Sleep, Sleep, Sleep!!!! - Page 2

[matey]

Originally Posted by matey 

Well I did take away the pacifier and stopped swaddling too. She has been sleeping much better since doing this although it requires a little work to get her there.

HaHa well, she WAS!! Probably just took a few days and caught up on sleep and now she will start being psychotic again. She's lucky she's so cute so I forgive her everyday.

[slgt]

I'm right here with you, Matey! DD is a little over 6 months. She was a great sleeper until 4.5 months and then POOF - awake every hour. If she sleeps longer, she's very restless. I WISH she would take a pacifier! I just keep telling myself, "This, too, shall pass..."

We are still co-sleeping, but are going to try moving her into a crib in our room in the next week or two. Heck, I considered it a big win that she was in the co-sleeper more-or-less until 4 am last night - but it took a lot of work/soothing on my part. Before anyone asks - she would have been just as restless in the bed, and this way I was a bit more comfortable.

Once she's kicked this horrid cold, maybe. I don't know, I chalk it up to development, colds, teeth - whatever. Lots of luck to you - and to all of us!

[mamadiamond]

it is so good to read through this thread and know i'm not alone! my dd slept 4-6 hours at a time from 2-4 months, and then regressed and now at 7 months wakes to nurse every 1.5-2 hours all night. i didn't know what had happened, and i wantted to punch the pediatrician every time she told me that my baby "should be able to sleep through the night now". but reading here it sounds like this is pretty normal for babies. we're also working on diagnosing some allergies, so i'm hoping that will help.

dd also won't nap unless i hold her, which used to frustrate me, but i got good at typing one-handed and now her nap time is my computer time...she's napping right now, in fact. i had to choose with the fussy night and nap sleeping to adjust my expectations and routine. less sleep at night means i don't keep as clean a house as i'd like, but letting the house go a little was easier than fighting dd's sleep patterns and exhausting myself.

[sk8boarder15]

I'm right there with you! He was sleeping more and more (sometimes 5 hour stretches!) until about a week ago! Now I'm lucky if he sleeps more than an hour at a time! :( He's 4.5 months an I hear this is pretty normal... ugghh.. I read no-cry sleep solution and am going to try some of her ideas. I'm not sure her "plan" is as fool proof as it sounds, but at least it gave me more ideas. I hear most babies start to sleep more between 9-12 months.... we'll see. 

[whozeyermamma]

Another poor sleeper here!

DS last night went down around 8 then was up at 8:30, 10:30, was awake from 1 to 2 then up again at 3, 4, 5, and 6 then woke for the day at 7:30.

I feel like I'm losing my mind. He doesn't like to side-lie nurse so I wind up nursing him and sleeping sitting up.

Like you, I always feel like it's my fault, like I've done something. He's always been a poor sleeper, although i used to get a FOUR hour stretch in the beginning of the night. No more.

*sigh*

[McGucks]

No answers here, just commiseration as well.  Co-sleeping does help, but only in that I don't have to haul him out of a crib like I used to when I thought a crib would help...it just let to my back hurting more from the in-the-crib-out-of-the-crib night relay.  Our 10 m.o. has never been a good sleeper, but he used to do better, maybe 5 or so at a stretch on a good night.  Now, if he goes 3 straight hours it feels better than Christmas.  As you said, he doesn't really seem hungry, but I absolutely nurse him to get him back to sleep.  He kind of semi-wakes up in that he is crying hard until I nurse him...no amount of rocking, soothing, anything, forget it will put him back to sleep.  He has never taken a pacifier, which at this point I think is a shame.  I was glad he didn't want one at first since I would've preferred him take to sucking his thumb, but he doesn't do that either.  There are nights I am almost crazed I am so tired.  There is a reason that militaries use sleep deprivation as torture, folks.  This stuff is real deal hard to stay sane with.  Whew and good night.  Good night and good luck.

