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Dear God, I need my sleep

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    #32
    Nevyn
    Closed Accounts Posts: 43,045 ✭✭✭✭Nevyn


    Mine always slept well other then when ill or feeding, by the time my youngest was 3 they both slept 12 hours a night.


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    #33
    Wantobe
    Closed Accounts Posts: 554 ✭✭✭Wantobe


    One good thing to bear in mind with children is that there's always a change around the corner. When you think, oh hell, am I in for sleepless nights forever, remember they NEVER stay the same.

    Always try to put them down awake, means they learn to go to sleep on their own, not on top of you. Otherwise when they wake up during the night they can't get back to sleep without you.

    I found the 6 week mark to be a good guide to being able to build in a little routine too, before that you just have to go with the flow.

    ps. it can be really annoying when other people boast about their kids who sleep through the night. One day I was in the doctors queuing to get a vaccination for my first baby and another woman asked me if she was sleeping through the night, when I said she wasn't she ssaid she'd had four children and they all slept through the night and then suggested I try formula to settle her at night. I was already a nervous wreck at the thought of the vaccination and came home a bit frazzled. My big brother rang me ( who has two kids of his own who were holy terrors and hardly slept at all) and told me that when anyone said that to him he used to reply: Well research has shown that when children don't sleep through the night it is a sign of early intelligence ( he's a neurologist and a big liar). Hell, it cheered me up anyway. I might not say it but I always think of that when someone says similar.


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    #34
    Nevyn
    Closed Accounts Posts: 43,045 ✭✭✭✭Nevyn


    As far as I am concerned I worked at getting them into a good sleeping pattern,
    from 5 montsh preggers when I ws going to sleep I would play a certain playlist of music which I also then would play during thier bed time routine and some of those trackes still get played now around 8:30 when they are getting read to be and they are currently 10 and 8.

    IMHO Routine and the same signals are good kids from an early age, yes each one is different my son was a lot more of a wakeful baby my daugher can still sleep for ireland and will if tired asked to go to bed early, she as a baby always wanted to sleep face down bum up and have her back rubbed to sooth and send her off to sleep, I would find myself reaching out to the cot to rub her back half asleep where as my son prefered to have the side of his face rubbed.

    It take a while but you get there, but far as I am concern flexible routine is the way to go.


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    #35
    littlebug
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,832 ✭✭✭littlebug


    lostinnappies wrote: »
    I must be very lucky ... have two (4 and 1 year old) both sleep from 7pm until 7.30am every night no waking (save for potty or if ill) and no feeding.

    stop showing off:D:p

    You really don't know when it's going to fall into place. They're all different and what works for one might not work for another. My first didn't sleep through a night til she was 3 and my second started sleeping through at about the same time, when he was about 7 months. Neither ever had a daytime sleep routine and neither ever went to sleep in their room/ cot during the day. We lived to tell the tale albeit with a few extra grey hairs.


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    #36
    Chunkylover
    Closed Accounts Posts: 314 ✭✭Chunkylover


    finally got a decent night last night, did the normal stuff but I swaddled her and put her in the cot, not the basket, only had to wake up to feed and change the bed (note to self, do not feed while sitting on the bed incase she spits up the whole bottle)


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    #37
    Maglight
    Registered Users Posts: 281 ✭✭Maglight


    lostinnappies wrote: »
    You could try creating a more snug fit around the mosses basket by placing rolled up blankets either side of her under the sheet. This will give her a sensation of still being held. Then just place a hand gently on her chest so she can feel the warmth of your hand.... then all you have to do is wait. If she begins to cry its ok, she wont die or have an arm drop off. Allow her the time to settle on her own knowing that she is safe and warm.

    Dont know if this will help.:)

    Completely forgot that - swaddling is a great idea. Fold her up snugly in a cotton baby blanket. It seems to comfort very young babies. Works a treat.


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    #38
    babyboom
    Registered Users Posts: 201 ✭✭babyboom


    You can put all the routines in place you like but you cannot MAKE a child sleep. They have to be able to do that themselves. My children's inability to sleep through the night is not my fault, believe me I've tried everything there is to try, they are just not good sleepers, like me. I hate when people pat themselves on the back for something that is basically out of their control. I used to get it from my mother all the time, especially with my eldest who slept very little. "Leave her with me and I'll have her sorted". Didn't take her long to realise that all her wordly wisdom and years of parenting weren't going to work on my little darling. Most of us just muddle through I think and most of our kids turn out just fine in the end. As for the parents, well thats another story....


