Strugling and looking for a little hope.

[Tegam]

Thanks everyone I'm also glad to hear it can just happen. I was talking to a friend who has 6 kids and she said in her experience it doesn't just happen and if it hasn't by 18 months you need to do something about it. I can't do CC, although last night I thought about it, but I'm just not comfortable with it. .

Well I have four so not six but still. None of mine have been great sleepers. And yes the tiredness gets you down at times. I find eating healthy and a bit a exercise helps. Also a sanity shower to clear the mind before bed. Dd1 slept wellish til 9 months then terrible til about 2.5 yrs. with up to 4 milk cups thru the night at 2 ahhhh. Then dd2 always slept badly over night and still comes to our bed 2 times a night 5 nights a week ds still wakes often and dd3 can be second hourly. But I promise it gets better. All three of my older ones slept all night in their own bed and Molly gave me a 5 hr stretch. Lord I feel like a new women.

[Loveinamist]

Happened out of the blue for us at about 18 months. He is still terrible to get to sleep but now only wakes if teething. Admittedly he doesn't sleep the golden 12 hours that I keep hearing about but he sleeps long enough for us to feel human again! (8-9 hour stretches). I know that is younger than your LO at the moment but I thought that the fact that it happened out of the blue might give you some hope.

[willow5]

It does get better, the developmental leaps suck but I figure by the time he is a teenager I will be struggling to get him out of bed... right?!

LOL you're probably right. I've come full circle my teenagers are finally getting themselves out of bed now. Which is good, they wouldn't be getting very nice wake up calls after long nights of no sleep with DS3.
I must say my 2 teenagers must have lulled me into a false sense of security. DS1 didn't sleep through until he was just over 2, but he only woke about twice and if he was in bed with me he just snuggled in and went back to sleep no drama. DS2 slept through from about 8 weeks I think! Slept anywhere any time. Maybe I should've quit while I was ahead

[FarmGirl]

Hi, My son was three when he started to sleep through the night. It corresponded with our removing his bottle and eliminating night time milk feeds which he used to get to sleep. He arched up about two weeks into removing the bottle, but we stood firm and he got over it again pretty quick.

When ever I wanted to change an element of his sleeping pattern, I found it useful to sleep on the floor beside his bed for a few nights. I did this when I wanted him to learn to fall asleep in his bed and when I wanted him to stay in bed at night instead of coming into us.

[willow5]

Hi farmgirl. DS is actually starting to sleep We have removed all food additives from his diet and he will now sleep between 5-8 hours straight, which is just a huge improvement for us He has also started to actually sit still to listen to a story which he wouldn't do before. He'd look at pictures in a book for a minute or two then he was off. He'll even watch a short kids show now. I never thought I'd be happy one of my kids was watching TV, but it makes a big difference and I can actually get something done while he's amused. This never happened before it was constant amusing him and nothing would get done besides that. He'll also go outside and play independently. We weren't trying to change anything behaviourally with him, only the sleep. The other changes were a bonus on top of getting sleep!

[Tegam]

Horrid sleepers here too. Dd1 sleeps really well since school started..... Are you getting much exercise and taking your multi vitamins? Really does help hugs

[willow5]

Tegam I've been very slack on the exercise front and the vits for that matter. I'm about to start up my Floradix and probiotics again and break out the xtrainer, get it cleaned up and back to using it!

[Tegam]

Willow I know it sounds simple but it really dies make a difference. I get to breaking point and it's always after no exercise and forgetting the vits. Remember we can't look after anyone is we are sick ourselves.

[Catherine]

I read that wakefulness is a sign of intelligence...My DD is very smart!

[willow5]

Willow I know it sounds simple but it really dies make a difference. I get to breaking point and it's always after no exercise and forgetting the vits. Remember we can't look after anyone is we are sick ourselves.

I know you're absolutely right. I find the probiotics make a huge difference for me. The exercise releases all the good hormones to pick you up.

I read that wakefulness is a sign of intelligence...My DD is very smart!

lol Catherine. There could be something in that. I had HG when I was pg with DS3 and I was often told then that the sickness was a sign of intelligence. So, if the HG and the wakefulness are both signs of intelligence, DS will be a bloody genius!
Seriously though, I have thought with the wakefulness that his little brain never stops, quite often when he wakes he'll be talking, counting, reciting letters, singing or telling you about something that happened that day, or, 6 months ago. So really brain development could play a part.