Zero sleep!.....and now cosleeping.

[bigbee]

I've not been on here for a while now, purely due to ZERO sleep!

Our 4 months old has always been a poor sleeper, but the last few weeks have been even more horrendous.

For the first three months he was in his crib, and his nightly sleeping was in these intervals (roughly! On a good night): 4 hours, 3 hours, 2 hours and 1 hour. Then we put him in his big cot in my room; partner sleeps In a different bedroom. That didn't really work for us, as I was getting up to lift the baby out of the crib, and then struggled to fall back asleep. Was more exhausted than ever!!!

A couple of weeks ago, we took one side of the cot off and put it next to my bed. That helped somewhat as I don't have to get out of bed, so can lift him out and feed half asleep.

However, I have now pretty much resorted to cosleeping because he refuses to go into his cot in the night!!!!!!!!! Whoever said that cosleeping mothers sleep better is WRONG. if I am not feeding, then I'm awake being punched and kicked.

Not sure what the point of this post is, really... I'm just so fricking tired.

 

[TTT]

I started co sleeping at about three months. Prior to that our baby would only really sleep on us. My husband used to sleep in a separate room too but we recently rearranged the upstairs so we now have the spare single bed next to our double bed which are just about the same height ao we have a massive bed so we all sleep in the same room.

I feed my baby lying down in bed and I fall asleep during his feeds. Having said that, iv had to change that a little as he's been suckling for comfort on a bad latch while.im asleep and has caused me problems (I started a thread about this). He does thrash about which does wake me up but I get more sleep than I dis beforehand.

He goes to bed around 830 and I go with him. He feeds at 830, 1230, 230, 630 generally but as we've entered the sixth leap its every two hours again like a newborn. The longest he's gone is five hours.

He sleeps best on his side and I normally tuck his legs up for him and he sleeps with his feet resting on my legs as I sleep on my side facing him. If he starts to stir I can sometimes get him back off by squeezing his arms and chest and rocking him ever so gently. He normally gives me.an hour or two before he thrashes around. If he's particularly thrashy my husband will sit up in our bed on his computer so baby is squidged up to him and he can squeeze him whn he fidgets. This usually gives me undisturbed sleep between 830 and 1230 or 130. I've adjusted to that being enough if I can doze from then on. Our baby wakes at 7 after a feed at 630 and we lay in bed for half an hour before we get up. I'm pretty achy when we get up lol from spending nearly twelve hours in bed every night

I'm hoping to move him into his own bed when I finish breeding around one year old but not holding my.breath

 

[CARNAT22]

We co sleep, have done since Bee was about 3 months (before that she didn't sleep longer than 2-3 hours and would only go in her chair).

She never spent more than half an hour in the crib and she won't entertain the cotbed - which like yourself has a side off and is pushed up against the bed.

My OH sleeps on the sofa and although co sleeping is better for us, I still have horrible sleep..Bee feeds a lot, she fidgets and she takes up a lot of space for a little child.

Am going to have to consider some sleep training at some point as I am back to work in a few months.

X

 

[Karenb]

I have co slept with Sophie for a while now and really want to get her back in her crib now as I'm having to go to bed at 9 with her and am also so achey from lying in bed long and not moving freely as she wakes up if I move too much!! She sucks for comfort whenever she stirs which is a nightmare! Don't get much sleep at all so if anyone finds a miracle solution please share!!!! X

 

[Orion]

I have the same trouble falling asleep again at night, so OH does the night, and I go to bed early and get up early in the morning. Obviously this only works if OH has bottles he can use.

I'm assuming your BF. Could you express enough for a night and let OH take over?

 

[Goat]

We co-slept pretty much straight away until 7 months at which point I had had enough, I would get back ache, she would wriggle and be constantly latched on and I was a zombie in the day with no energy to play with my toddler. She refused her cot and would probably stay there for about 20 mins until she woke. I did some gentle sleep training, a method called pick up/put down and that has made the world of difference (though would not have done it before then). She started sleeping through after 3 days and that lasted for 2 weeks until she cut some teeth and since then she will sometimes sleep through or wake once or twice but she sleeps in her cot and has a good 2 hour nap in the morning and afternoon.x

 

[blueeyes34]

I don't co-sleep, Ania is in the Moses basket next to me. I can't help, but just wanted to send you my best wishes and let you know you're not alone, I'm still up every 2-2.5 hours with Ania, and it's not 4 months sleep regression, she's always been like that, I feel constantly shattered xxx

 

[Jessiecat]

Bigbee good to see you about still!
All I can say is, the night that you described is a dream to me, we're still every 1-2 hours without fail!!! say night was particuarly bad!
BUT there is aass ive 4 month sleep regression so anything yu want to do to help baby sleep like sleep training, getting baby bck in to crib etc you may as we'll wait until it passes as baby won't take it in right now. They are currently learning way too much to take on something new, go with it for now and when you're settled back to how things were that might be the time to try an out some routine in to place. That's my plan! Hough for 4 months now I've not had more than 3 hours sleep, I'm a walking zombie. I find I cope better by keeping busy, if I moap about the house I just concentrate on how tired I am.

 

[tinselcat]

I started co-sleeping at around that time, as I'd hurt my shoulder so badly I couldn't lift baby out of his cot.

Migrating back to cotbed now that baby crawled out of bed and fell on the floor while I was asleep (he's 8 months)

I sympathise massively as I have had horrendous sleeping issues with him and it is truly horrible to experience.

xx

 

[flisstebbs]

Adding more sympathy as my now toddler was a terrible sleeper as a baby. We've just done whatever we've needed to to make sure everyone gets enough sleep. Forget the dos and don't s!! Things slowly got better although around Xmas last year I was at my wits end as I went back to work when LO was 6 months old too!

Couple of things that really helped me was to stop looking at clocks, accepting that this was how my baby was and closing ears to advice from others! Nothing worse than being told by smug mummy wearing make up that all you need to do is "x" and it's all fine. Trust your instincts on what will work for your family and just get as much rest as possible.

Ps my toddler now mostly sleeps through 8pm til 7am now in her own bed and has for about a month now. She's 22 months.

I'm just praying for next one to be good sleeper but my expectations are not high!!

 

[bigbee]

Thanks ladies.

A bottle is not really an option for us as baby doesn't really take it. We've tried and tried and tried. Zero luck.

I am actually enjoying having him in my bed but I am extremely concerned about weaning him from cosleeping when the time comes.

What I actually do is put him to sleep in his own cot (next to my bed), and then at around midnight (someone's later) I transfer him to my bed...this is usually when I have no energy to deal with crying/rocking etc.

I am so exhausted. Jessie, fair play to you on being such a power trooper!!! Especially with another child. I can only imagine how tough that is.