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    #39
    lostinnappies
    Closed Accounts Posts: 827 ✭✭✭lostinnappies


    Maglight wrote: »
    Completely forgot that - swaddling is a great idea. Fold her up snugly in a cotton baby blanket. It seems to comfort very young babies. Works a treat.
    thanks for that:p worked with my two


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    #40
    Latchy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21,191 ✭✭✭✭Latchy


    Sometimes a spin in the car works .Combination of fresh air (i know it's cold now) and movement of car / engine can stimulate them into relaxing and sleeping .


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    #41
    littlebug
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,832 ✭✭✭littlebug


    babyboom wrote: »
    You can put all the routines in place you like but you cannot MAKE a child sleep. They have to be able to do that themselves. My children's inability to sleep through the night is not my fault, believe me I've tried everything there is to try, they are just not good sleepers, like me. I hate when people pat themselves on the back for something that is basically out of their control. I used to get it from my mother all the time, especially with my eldest who slept very little. "Leave her with me and I'll have her sorted". Didn't take her long to realise that all her wordly wisdom and years of parenting weren't going to work on my little darling. Most of us just muddle through I think and most of our kids turn out just fine in the end. As for the parents, well thats another story....

    S'alright babyboom I feel your pain... i feel your pain
    //pats babyboom on the back//


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    #42
    BostonB
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,056 ✭✭✭✭BostonB


    Sleep whats that...:cool:


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    #43
    TargetWidow
    Registered Users Posts: 559 ✭✭✭TargetWidow


    Lets just remember we're all here to help. No-one needs to be critical of anyone else's methods or lack thereof.:rolleyes:


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    #44
    lostinnappies
    Closed Accounts Posts: 827 ✭✭✭lostinnappies


    TargetWidow wrote: »
    Lets just remember we're all here to help. No-one needs to be critical of anyone else's methods or lack thereof.:rolleyes:
    A voice of reason,

    Just because some of these methods dont work for everyone doesnt mean they wont work for the OP. After all that is why the OP is here to get help.

    Yes every child is different, some will always be more difficult, but if you found some weird way to get your child to sleep through the night .... wouldnt you have wanted someone to tell you about it?????


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    #45
    metrovelvet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,376 ✭✭✭metrovelvet


    The baby is less than 2 weeks old. He has had nine months of having everything catered to him and not having to do much but sleep, suckle and eat. He doesnt know night from day, or his new surroundings. Things will be rocky for a while. I wouldnt hold my breath for too long, but I remember someone recommending I put a tiny tiny amount of rice cereal in the bottle. Didnt work for my son, but apparantly it works for thousands of other babies.


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    #46
    TargetWidow
    Registered Users Posts: 559 ✭✭✭TargetWidow


    No critisism intended here but I personally wouldn't try the cereal in the bottle thing and this is why...
    http://www.drgreene.com/21_861.html


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    #47
    metrovelvet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,376 ✭✭✭metrovelvet


    Yes TW it is good to be alerted to these things. Also OPs baby is only over a week old. I tried it once when my son was 3 months old and I was about to discover my native american name through sleep deprived induced hallucination. It didnt work that one time so I chalked it up to an old wives tale and didnt try it again, but people swear by it.


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    #48
    BostonB
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,056 ✭✭✭✭BostonB


    metrovelvet wrote: »
    ....I was about to discover my native american name through sleep deprived induced hallucination. ...

    LOL, I know what you mean.


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    #49
    beth-lou
    Registered Users Posts: 729 ✭✭✭beth-lou


    Wantobe wrote: »

    ps. it can be really annoying when other people boast about their kids who sleep through the night. One day I was in the doctors queuing to get a vaccination for my first baby and another woman asked me if she was sleeping through the night, when I said she wasn't she ssaid she'd had four children and they all slept through the night and then suggested I try formula to settle her at night. I was already a nervous wreck at the thought of the vaccination and came home a bit frazzled. My big brother rang me ( who has two kids of his own who were holy terrors and hardly slept at all) and told me that when anyone said that to him he used to reply: Well research has shown that when children don't sleep through the night it is a sign of early intelligence ( he's a neurologist and a big liar). Hell, it cheered me up anyway. I might not say it but I always think of that when someone says similar.

    In fairness aren't people whose babies did sleep through the night from an early stage allowed to voice an opinion too? Aren't they allowed to share their experience to try to help the OP to possibly find out if what worked for them will work for the OP's baby.

