I feel so bad, DD1 has never been a great sleeper (I wrote a few threads about her sleeping before DD2 was born) and its just getting worse.
For the last 3 nights in a row - she has been awake from about 11pm to 4am. So DH and I are getting about 2 hours sleep.
Last night she came into our room around 11.30pm (after DH went to get us some towels from the linen cupboard, and knocked out two disc things that were sitting in there, they crashed to the floor and of course woke her up cos its right outside her bedroom) and we let her come into our bed, and she spent the next 4 hours whinging, grizzling, crawling around the pillows, headbutting us, complaining cos the sheets were on, complaining when they weren't, saying she was ouchie in her nappy area - it went on for hours.
At about 2am we were pretty sick of it, so I changed her nappy, put more nappy rash cream on (because she has an awful rash at the moment) gave her a bottle and put some nurofen in it (just incase she was in pain).
Come 3.30am and she is still doing the same old stuff, still whinging, still crawling around - arghh and we hadn't been asleep yet.
So I put her in her room - and she cried and cried and cried. I lay there in bed listening to her scream and it broke my heart I think I gave in after about 15 minutes, and went to her, she settled down and seemed to go to sleep. I went back to bed, 5 minutes later she started up again. So I went into her again. She resettled, seemed to go back to sleep.
I went back to bed and passed out because it was like 4am or something. Woke up suddenly at 4.30 with her SCREAMING - don't know how long she was going for because I was absolutely dead to the world. DH was too and he is more tuned into her crying than I am!!
So I tried to resettle, and it worked, then at around 4.45, DH had a turn and she finally FINALLY passed out at 5am. We then got up at 6.30.
Last night was by far the worst night because of the screaming, but I'm running out of ideas - and I need sleep. I've had 6 bloody hours sleep in the last 3 days!!
Help me find a gentle solution because nothing is working here. And I had visions last night of picking her up and chucking her against the wall so she would shut up - and that scares me
What if you keep settling her in her bed? It sounds like she settles better in there, or was that just last night? Maybe put a mattress on her floor, or sit for a bit longer after you think she's asleep?
We tried. Everytime we went to take her out of our bed she would scream bloody murder - it wasn't until we were totally friggin over it that we just said stuff it. We didn't want her to wake the other two up - they are in the next room from her and she screams so loud it makes your ears ring!
You poor thing. We've had nights like that where DD just won't settle, or she goes off to sleep and wakes up as you sneak out the door or something.. argh.
Can you put a mattress on the floor in your room or something?
One thing we've done and it seems to work, is give them a cup of chamomile tea, or maybe brauers calm? Think that is chamomile too.
If she's got a really sore bum at the moment, that might be making her restless. Hopefully she'll crash for you tonight.
I can sympathisize completely but have no advice. I posted a similar thread about DS this morning. I have no idea what we can do either but we both feel absolutely exhausted as well. I know how you are feeling today though it probably doesn't help you much
I may not be much help but the mattress on the floor may work, or put her on a mattress on the floor in your room.
Also would a reward chart work, eg speak to her at bedtime about sleeping in her bed for the whole night etc and then set up a reward program. Its hard to know though whether she is waking due to being unwell or if it is night terrors etc. She wouldn't have earache or anything like that would she?
Liz - that calm stuff we tried before, it helped get her to sleep of a night time (because she used to take up to 2 hours to get to sleep) but it doesn't help with the waking up in the middle of the night and staying awake.
Just Me - I read your thread and it got me thinking as to whether DD1 is suffering the same type of thing - she's nearly the same age, she will turn 2 in August.
Megs - we tried the mattress on the floor before. It was giving her too much attention and we would have the same results - no sleep. She would just play up more if DH was on a mattress next to the bed. Believe me, its been going on and off for MONTHS so I think we've tried just about everything. Oh, and I don't know if she would understand the concept of a reward chart yet, she might not connect her behaviour to the chart ITMS?
I dont have any advice as Bella is going through a "stage" at the moment as well where she will go to bed at h er normal 8 oclock then for the past 3 nights she has woken at 1am and will not go back to sleep in her cot - I have given bottles and pain relieve as she is cutting all 4 of her eye teeth. She will how ever go back to sleep in our bed or for the last 2 nights I have slept with her in the spare bed and she is out like a light. I thinks its a speration anxiety thing - could that be the same for DD1??
