at wits end!

Jack has never been a good sleeper but lately he has been shocking. His day sleeps are ok at the moment, we are still transitioning to 1 nap but usually he sleeps for about 2hrs which is bliss for me!

But at night he is terrible at the moment. He has just cut his 16th tooth (a molar I think), so once it is finally through the gum we may have some rest finally. He seems to have wind at night (and lots during the day) which I thought woke him up and kept him up until he farted. DH has suggested that maybe it is just coincidence that he farts while awake at night. I have taken him to the doctor and there is nothing wrong with him. DH has also suggested that he just likes sleeping in our bed.

Last night he woke at midnight, I put him back to sleep and 15mins after I got back into bed he woke again, put him back to sleep again, I was just about to climb into bed and he woke again. We did a variation on this until 2.30am when DH went and got Jack and brought him to our bed. Probably 5mins later Jack was asleep until DH got up at about 6.30am! We don't mind him in our bed but not every night all night.

The doctor could only suggest that I ride it out and maybe the wind would go away by itself or once Jack stopped teething. But last night I got 5 1/2hrs sleep in 2 'installments' and I usually average 6hrs broken sleep. I think that mostly I am past the tired stage and am just used to running on nearly empty.

I don't know what to do next. I am thinking that tonight I will start trying to teach Jack to self settle at bed time (he can sometimes self settle in the middle of the night) but it will be a slow process I am sure. I have been thinking about it for months now since I 'weaned' him off feeding to sleep but haven't really had the energy to cope with the long process - better the devil you know I suppose. I am not sure how I am going to wean him from sleeping in our bed. Maybe I will start on a Friday night and just keep putting him back in his bed. That way if it take ages then at least DH can look after him in the morning and I can sleep.

Other than these ideas I don't know what else to do. Should I see a sleep consultant? How much do they cost? Are their any in Akl? I have been to the sleep store and although they were good I didn't feel that they could help me personally, it seemed more general help. I didn't like our local Plunket Family Centre as all they suggested at their sleep "talk" was CC or CIO which personally I don't like. It all just seems too hard!!!

Well that is my winge for the day. Feel a bit better now that I got that off my chest. Although DH is good I think he is getting a bit sick of me winging about it plus he doesn't have any more answers than I do!

Wow, just previewed the post and it's a novel. I commend anyone who actually reads it!!

We are trying quite a few things to reduce his wind or the possible discomfort. We use infacol, reduced his gluten, stopped giving peas and corn, reduced wheat, trying a herbal remedy. I had considered prune juice but with his teething at the moment his poos are qyite soft (sorry TMI) so am concerned that prune juice would make everything worse.

I think I just need to bite the bullet and start with self settling, and I suppose ride it out until the teeth are completely through and see if everything gets better then. I just find it frustrating that I cannot find a defiante answer to my problem.

Thanks Sab, will check the website out

Thanks heaps Gina. We actually saw a locum so she went over everything, ears, throat, checked his tummy, stool samples. I suppose I am just starting to doubt my gut instinct.

At the risk of jinxing it Jack hasn't woken yet tonight which he has been doing lately, waking 45mins after going to sleep. I managed to put him in his cot awake and sing and pat him to sleep, only took an extra 10mins or so. Hopefully it will go just as well during the night and tomorrow night.

Thanks potato, will keep it in mind.

We had a good night last night. After his bath and before the rest of our bedtime routine I explained to Jack that he was going to go to sleep in his bed tonight and that I would be right there with him. When he curled into me ready for me to start singing I put him in his cot, rubbed his back and started singing. There was a bit of complaining but no real crying. He tried to get up a few times but I told him he had to lie down and go to sleep. He did eventually go to sleep, only took about 40mins from the end of his bath which is only about 10mins longer than usual.

He did cry abit just after I hopped in bed and it was quite sharp so I got up but by the time DH and I got to his door he had pretty much stopped and just started this groaning noise he makes sometimes when he is trying to go to sleep. He cried out again a few times but seemed to put himself back to sleep.

He woke once at about 11.30pm. I leaned into the cot to cuddle him but didn't get him out. Then told him he had to lie down and go to sleep. I rubbed his back and sang, didn't take long for him to go to sleep. He woke at 6.40am and I bought him into our bed and we cuddled and "talked" for about 40mins before he was ready to get up.

So it was a really good night for us. Will try the same thing tonight and hopefully get a good result again! thankd ladies for listening to me, your suggestions and your support! It's much appreciated