Sleeping in the day

[Rosieroo]

For the past 2 nights Ella has been really good at sleeping again (7.30pm - 8.30am). Therefore I know that I am probably going to get knifed for complaining that she doesn't sleep in the day.

Help me! I am seriously drained! I can't have an early night as I need to express at 10pm every night so I have half a feed for her (then I express the rest off in the morning with her first feed). That's what I give her at 7pm (she takes around 12oz and then sleeps through).

I am really coming to the end of my tether. DH came home today and I burst into tears as she'd just finished having a 30 minute fit at me as she was so tired. I don't know what the hell the neighbours thought was going on. When she's having a fit at me for ages I come over all emotionless and could quite easily leave her in her cot and hide in my room under a pillow! It's scaring me how uptight I get with her, but it's so hard trying to keep her entertained in the day. If we're out she is this little angel, but I can't spend all day every day out!

Today she slept for about 15 minutes total (gave me chance to hang some washing out). I even took her swimming and she was kicking away for 45 mins - you would have thought that would tire her out

I feel like such a crap mother when I get stressed with her. DH never gets uptight with her (which I am glad about but it makes me feel even worse).

 

[michelle82]

aww hun i can sympathise although matthew gets me up for feeds i still get plenty of sleep as he goes straight back down now but the days are still hard work, matthew does sleep now but its normally half an hour at a time and that can be an effort sometimes, i find that once he starts to grizzle its best to put him in his cot and 9/10 now he settles for a nap other days i am up and down like a yo yo. Whilst yes he sleeps ok at night and has a few naps its still so hard some days they need so much attention i find myself going to bed singing bloody row row row your boat! do you put her down for naps in the day or cuddle her to sleep? when matthew was younger he would get in such a state if he hadnt napped at all and would scream at me it was horrible

I also think it gets worse if you get stressed which is so hard not to i have found that sometimes i have to let him cry himself to sleep if its obvious he is tired and is fighting i will try everything else first but sometimes it takes him crying to go off.

 

[Sarah&Braydon]

Braydon had me up all niote last nite and would only sleep 20 mins today so was in a total crap and i kept getting stressed out with him, so i know wot it is like hun!

 

[lauramumof2]

im sorry pet, im not sure what to suggest. Did you take her swimming in the morning? I usually try to have a engergetic activity like mums and baby or swimming or running about in the garden (i know she cant run yet but u know what I mean) then slow down for much then off she goes for a nap. Its murder when they start to miss the nap especially when you are expressing but you are a very good mum and if you need to cool down and take time out and it means leaving her in her cot for a wee while then you have to do it.

 

[Urchin]

Brody was driving me mad with this too, now I know he HAS to be in his crib for naps, and he has to fall asleep on his own. After a while he'll wake up again, but I have learned not to go to him, and 9 times out of 10 he goes back to sleep for an hour or so.
Don't feel bad about it hun, it's bloody hard work, she will get there, I really never expected Brody to sleep for long periods but now he can have about 2x 2hour naps on a good day so there is hope for you.

xxx

 

[emilia]

Do you know that feeling of "being walked over"? Well, Oscar is obviously far to young to do this, but that's how I feel.

He seldom sleeps in his crib during the day.
He relies on boob ALL the time!
He wakes a couple of hours after going to bed at night and takes over my bed.
I have an enormous bed and sleep on less than a centimetre of it!!
My back's killing me and I'm absolutely bloody knackered.

All the above is probably my own fault, but I'm totally stuck! Too tired at night to sit up with him and too tired during the day to fight his demands.
I'm surprised that I haven't lost MY cool.

Sorry that I can't offer any advice!
Emilia xx

 

[MrsG]

I dont know if this is any help at all. but when Charlotte is starting to yawn and get tired now I put her in her moses basket and put the hood up over the top so that she cannot see anything else. ive found that if she cant be nosey at anything else and has no distractions she will stop fighting sleep and goes off.

hope this helps.

 

[mdsremos]

This is an issue I am struggling with as well. Charlie is great at night although he does fall asleep in my arms after his last bottle at about 8/9pm then I put him in his moses basket in our room at about 10ish and he sleeps most nights till 5am, bottle again the back down although grizzly till about 9ish.

He just doesnt seem to sleep during the day though which means I cant get much done and he goes through periods of being really stroppy and just wants to be cuddled to sleep but I dont want to get into the habit of this. As I type he is lying in his pram alongside me mumbling away in between yawns but he wont give in to sleep Also have a fight most of the day with his bloody dummy...a god send at times but a complete pain in the backside when he wont keep it in his mouth and screams for me to pop it back in, I try not to give in sometimes and he certainly doesnt have it at night but sometimes enough is enough and my sanity becomes a prority

I really want to be able to pop him in his cot or in the moses basket in the cot but cant bring myself to do it although I did try one day last week but he just screamed and I never know if he is too young to be left to cry or not?