Do you have a spare bed that you could sleep in with her - then maybe get some sleep with her? Or a mattress on the lounge floor??
DD1 did this for about a month before DD2 came along it was horrible so im sending some
I would get her up and sit on the lounge with her until she calmed down and then put her in bed but then she would wake up and expect to go onto the lounge everynight.
so I just gave up on sleep for a few nights and just kept going back in to resettle her in bed i think she just realised after a few nights play time was over.
She still wakes once or twice a night but we just have to put her dummy back in and lay her down again.
it was hard because her room is right next to DS so he was getting woken all the time.
Im sorry I dont have any helpful advice its so hard to function with no sleep
I really hope things improve soon
I don't have any advice to give but is there ANYONE who can mind your LOs today for a couple of hours while YOU get some sleep? It's sooooo hard making any sort of gameplan when you're in such terrible sleep deprivation! I sure hope your family can find a solution soon.
Kate - I dont' think its separation anxiety otherwise I would have thought she would settle in our bed? But she's just crazy in our bed and its even worse when DS is in there as well (like he was the other night, and she would annoy him and he'd be like... all I wanna do is go to sleep.. and me and DH were going - ME TOO!!! lol)
Plus she went through separation anxiety at 14 months, and she's sorta grown out of that phase, well she doesn't have the same things as she used to when I left her, she is really independent and stuff now.
PO5 - yeah she did it too before DD2 came along, it was shocking then too. And even though I'm not pregnant, its definitely just as bad!!!
Koru - Sterla has offered to come and watch the kids for me, but I don't really do naps in the day time unfortunately, its like my body just won't let me sleep or something until night time - no matter how much I want it.
mel. no advice, i know you've been going through this for ages & have tried almost everything. i often wonder with DS what it is that i'm missing, is there something simple that i've completely overlooked! somehow i don't think it is that simple though
hang in there, i really hope things improve for you soon
Hugs hun DS1 has been like this for 1 week and I am ready to loose it!! Since 11 months he has gone to bed 2000 - 2100 and slept till 0730 - 0900, but since fri night he has had nights of screaming and carrying on till midnight or later or going down ok at 2000 ish and then waking at 2 or 3 screaming, put him in our bed and all he does is poke us climb on us and be down right annoying. Put him back in cot and he screams!!
I am of course feeding DS2 at times over night so that then means I need to put DS1 back in his bed, last night DH said just let him cry I did for a bit then lost it and told him my blood was boiling listening to him! so he went and folded out sofa bed in DS1 room and slept with him there.
On weekend he had some temps but otherwise well.
Hun you are not alone we can all go to mental asylum together!!
Im not too up to speed on the gentle parenting stuff.. but have you tried a calm walm bath with maybe some lavender oils or something? If its an on going thing, maybe you can try that when she starts to worm around once the others have gone to sleep.. just to get everything calm and warm with her. Will help if she has a bit of nappy rash too. Im guessing its colder there than it is here, so maybe shes just getting uncomfortable with the cold.. not to mension her teeth coming through. DD is having a few nights here and there where her teeth are giving her hell. 1 in particular.
Sleep deprivation is torture isn't it. Poor you
I have found with DS1 that he does not settle in our bed at all, so we are better off leaving him in his, and sleeping on the floor in his room with him. He is much younger (only 2) and I can put DS2 in my room so that DS1 doesn't wake him. That's not so easy for you.
Look the other night I got so tired I bundled DS1 up on my lap on the couch at 2am and I fell asleep while he watched infomercials!!!! So I'm hardly an expert!!
When I come out today, let me know if there's anything I can do. Even if you just have a lie down or a bath, or just time out from the kids to relax, and I can watch the kids. 6 hours sleep in 3 days is torture!!!
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We had to let her cry :(
I think I gave in after about 15 minutes, and went to her, she settled down and seemed to go to sleep. I went back to bed, 5 minutes later she started up again. So I went into her again. She resettled, seemed to go back to sleep.
I can sympathisize completely but have no advice. I posted a similar thread about DS this morning. I have no idea what we can do either but we both feel absolutely exhausted as well. I know how you are feeling today though it probably doesn't help you much
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