My son has been an on-again, off-again good/not as great sleeper for a long time. It was getting great last month, when he would go to sleep around 8 and wake up to nurse at 5:30 or so, and then we'd get up together between 7 & 8, when we both woke up.
Fast forward to now (& the past five days): He goes to sleep between 7:30-8:00. He sleeps until anywhere between 11:30-1:30am. He wakes up to nurse, falls asleep fitfully for an hour or two, and then is up, wide awake, for the rest of the night. He wants to nurse constantly, but sits up, hits, head-butts, tries to play, rolls around, etc. My nipples are completely shot to the point that I dread nursing him at any other time, day or night. Tonight I told him that milk was sleeping until morning, and he flipped out. That was two hours ago - he's up there wailing still (with dh). He's taking a 1.5-3 hour nap later. I'm pushing him to get to that point, though - he starts yawning around 9 or 10am, but I push him until at least noon so that it's somewhat normal. I thought this would help him sleep, but so far nada. Same routine, miserable and overtired, every night now.
I can't get over the thought that this is hurting him and the rest of us. He's not getting any sleep, sometimes waking up our 3.5 year old, being mean and crabby and crazy during the day, dh and I not sleeping and at odds at how to fix this, it's really awful all the way around. I kept looking forward to this point, since it's when everything got shiny happy with sleeping through the night with my older one, but it's just getting really, really bad.
I'd love your thoughts. I don't want to live on coffee and spite any longer.
(He sleeps in a crib and has for a while, completely happy. DH puts him to sleep at night after he's nursed, so it's not a 100% dependence on that, but I do generally nurse him back to sleep at night. When he wakes up at night, we nurse in a rocking chair or on a futon we have set up in his room.)
Thanks. I'm getting super resentful, and I know DH is, too. It's not a good way to be.
Anne
Joel 16 January 2006
Asher 2 June 2008
Fast forward to now (& the past five days): He goes to sleep between 7:30-8:00. He sleeps until anywhere between 11:30-1:30am. He wakes up to nurse, falls asleep fitfully for an hour or two, and then is up, wide awake, for the rest of the night. He wants to nurse constantly, but sits up, hits, head-butts, tries to play, rolls around, etc. My nipples are completely shot to the point that I dread nursing him at any other time, day or night. Tonight I told him that milk was sleeping until morning, and he flipped out. That was two hours ago - he's up there wailing still (with dh). He's taking a 1.5-3 hour nap later. I'm pushing him to get to that point, though - he starts yawning around 9 or 10am, but I push him until at least noon so that it's somewhat normal. I thought this would help him sleep, but so far nada. Same routine, miserable and overtired, every night now.
I can't get over the thought that this is hurting him and the rest of us. He's not getting any sleep, sometimes waking up our 3.5 year old, being mean and crabby and crazy during the day, dh and I not sleeping and at odds at how to fix this, it's really awful all the way around. I kept looking forward to this point, since it's when everything got shiny happy with sleeping through the night with my older one, but it's just getting really, really bad.
I'd love your thoughts. I don't want to live on coffee and spite any longer.
(He sleeps in a crib and has for a while, completely happy. DH puts him to sleep at night after he's nursed, so it's not a 100% dependence on that, but I do generally nurse him back to sleep at night. When he wakes up at night, we nurse in a rocking chair or on a futon we have set up in his room.)
Thanks. I'm getting super resentful, and I know DH is, too. It's not a good way to be.
Anne
Joel 16 January 2006
Asher 2 June 2008
mama. we've been having nights like that here too... it has been hell.