    And in the interest of a balanced thread, isn't it only right that the OP should also be made aware that some babies do fall into a routine and it's not all doom and gloom. As has been said, every baby is different and so are every parents methods and experiences. Those of us who have been lucky enough to have sleeping babies are only sharing their knowledge because it was asked for and in the hope of helping the OP, who is inexperienced. And also to balance out the negatives. It seems to be 50/50. It is not meant as an insult to those who had it harder.

    Who knows, my next baby could be a screamer.


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    #50
    marti101
    Closed Accounts Posts: 954 ✭✭✭marti101


    Ive been on both ends ds1 wasnt bad slept alnight from 3 months ds2 was an absolute terror cried constantly never slept now ds3 is complete opposite slept straight through from day 1.It is more to do with the child and the way they are than really what the parents do/dont do


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    #51
    SpiderPiglet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17 ✭SpiderPiglet


    Have to agree with Marti101, all babies are different; some will fall into a routine easily, some will be all over the place. It's not that some parents worked out how to get the babies into a routine, it's entirely down to the baby.
    My baby fell into his routine all by himself, I did nothing other than feed him when he was hungry. I certainly dont pat myself on the back because he sleeps through the night, I tell people how incredibly lucky I am.... I reckon my next will be an absolute terror who'll have me awake till they move out.


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    #52
    Ludo
    Registered Users Posts: 5,015 ✭✭✭Ludo


    marti101 wrote: »
    Ive been on both ends ds1 wasnt bad slept alnight from 3 months ds2 was an absolute terror cried constantly never slept now ds3 is complete opposite slept straight through from day 1.It is more to do with the child and the way they are than really what the parents do/dont do

    Couldn't agree more about it being more to do with the child than what the parents do/don't do.

    Our twins (1 now) demonstrate this very well. Same routine for them both all day yet one of them sleeps 12 hours solidly (unless woken up by bro) and the other wakes numerous times every night. Have tried numerous different ways of getting them to sleep. One still sleeps non-stop no matter what we do but the other won't.


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    #53
    littlebug
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,832 ✭✭✭littlebug


    Absolutely,

    1. Some babies sleep well from day 1.
    2.Some babies will get into their own routine within a few weeks themselves without parent having to try too hard.
    3.Some babies with a little help around routine etc (ie lots of the advice on here) will get into a routine as above.
    4. Some babies will not sleep well no matter what you do and you just have to find ways to cope with it/ survive !

    If yours is a number 4 then after months and months of having never had more than 2 hours sleep in one go it's easy to feel like people are telling you you're doing something wrong when all they're doing is giving advice (though sometimes they are indeed telling you that you're doing it wrong:P ie the "give him to me for a few nights "comments).


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    #54
    TargetWidow
    Registered Users Posts: 559 ✭✭✭TargetWidow


    Please do take comfort from the fact that my sister SWEARS that if your first is a little angel (as hers was) it is GUARANTEED that you will have a holy terror for your second (as she did!) She says that if the second DD had come 1st there would have been no second DD!!:D:D

    Chances are all the lucky wenches in here with babies who sleep will be in here in a year or two pulling our hair out and in the same boat as you are now OP. I totally recognise that DD herself has alot to do with her ability to sleep and since she hardly even looks like me (I think he may have had an affair!!:D), I can hardly claim the good stuff. :P


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    #55
    BostonB
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,056 ✭✭✭✭BostonB


    1st was fine after 8 wks. 2nd was fine for 6 months then turned into a nightmare.


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    #56
    Wantobe
    Closed Accounts Posts: 554 ✭✭✭Wantobe


    beth-lou wrote: »
    In fairness aren't people whose babies did sleep through the night from an early stage allowed to voice an opinion too? Aren't they allowed to share their experience to try to help the OP to possibly find out if what worked for them will work for the OP's baby.

    And in the interest of a balanced thread, isn't it only right that the OP should also be made aware that some babies do fall into a routine and it's not all doom and gloom. As has been said, every baby is different and so are every parents methods and experiences. Those of us who have been lucky enough to have sleeping babies are only sharing their knowledge because it was asked for and in the hope of helping the OP, who is inexperienced. And also to balance out the negatives. It seems to be 50/50. It is not meant as an insult to those who had it harder.

    Who knows, my next baby could be a screamer.

    Er, did I say you couldn't?


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