Oh Gawd, back to waking 1.5 hourly!!!!!

[Michelle71]

First question - how old is your little one?? They often become unsettled and wake more with developmental changes and growth spurts. Some wake more frequently with teething. We recently has a week of hourly wake ups due to teeth but we are now back again to 3-4 hours between a drink and quickly resettling back to sleep.

It does get better but it really does hurt at the time

[jackrose]

Its now 4am and at present she is waking every 20 MINUTES!!!

I didn't believe it could get any worse.

In answer to your question Michelle71 DD is 9.5 mo now. I know it is often a developmental stage thing, but last time we hit the hourly waking thing it was not a developmental stage snag, it was her here to stay sleep/feed pattern until I did some drastic intervention.

To be honest, I haven't got that in me anymore. Not after 4 months of this appauling unsettled sleep.

[Spring Angel]

Oh you poor thing. I really feel for you, lack of sleep can make you loose your mind.

My DS would go through similar stages but it would usually coincide eith either teeth erupting or just before he came down with a sickness. Is there anyone you can get to help you out for a few hours so you get get a bit of uninterrupted sleep?

It sounds as if she is having difficulty self-settling and is stiring in the first part of the sleep cycle. Do you co-sleep? At around about 5 months when DS was waking constantly I started co-sleeping and it worked really well because I could help settle him before he fully awoke.

Perhaps you could just start from the beginning and help her re-learn how to settle. Go in and watch her, as she seems to be rousing (so about the 15 min mark) sing to her, pat her bottom, stoke her hair (whatever you do to help her) and hopefully she will not fully wake. As the days go on, reduce the amount you do to help her fall to sleep and hoepfully she will learn that she can fall back to sleep without mumma having to help.


It really is tough being that tired. I remember it all to well and I hope you get some sleep soon.

HTH
Spring

[jackrose]

Hey, thanks Spring Angel.

Practical advice is really appreciated, and your advice about starting from the beginning is an approach I have not thought of.

:Is there anyone you can get to help you out for a few hours so you get get a bit of uninterrupted sleep?

Unfortunately I am out of options on that front. I am trying to grab a nap when she goes down during the day but so far that has been difficult as she is only sleeping for short periods and that is componding the night issues for both of us.

It sounds as if she is having difficulty self-settling and is stiring in the first part of the sleep cycle. Do you co-sleep?

This I fear is exactly what seems to be going on. She is waking and unable to resettle every sleep cycle. Unfortunately, co-sleeping was one of the original things which set this whole pattern into motion. we co-slept up until 2 months ago, which was really successful in the earlier days as we both slept really well but then by 6 months, DD got so used to bfeeding all night that that is exactly what she did. She would feed, fall asleep on the breast, wake up 20 min later realising the breast was not in her mouth any more, cry and fuss to get it back and then kick and squirm for 15 more min as she fed and then repeat the whole cycle all night. I was exhausted and physically unable to cope with the kicking and fussing so we religiously put her back to her own bed after a feed which slowly but surely worked. Now I sometimes co-sleep from 5am if she wakes for a feed again then and can't be resettled and it is still the same problem of wriggling.

I am going to try to give your suggestions a go tonight as they do make sense, thanks.

: It really is tough being that tired. I remember it all to well and I hope you get some sleep soon

Thanks for the empathy and suppport.

[bubNo.2]

I might be right of the mark here but could it be she isnt getting enough milk from you as she is 9.5 mths old and she is hungry re the wakfulness. (as adults it really hard to stay asleep when we are hungry so it would be the same for the wee little ones). Try formula and a bottle at night it may be the answer .... the formula may be thicker and making her feel full for longer re longer sleeps. I take it she is well and truly on solid food so maybe a huge dinner of mashed potatoe cheese and egg mashed all together and a bottle of formula just may do the trick.
Cheers Ainsley

[Ezz]

I feel your pain. DS is also waking very frequently overnight.

We are getting rid of the wrap to see if that helps. Does she have some sort of comfort thing in bed (a soft teddy, dummy, etc?). DS strokes his "snuggle bear" which seems to help him settle.