Anyone getting enough sleep?

[mtn.mama]

Sometimes she sleeps 3 hours, sometimes just 1 hour. How long does it take to adjust to this thing called parenthood and start feeling rested?

[mollybird77]

((HUGS)) mama! It WILL get better...I promise! It takes awhile for babies to settle into a routine (<---notice I avoided using the word 'schedule'). Soon she'll start taking more regular naps instead of the irregular newborn catnap thing...really! With my last two babies, but the time the 3-4 month mark rolled around, they were taking about 3-4 predictable REAL naps every day. You know that old saying "sleep when the baby sleeps"? DO IT!!! Really, I make sure to get my older kids down for a nap while I snuggle up and sleep with James for a nap during the day. Just that little respite can be a total lifesaver. Another thing, have you learned how to nurse lying down? This too, is a lifesaver! I didn't learn how to do this with my first baby until we were well into our nursing relationship, and I wish I'd started much earlier. Now with James I can just latch him on in the middle of the night and we fall back to sleep together. Good luck mama, I promise things will get better and you won't be in a sleepless haze for very long

[newmommaamy]

Getting enough sleep- what does that mean these days

We are on the same schedule as you sometimes 3 hours, sometimes less than 1 hour between feedings. Some nights I get some sleep, but I definitly haven't felt rested yet. So far the best sleep I have had is in the evening, after a good 4-5pm feeding my sister has held the baby and I have slept for almost 3 hours until he is hungry again.

I am trying to savor him napping on me, but it is much easier when I have had a little rest.

[bdavis337]

nak

around 3 months when they start to organize their sleep. and my dirty little secret - I really don't like the first few months/newborn stage. not at all. it's tiring, monotonous and boring. sure, they're cute. but that's it. the laundry, dirty diapers, constant feedings, unpredictability, it's not easy and i don't like it.

It's ok to admit it!

[hippy mum]

I agree w/3-4m. But don't let that be discouraging. It really does help to rest when she does. Even if you don't sleep, just laying down for 30min or so will rest your body. With ds I ended up napping with him daily until I adjusted to the lack of sleep, and he started sleeping about 4 hours at night.
Now this time, I can't do that, since both don't always nap at the same time. I have some major lack of sleep going on. Somehow I don't think I'm the only one staring into a pair of wide awake eyes at 3 a.m., and those little eyes don't want to go back to sleep until 5 or 6 either

[Racecar]

Bethany, I'm the same way. I take pictures to preserve the littleness of it all but boy...is it rough! I'm so glad it gets easier!!!

[sleet76]

I agree with everyone else. I totally second the suggestion to learn to nurse lying down if you're not already doing that. Being able to roll over and latch on and drift back to sleep is a total lifesaver!! I am not feeling sleep deprived, and didn't with my other kids once I started nursing in bed. I find that not getting them up at night helps them be awake less when they do wake up. Which means more sleep for me!!

[GiantGi]

My (almost) 4 year still doesnt sleep through the night. So its been sooo long since I had a decent nights sleep. Some days are harder than others. If she would just take an occasional nap and I could get all three of them down at the same time I would be golden!

And YES, nursing in bed makes it so much easier!

[Lissybug]

Originally Posted by bdavis337

nak

around 3 months when they start to organize their sleep. and my dirty little secret - I really don't like the first few months/newborn stage. not at all. it's tiring, monotonous and boring. sure, they're cute. but that's it. the laundry, dirty diapers, constant feedings, unpredictability, it's not easy and i don't like it.

It's ok to admit it!

yeah- newborns are small and cute but not so easy to live with! I think I'm more of a toddler person.

As far as sleep goes naps help- I hate napping, but on some days I just have to force myself to lay down when I can, because I'm miserable and make everyone around me miserable. Also after a awhile you get used to having disturbed sleep. And on days where I'm really out of it from sleep deprivation I just try not to overload myself with things to do, and just do what's necessary. It does get better. and worse, and better, and worse and better......

