience I'd say you're expecting a lot but that's because my 15m old is still up once or twice �� not that it's a competition I'm just saying

my Dr me from 6m they "have the ability to sleep through the night"

does she go down well/easily in the evening?

Yes same here, my 15 month old is still up at least once a night for milk!

 

[Belfa]

Hi what about a dream feed at midnight? Then if she wakes up at 4am try and get her back to sleep without taking a bottle. I did this with my LO as when he was waking at 4am it was more habit as he didn't take much. We stopped his dream feeds when he became fully weaned on solids.

Also when he wasn't taking his day time bottles at around 5months we started him on solids x

 

[T84]

Thanks for your replies and advice ladies. Still struggling on but dreamfed at 10 last night and that did her til 445 which is a lot easier to handle than 1/2 am.

The problem is now probably lying with me and relaxation techniques to help get myself back to sleep will help x

 

[Maud]

Have a Google for basic meditation techniques to help switch off your brain. x

 

[T84]

Thanks maud I'll give it a go x