[matey]

We tried a trick last week. Left her sleeping in the co-sleeper and we slept in the guest room. She made it 10pm-7am. I checked on her like 20 times. She slept great the few days we slept in the other room. Now we have moved back into the room with her and she started waking every couple hours again. I think it's me.

We're going top try the crib tonight. Maybe she doesn't like co-sleeping and wants her own space??? I dont know. I feel weird about separation this early but at least she's sharing a room with her brother.

[matey]

Oh, but I do hold her for afternoon nap. If I put her down I get 30 min and if I hold her, I get 2 hours. 2 hours of being glued to computer is better than nothing. Oh, we'll see if this crib thing works. I doubt it, probably last week was a fluke.

[LZP]

Matey, while DH was away on travel, then slept in the guest room for 4 days following his return- he came home with the flu- DD and I both slept SO well... I think our DD needs a bit of space too!  When it's just me and her, I'm not as nervous about her waking; I think I can let her fuss a few minutes and settle herself- like I can just tune it out for a bit.

But I think it also has to do with proximity for her.Tonight, we put her to bed in our bed at 7 and she's already been up 2 times (though once was bc she was genuinely hungry)  When it's just the two of us (me and her), like last week, i think she may have slept from 10PM-3AM a couple nights in a row!!! She likes to know that I am there, but doesnt want to be too close. when I'm really close, she feels that she needs me to get her back to sleep. but when she sleeps on DH's side, just one additional foot of space between us, she seems to be fine to pop up her head, see I'm there, and go back to sleep! 

Last night DH was in bed too, and she was literally glued to me. (partially from the little down-hill that grown ups cause when they lay on a mattress) But I couldnt even roll over so my back was facing her- she would wake up and cry. I think I slept about 45 minutes total. I finally got her to let me roll onto my other side, and she smushed herself against my back so close that I couldnt move! so who knows. this girl is keeping me on my toes. 

Now last night's experience has me nervous to try out the crib. and I'll miss her, too. But I need sleep. and she needs good quality sleep too. 

DH and I were thinking of trying your experiment of sleeping in the guest room- maybe we'll try it tonight when he doesnt have to get up for work in the AM.

I hope last night was a little better for you matey- did you try the crib?!  I totally get you about thinking it's a bit early. I will miss DD too if it turns out that's what's necessary. (but not the lack of sleep...!)

nevermind, that was just today that you said you were trying it tonight. GOOD LUCK!!  sending you good sleep vibes. :) zzzzzzz

Originally Posted by matey 

We tried a trick last week. Left her sleeping in the co-sleeper and we slept in the guest room. She made it 10pm-7am. I checked on her like 20 times. She slept great the few days we slept in the other room. Now we have moved back into the room with her and she started waking every couple hours again. I think it's me.

We're going top try the crib tonight. Maybe she doesn't like co-sleeping and wants her own space??? I dont know. I feel weird about separation this early but at least she's sharing a room with her brother.

[matey]

I did try it. I put her down totally awake and she zonked right out without much of a peep. When I checked on her later she had her arms stretched way out to her sides, like she was glad to have the space. it was funny. She woke at 1, then 4, then 5:30. That 5:30-6 time is always the worst, she is up and down. I fell asleep nursing her on the couch and put her back in her bed at 6:30, then she woke for the day at 7:30. It wasn't great, but it was better than it is when she is right there with us. And, I slept better during the sleep times.

I feel like a failure of a co-sleeper. In looking back at the journal I keep on my son, we had a lot of similar issues with him and then when we moved him to the crib at 7 1/2 months, it got way better. I am so easily disturbed. I find myself wondering if I mess up my kids sleep. I am such a light sleeper and maybe they can sense that I am not really resting and it makes them restless.

Anyway, we're doing it again tonight and she had been asleep for about an hour.

LZP - did you try the guest room?

[matey]

Also, I really think it made me feel better that she was in there with ds. He was very excited to have his sister in the room too.