Poor Sleep Support Thread

I apologise that I didn't search to see if there was an existing topic but I thought I might start a thread for those of us struggling with bubbas that sleep poorly. I know there are at least 2 of us in the August 09 thread (FionaS - I'm talking about you!).

I'm getting frustrated hearing about how everyone else's bubba sleeps like a little dream at night or only gets up once or twice during the night to feed and then peacefully drifts back to sleep. I know Ryan is only little and that him waking up a lot is quite normal but it would be nice to hear from others on here. Also - this a good way to vent!

So...my child sleeps really well during the day and is on a relatively predictable schedule with his naps. However, each night is completely different and usually not in a good way. He's generally in bed around 9.30 but then up at 12.30, 2.30 and 5.00. Having said there, he can sometimes wake up every 45 minutes or cry like a banshee once you put him down to sleep and once we hit 5am you might as well call it quites because he ain't going back to sleep and he actually starts his day overtired and ends up taking a nap pretty much as soon as he wakes - which of course he does peacefully and sometimes for 2 hours. Where was that sleep in the middle of the night???

Please - share your stories AND if anyone has some suggestions that worked for them or some positive stories about how and when it got better for your poor sleeping bubba.

I'll join although wish I didn't have too! The May Mummies are probably sick of hearing of me whinge about Corban's insomnia!
All was well until about 5 weeks old then it turned to custard he refused to sleep longer than 45mins at a time (i.e one sleep cycle) during the day so he would have three 45min-1hr naps during the day. Bath, story, feed and then bed between 6.30-7pm, can take up to 2hrs to settle then wakes between 10-11pm and between 2-3am for a feed plus numerous times in between and needs me to resettle him by rewrapping, dummy or patting his back. We spent 2 days a week at the family centre from the time he was 8 weeks old and although they couldn't solve his sleeping issues it did keep me sane (sort of!) When he was 4mths old we got referred to Mothercraft unit and it was fantastic and I had a completely different baby who slept 3hrs morning and afternoon and only woke once overnight after feeding at 10pm but alas it didn't last however he is 10 times better than he was, he will usually have one good sleep a day now of up to 3hrs and then usually an hour nap. Nights have gone down hill again though.

I too get sick of hearing about (well jealous more like!) babies who sleep through the night from 8 weeks and mummies who says "oh now i know how you feel he woke up twice last night I'm so tired today" Ha! try getting up 6-8times a night for the last 5mths then you'll know what tired is love!

okay rant over

Yeah....if I only had to get up 2 times a night I would be ecstatic...even 3 times I would be fine with me. I think I was up and down about 20 times two nights ago.

Just to add - she WAS napping great but for the last few days she's woken screaming at the 45min mark from all naps.   Prior to 8 weeks she hardly ever cried but things have changed.

Yeah - I've come to the conclusion that CIO will only work if they are doing a tired "I'm about to fall asleep" cry but need to let off a bit of steam first. If they are truly worked up then it's not going to work. I've heard both cries and with the "I'm about to fall asleep" one the will fall asleep within 5-10 minutes but with the worked up cry they can go solid for 45 minutes to an hour (bad mummy) and show no signs of stopping. I should clarify with the worked up one where Ryan has cried for a long time, we have gone in to pat/shh, give the dummy, change his nappy and give a quick cuddle - but nothing seems to work.

And just when you think it's all figured out, they go and change up on you!

Mine STTN but now day sleeps have gone to the pot- hard work trying to entertain an 8 month old for most of the day. We are lucky to get anything more than a couple of short naps a day.

If you've rearranged the room, did you know that baby should never sleep next to an outside wall? Good idea bathing Ryan in the mornings - E loves her bath and plays in it for half an hour (would be longer if I let her) and it gives me a chance to drink a coffee while I watch her play. She gets all excited and helps to undress herself - it's sooo cute!

At 9 months Cooper is not sleeping through the night. Wakes usually around 3 times. My blessing though is thank god he goes straight back to sleep.

I have been told waking about the same time is a habit & I should let him CIO Yeah ok, every time I do that I have to plug my ears (still in my room) & it has never worked. I did it the other night & he had rolled over & was on hands and knees, managed to get out of his wrap.

I had it the other way with Alia. Absolute crap day sleeps but sleeping though the night at 8 weeks! No wonder I went back to work early to escape the days.

I think that sleeping issues are a lot more common than people let on.

I think I'll have to join this thread too! Campbell is on and off with the quality of his day sleeps, but currently is good *touching wood and crossing fingers*. Night sleeps however, are not so great. For a while there, he was only waking once a night, then going back to sleep, which was great, I thought he'd simply stop waking when he'd grown out of the need to have that feed.
HOWEVER... he's now waking 3-4 times a night, he seems to co-sleeping with us in the big bed again at night, and seems to need a boob to get back to sleep at least twice an night. I'm sure it is now a sleep association thing rather than hunger!

I really don't know if I should just wait it out til he eventually is ready to start sleeping through. From the sounds of it, that could be til he's 2 years old!! So am thinking I'll have to try a no-cry way of breaking the sleep association .....

We had wake #1 tonight at 10.30pm. Not sure if that was cause his sister decided that she wanted to sleep in his cot!!

Whitewave will be intrigued to know about these no cry sleep habit breaking techniques