 

[michelle82]

its hard at first to leave them to cry and i didnt do it until matthew was a couple of months old, but now i put him in his cot (i actually think he gets grumpy if i dont put him to bed!) then i will go up and down if he is grizzly other days he's out like a light but other days if there is nothing else wrong apart from him being tired i have left him to cry himself to sleep i hate listening to him and will only let it go on for 10mins max but by then he has normally gone off if thats only way he will sleep then so be it but it doesnt happen that often, i also dotn rock him anymore unless we are out then i will because theres no where for him to lay down.

 

[beanie]

Do you know that feeling of "being walked over"? Well, Oscar is obviously far to young to do this, but that's how I feel.

He seldom sleeps in his crib during the day.
He relies on boob ALL the time!
He wakes a couple of hours after going to bed at night and takes over my bed.
I have an enormous bed and sleep on less than a centimetre of it!!
My back's killing me and I'm absolutely bloody knackered.

All the above is probably my own fault, but I'm totally stuck! Too tired at night to sit up with him and too tired during the day to fight his demands.
I'm surprised that I haven't lost MY cool.

Sorry that I can't offer any advice!
Emilia xx

Seren and Oscar are a match made in heaven, she relies on the boob, doesn't sleep in her crib and always sleeps with me but doesn't tke up as much room luckily for me. Now that I am too sore to feed her all the time I have noticed a change...she had an absolute hissy fit yesterday, I have never heard her scream so much because she wanted boob and nothing else would do. I hope they don't drop off otherwise I'm screwed.

 

[Rosieroo]

Thanks for your replies

Ella had 2 x 20 min naps today. I spent most of the day out of the house. I'm sure that we'll get there eventually, it's just really hard going at the moment. Doesn't help when people tell me that I can't complain as she sleeps at night. Fab. I'll just do all my housework etc etc then Had to hold her whilst I went for a wee today as she was having such a 'bennie'.

 

[emilia]

Glad you had a better day Rosieroo! Makes a difference.
Was just thinking, will Ella go in a sling? I know it's a bit uncomfy when you want to get on with housework, but it's my only saving grace.

Just a thought... hope you have a peaceful weekend.
Emilia xx

 

[michelle82]

it does my head in when people say oh well if they sleep ok at night! yeah ok so it makes the day a bit more bearable but its still hard going sometimes, when matthew is having a grumpy day i go out otherwise i think i would lose my marbles

 

[LouisecH]

Hi

You are definitely not bad for feeling frustrated. I've been at screaming pitch many a time and I'm sure everyone else has too. Sleep deprivation can send anyone crazy.

Have you tried controlled crying/pick up, put down?

Zara was an absolute nightmare after spending 2 months being spoilt in Pakistan. I used to have to walk round with her for up to 3 hours before she'd go to sleep at night and creep round IF she had a nap in the day because she'd only sleep downstairs in her bouncy chair. She constantly relied on the breast and I thought my nipples were going to fall off.

It took 3 days for the technique to start working and then we had a set back for 6 days after this when she just screamed constantly. I was on the verge of a breakdown I was soooo tired. However, I kept going and took all stimulation away from her cot and it worked a treat.

Zara now sleeps 2 hours in the morning, 1.5 hours in the afternoon, goes to bed at 6.30pm and wakes up at 5.30am (hmm haven't solved that one yet!). In fact, she now wants to go in her cot and whinges if she's anywhere else.

It's worth a try but it is really hard going. Could you not have a sleep and set an alarm to wake up and express??

Hope it gets better for you
Louise x

 

[BubbleOne]

I am having this problem with Phoebe now too. Much like Ella she does sleep all night but just wont sleep in the day.

She IS tired during the day and if I stand up and jig with her she'll normally nod off after about 45mins But then the minute I go to put her in her travel cot she wakes up. She'll sleep for about 2hrs if I let her sleep on my chest!!

It's totally draining and I dont get anything done. Had to put her in the garden in her bouncer today just so I could hang the washing out!!

I hope they do get into day naps but I have to be honest with you - my next door neighbour has a 2yr old and he hasn't had a day nap since he was 4mths old

So here's to hoping

 

[K X]

Rosieroo you are not alone. I feel terrible complaining when Rebecca goes down at 11pm and thats her til 8am (not good timing for when I return to work).

But she does not sleep at all during the day and is constantly demanding my 100% attention. If I walk out the room thru to the kitchen she goes into a frenzy. I feel like I don't get any time to myself or to do the washing etc. She constantly fights sleep, and then I fight with her to get her down for a nap...but by that time she has got herself so wound up I have to end up picking her up...It's a no win situation...

Your are a fantastic mum, and you are not alone......Sometimes I feel I am getting annoyed with her which is terrible..I say " why can't you atleast give me a minutes peace?" As if she understands. lol

 

[beanie]

It is tiring, Seren is a bad sleeper during the day, and if I do get her to sleep she will only sleep for half an hour. We have gotten into a routine of having an afternoon nap together and she will sleep longer then but with me starting back at work that is not going to be great. She doesn't really sleep at night either so have givn up on the idea of sleep.

 

[Urchin]

Awww beanie (((HUG)))

Sleep is highly overrated anyway