I feel slightly guilty coming on here to complain about DD's sleep habits, because I know so many of you have dealt with more than this, and for longer, but I have reached the end of my rope. My health has started suffering from lack of sleep, and I am finding myself snapping at DD all the time - something I never saw myself doing. I was always the sweet tempered one in the family.
Anyway, here's my story:
DD is 16 months old, still BF, still essentially co-sleeping. She was a wonderful sleeper up through about 3 months. She would sleep 4-hour stretches most nights, and at least once a week she would be sleeping 6-8 hours in a row. I was thrilled. Then at 3 months she started waking. At first it was every 3 hours, then every 2, and so on. Eventually she was waking on average every 1.5 hours all night long. Around 9 months we discovered that she had silent reflux. The medication didn't stop her wakings. Around 13 months we discovered she had a dairy sensitivity (after giving her about 4 oz of cow's milk a day for several weeks). So both of us stopped dairy. That didn't stop her night wakings, though it did improve her disposition during the day. Around 15 months I decided I couldn't take it anymore, and we night weaned while still co-sleeping. It happened very quickly and easily. And for a few nights it seemed like this would be our solution. She was sleeping 3-hour stretches instead of 1.5-hour stretches!
And then she reverted. So we went to our next solution: chamomile tea with a quarter dose of Deep Sleep added to it. Again, like stopping dairy, this helped calm her down during the day (she is a very high-strung child) but did nothing to help her sleep.
For the last week we have put her in a toddler mattress right next to ours (both are on the floor), but I've woken up with her on top of me several times since then (and once I woke up to her nursing!). I really don't know what to try next, but I have to do something. My home life is suffering, my health is suffering, and DD is suffering from my constant crabby mood.
I am lucky enough that DH can take her on weekends while I sleep in the guest bedroom, but I don't want to make him do that long-term. He is, after all, sleeping in the bed with us on regular nights and getting up 3 hours before I do in the mornings. He needs a chance to sleep, too.
So I am wondering if anyone has any other suggestions we can try. At this point, I'm willing to try (just about) anything!
Anyway, here's my story:
DD is 16 months old, still BF, still essentially co-sleeping. She was a wonderful sleeper up through about 3 months. She would sleep 4-hour stretches most nights, and at least once a week she would be sleeping 6-8 hours in a row. I was thrilled. Then at 3 months she started waking. At first it was every 3 hours, then every 2, and so on. Eventually she was waking on average every 1.5 hours all night long. Around 9 months we discovered that she had silent reflux. The medication didn't stop her wakings. Around 13 months we discovered she had a dairy sensitivity (after giving her about 4 oz of cow's milk a day for several weeks). So both of us stopped dairy. That didn't stop her night wakings, though it did improve her disposition during the day. Around 15 months I decided I couldn't take it anymore, and we night weaned while still co-sleeping. It happened very quickly and easily. And for a few nights it seemed like this would be our solution. She was sleeping 3-hour stretches instead of 1.5-hour stretches!
And then she reverted. So we went to our next solution: chamomile tea with a quarter dose of Deep Sleep added to it. Again, like stopping dairy, this helped calm her down during the day (she is a very high-strung child) but did nothing to help her sleep.
For the last week we have put her in a toddler mattress right next to ours (both are on the floor), but I've woken up with her on top of me several times since then (and once I woke up to her nursing!). I really don't know what to try next, but I have to do something. My home life is suffering, my health is suffering, and DD is suffering from my constant crabby mood.
I am lucky enough that DH can take her on weekends while I sleep in the guest bedroom, but I don't want to make him do that long-term. He is, after all, sleeping in the bed with us on regular nights and getting up 3 hours before I do in the mornings. He needs a chance to sleep, too.
So I am wondering if anyone has any other suggestions we can try. At this point, I'm willing to try (just about) anything!
