Sleeping in 1.5hr stretches..

Hi everyone,

I wonder if anyone has any advice for me. My 6 month old sleeps in 1.5hr blocks overnight and I am exhausted. I have a 4 and 2 year old as well, so there is no chance of napping during the day. I usually cope during the day, but I really dread the nights knowing what I'm in for. My stomach drops every time she starts to squirm and grizzle 😞

She puts herself to sleep during her two daytime naps and also at around 8pm when she sleeps till around 11pm, I feed her at this time and then she wakes every 1.5hoirs from then on until around 6.30-7am. Usually in between her waking one or both of the others are up for something. It is killing me.

I wonder if my tea drinking could be affecting her, I have 3 cups per day? She is fully breast fed, I have given her some apples in the evening over the last two days hoping it would help her sleep.. It hasn't. I've tried soothing, feeding, not feeding, swaddle, no swaddle, heater on, heater off, co-sleeping, changing her nappy, teething powder, drink of water, comforter... Lol!

Any suggestions or do I just have to wait it out?

Did I mention it's killing me?

I have no advice, just wanted to say that we are in the same boat with DD1 who is 5 months.... I just keep saying "This too shall pass" - and pray it does!

Thanks Amaunet, my DD is still 5 mths too, I rounded up lol. Has your DD been like this since birth? I might switch to peppermint tea and see if it helps.

*hugs* that sucks Patti. I can't offer suggestions to help your dd sleep longer stretches as nothing has really worked for my ds either (he's 10 months and still wakes for a feed every 1-1.5hrs every night). But I cosleep so don't really feel the waking up as much as I would if I were to sit up, take him out of cot, feed, put back in cot then lie down and go back to sleep. So maybe you could just cosleep if that helps you get some extra rest?
Is there anyone who can mind your other two kiddies during the day for a bit so you can nap? If not is a couple hours at daycare an option?

Wow, i could have written the first part of your post. My little one is also waking every hour or so overnight. with minimal day sleeps. And i have 2 older (uut still young) kids too. I am cosleeping, but it is still bloody hard.

I find it hard to co-sleep as my partner sleeps like a log and flings his arms about a bit. I worry he will hit her... Also, I am so tired lately that I don't feel safe having her on my side in case she falls out. No one really to help out during the day, all our family are in NZ and friends are working, busy with their own kids etc. the older ones do go to daycare on Friday, but I'm forever chasing my tail with cooking, cleaning and washing, so usually try to catch up a bit on this day, I know I shouldn't bother but at least I feel better if I accomplish something other than just child care.

Thanks ladies for your replies. At least I'm not alone, it sure feels like it at 1am, then 2.30, then 4.....😁

Lots of babies do this. Sleeping together is often the best way to maximise the amount of rest you get - it's still tough, though. Getting up and down all night means even less sleep. Could your partner sleep elsewhere for a while? That's what we did.
Food doesn't help. Both my kids did this for quite a while. You survive it and it does get better, but it's hell while you're in it. What helped me was to let go, stop trying to fix the unfixable (nothing wrong with the kids, the problem was mine) and just do whatever helped me. So bed sharing, sleep ins on weekends when my partner was around, rest whenever I could, and so on.
Child care is accomplishing something! Don't write yourself off :)

Hugs to you, we had this from around 5 months. I just want to mention in case you aren't aware of it but peppermint tea can reduce your breastmilk supply. I used it to combat gross oversupply so jic you weren't aware.

Thanks Beannaithe, I had heard that so won't go crazy, maybe replace one cup with a herbal tea. Onthefly, Childcare has to be the hardest and most rewarding job I've ever had, maybe I'd appreciate it a bit more if I got 3hrs sleep lol!! We did co-sleep last night and it was better, I've taken the side off the cot today and jammed it between my bed and the wall, so that she is within arms reach but not on the edge 😊

You must be exhausted! :hug: I think I remember my dd around that age waking several times a night. She also could sooth herself to sleep like yours can so I couldn't work out why all the wake ups. She has a dummy at sleep times so I figured it was the dummy falling out and I'd put it back in and she would go back to sleep. But it passed after a few weeks. Does it take you long to get her back to sleep?

It depends what I do Tasha, if I feed her she goes back fairly quickly. If I try to soothe, pat, pick her up etc then it takes a little longer. I'm fairly sure that she's not hungry because she only has a few sucks and then goes back to sleep. We tried a dummy but she's not interested. I am exhausted.. But the last two nights in bed with me have been better. I guess she's my last baby, so I'll make the most of snuggling in the night! We'll need a bigger a bed I think!