[velcromom]

Nursing in bed so you can doze while they eat is the best, I can't imagine actually getting out of my bed to feed and change dd, ugh. I have her beside me in the cosleeper so I have all my diapering supplies right there & I don't get up at all to tend to her needs. She's going about two hours between feeds at night BUT that is after pretty much constantly feeding between 8-11pm, which can get grueling.

I don't feel sleep deprived, but I am very tired. I have no expectations of dd sleeping through the night anytime this year - ds2 was 22 months old before he slept all night long. He's four now and a few times a week he will wake and call for me for one reason or another. So I knew what I was in for, lol.

[AuntG]

Sleep? It ... sounds like a ... a familiar word. Hmmm, something to do with ... uhm ... oh, I had it....... nope, can't remember it now.

[jessjgh1]

Funny thing is if it wasn't for my 3 year old, I WOULD be able to get more sleep, maybe. I lived for the naps during the day with him, and that's out this time around, but Rebecca is a pretty good sleeper.
It is still hard, though. I'm feeling impatient about thing... like I can't wait for head control and sitting up... just becuase it seems like it would make things easier.

The first week, when I HAD help and could have slept more, I couldn't. I was so fired up (positively) about her birth and then I'd just gaze at her forever.
Even the few times I've had a chance to take a nap lately, I can't fall asleep. Uugh, but I guess that means I'm not sleep-deprived enough for exhaustion.

as for a time... I don't know that it always gets 'better' but it always evolves... for each stage has its own challenges... the only definite is that it will change. And I always mourned something about the stage we left, even if it did get 'better'--- so I'm still trying to live in the moment and not try to rush.


Jessica

[Shelsi]

Now just because everyone says it's normal to only go a few hours at a time, which it is, it doesn't mean you can't try a few tricks to get your LO to sleep longer. For instance: swaddling. Swaddling is the best thing since sliced bread in my book. My ds started sleeping through the night at 9 weeks and I believe I owe most of that to swaddling.

Now we got out ds's old miracle blanket and have been swaddling Alexia for the past week and it has been AWESOME. She always goes at least 3 hours now in her first block of sleep at night. Last night she went almost 6 hours....of course I'd had some caffeine yesterday and I couldn't sleep a wink We also have started a little night time routine which I'm not sure she notices right now but she will eventually and I believe that helps as well. I know the majority of moms here on MDC say a baby won't sleep through the night for a long time but you also have to remember that many parents find this style of parenting because they have a high needs baby and NP/AP is something you tend to fall into with that type of child. So don't be totally discouraged, sometimes you get lucky!

[jee'smom]

i stopped feeling tired after i accepted that i was going to be sleep-deprived and 'that's ok, my body will get rest when it needs it.' i stopped fighting it. (i read this on a board here and it was so true... it really worked!) with dd1 and ds, when they woke up, they nursed and fell back asleep. i NEVER had a problem with them. i always kept the room dark and didn't talk to them, just changed the diaper, nursed, adn they fell back to sleep. with Kalia... OMG... she keeps getting up in the middle of the night for 1-2 hours. it's SO TIRING!!!!!!! i actually felt sick in my stomach b/c i was so tired last night. i thought i was going to drop her, i couldn't even think straight. it was horrible. i've been trying to keep her up more during the day, so she doesn't get up at night, it helps a little.

[velcromom]

Jee's mom, gosh that sounds so miserable I hope you get some sleep soon! My little one has started trying to wake after her 4-5am feed and it's really frustrating since that's when I get my deepest sleep. I admit to giving her a pinky to soothe her back to sleep a couple of times, being too tender & worn out to think of nursing again right then!

I see your question is gone but to answer it anyway, lol, I put dd on her back after I swaddle her. I do it the old fashioned way though, no miracle blanket. You need a larger size receiving blanket, the kind they use at hospitals. I find that the ones they sell at stores are usually too small except for the "waffle weave" style. I do the swaddle after changing her, then put her to the breast til she is dozing and then I can put her down & she'll stay asleep longer than if she were unwrapped.