Nearing crisis point

jenhug

You can see why sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture!

You could try asking your GP about melatonin, if things persist, its been a life line for us.

sacha28

jenhug wrote: »

You can see why sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture!

You could try asking your GP about melatonin, if things persist, its been a life line for us.

Can I ask what this is? I've never heard of it!

Yet another terrible night. Woke at 3.15am, finally settled at 5am

notanewuser

sacha28 wrote: »

Can I ask what this is? I've never heard of it!

Yet another terrible night. Woke at 3.15am, finally settled at 5am

Melatonin is the hormone your body produces that makes you feel sleepy. Lots of things help produce it, including warm milk, warm baths (not always with children).......

The doctor can prescribe a synthetic version - usually for insomnia etc.

fluffnutter

Melatonin's also used to try to alleviate symptoms of jet lag. Give it a google, OP.

fluffnutter

sacha28 wrote: »

Thanks everyone, every single comment has been considered and appreciated. The last couple of nights have been better, yet nothing has really changed. When he sleeps well, I try to replicate everything the next night. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn't!!

I have considered taking the sides off his cot bed and see how we get on there. I have also layered him up a bit more, just in case he has been getting cold.

Today I have bathed him this morning, there may be something in it waking him up as he's been running riot ever since lol

I think a diary is a spot on idea, although I will need to be more self disciplined as I forget to fill things like that in!!!

I am so grateful for everyone that has taken the time to write, advise and share their own experiences. I have no family of my own that I can discuss things with so you guys are a bit like a lifeline! As you can tell, today is a very positive day. I'm feeling happy and Cody is much happier for a good night's sleep!!!

I too think the diary is a good idea. I also think it might be worth changing just one thing and sticking with it for at least a week or two. That way you'll know precisely what works and what doesn't. It's also really important to stick with it for a while - things won't change immediately and there's the danger that you think something didn't work when in fact it will if you stick at it.

sacha28

So finally got a call from my HV, 5 DAYS after the message I left!! She has suggested many things that have been suggested on here

Tonight my little baby boy has taken a big leap and gone into a bed :j (well kind of good, selfishly I'm quite upset as this means he is no longer a baby ) He was so happy at having the cot made into a bed he kept begging to go to bed!!! I'm not naively expecting this to be a miracle cure, nor do I expect the next few nights to be easy but, lets face it, things couldn't get much worse!!

I'll keep you updated

Air_Cooled_75

I can sympathise! Our boy has never been a big sleeper, always an early waker, but putting him in a bed at 18 months did help! He hated being in a cot at that age. I'd say we still have 2/7 bad nights (average) even now (he's 3 and a half).

When he does sleep through until anything later than 6am I'm already awake and worrying

I think it's sometimes habits from all sides, I swear he used to be able to hear my eyes opening

notanewuser

http://www.colorado.edu/news/releases/2013/12/16/bedtime-toddlers-timing-everything-says-cu-boulder-study

Toto

My daughter was a terrible sleeper from about 9 months, she was brilliant before this. Anyway to cut a long story short I got so tired and fed up with getting up to her that I moved her back into our room. She's 5 now and still sleeps in a bed next to mine. She has a bed in another room but she has no intention of moving out. My husband is away for a lot of the time so it is just me and my little roomie which I secretly quite like (a lot).


Do you think trying this might work for your family?

sacha28

Hey guys, quick update!

It's been a busy and exhausting few weeks. Initially the bed thing seemed to be a good idea. For the first 3/4 nights my lo only woke up twice (each night) and was pretty easy to resettle. I have no idea what happened next but things deteriorated terribly

I was asked to write down the times of each waking by our HV (she said not to worry about anything else) to see if there was a pattern. I've been scrutinising and there really is no common time for his waking and the frequency has increased. The past 5 nights he has woken every hour.

Things came to a head yesterday after being up every hour until 4.30am when he decided now was a good time to get up :eek:
I phoned the GP in a mess and told her how things have been. I also told her that my partner is genuinely concerned that the exhaustion will cause him to have a seizure which will have a massive impact on our lives as he drives for a living and would lose his license, and therefore his job.

I asked about melatonin and she said only paediatricians are licensed to prescribe this so has referred us to them. She then gave us phenergan again, he had it yesterday and only woke once!!

My lb's behaviour has become terrible, he is ratty, irritable, has started hitting, cries/screams most of the time. I know this is down to months of very little sleep (and some age related behaviours!).

The past week it has taken over 2 hours to get my lb to sleep. He screams the second either me or OH leave the room and keeps asking us to stroke him. We have done this (against our better judgement) but he starts screaming the moment you stop (thinking he's dropped off) and try to leave. Last night I sat next to his bed for an hour and a half, had to leave to have a wee which sent him into meltdown so my OH took over for another half an hour. This is totally new to us, getting him to sleep was never an issue it was keeping him asleep that was the problem. Now the whole bed thing has become a huge nightmare

The HV is coming over on Monday, we wait with baited breath to hear what she says. In the meantime, I have to keep putting my OH off of making his bed back into a cot as I think that would be going backwards (he's in and out many many times along with the waking and stands at his door screaming!)