O H      M Y       G O O D N E S S ! ! ! ! ! Just had to update you all as am like a hyperactive child today after 12 HOURS uninterrupted sleepies! That was night three of controlled crying. After my post here and admittedly starting to despair, I decided to give cc a go. I wasnt optimistic and didnt love the idea of it. First night we were all up until 1am, then up from 3.30am til 7, and then I didnt know what to do lol, let her sleep or wake her up! Night two, much the same except she settled herself again by half 5. Thennnn... last night, she woke at 4ish, and within 5 minutes settled herself, and the next thing I knew it was ten past 7!!

The other thing I did was give her a few yummy mouthfuls of readybrek at about 6.15 before her bath, and also she had 2 mini bolster like pillows either side of her to help her feel secure and perhaps fly around a bit less.

So, we shall see what happens and will definately percevere with cc, but just had to let you all know !

x

My lo is now 7 months and I admit she does now sleep but when I was having a horrible time of it I came across this website:  http://www.babysleepanswers.co.uk/Forum/  To use the forum you need to buy the book and they send you an email with your password and user name BUT you might find someone that has a similar problem on there and see what advice is given.

After reading through this thread I think it may be that she doesn't have enough sleep in the day and it seems like she cannot settle herself to sleep.  If this is the case, this will be the reason she is waking up and you having to sort her out.  CC will work but there are methods for doing it that stop it being the screaming and making yourself sick (although some babies do do that).  If you want more information I can certainly let you know what I did if it helps.

Sorry you are having such a tough time at the moment.

Dd is 7 months and never slept through either. Music tends to soothe her back to sleep - well, at least it does some of the time.!  We've got a winnie the pooh dreamshow thing (from Argos) which is sound activated.  Didn't really want her to rely on a prop but there comes a time when you just get desperate! I've only just started using it for in the night but it seems to have some effect.  Other than that last night I wound up the music box of her mobile and that sent her back off to sleep.  Normally  it's been feeding and then she'll doze off after a five min feed.   Have managed the last 2 nights without feeding although she's woken 3 or 4 times.  Hoping she'll get out of the habit!.  Good luck. x

Thanks everyone. She is 9 1/2 months. We've never used a dummy, and then tried about a month ago & she just isnt interested. I know I dont have another child and Im not back at work yet, but am getting in a complete tiz about going back to work next month as my job is very demanding and it wont help if I am zombified like I am at the moment hehe.

I have tried twice, reducing the concentrate and the quantity of the formula milk, and literally we get down to 3 scoops in 210ml and she realises, and just screeches. Im worried she isnt getting enough sleep in the day, but I cant make her, and sometimes when I take her for a drive, long walk, put her down etc she just will not snooze.

Perhaps I should try cc again. Is there a good link or article online as how best to go about it?

x Thanks everyone, its good to know Im not alone and some terrible mum!

I have no advice sorry, my ds is 9 months and the past month or more as not slept. He is up most of the night i have done everything i can think of but makes no difference, im really fed up with it, could go on but i would be here all day lol.

Hi, I was in the same position until 2 weeks ago. Don't give up! You just have to be strong and decide what is best for u & baby and stick to it. I tried cc but broke my heart. So after re reading a book, confirmed what I should do was right and persisted. Only took 1 night! Why didn't I do months ago!? My problem was I fed my boy to sleep. Teaching him another way was obviously going to confuse him, but I felt even he would be happier if he could soothe himself back to sleep. I brought his night feed to before bathtime. Sat him in bed, showed him a book, lay him down, read book, then sang and stroked. Every time he sat up, I gently lay him back down with my head in cot with him continuing to whisper to him. Be warned he sat up again about 20 times, but eventually wore himself out. When he woke at 1am I whispered a song and kept laying him back down. The next night he knew what was going on. Good Luck with whatever u try xx

I have no advice I am afraid because we are in exactly the same position. My son has never slept through, although like your lo, a couple of months ago it was excellent and he would go from about 8pm to 6am with just the one waking in the night. Now I've no idea how often it wakes. Must be more than once every hour from about 11pm. He then gets up at 5am, so you have my sympathy. I am knackered. I also have a 3 year old to chase after all day and who occasionally wakes in the night too. I've tried all sorts except for the CC as I don't want my eldest woken too. I am just hoping and hoping that he will grow out of it. But I am exhausted.

Pennypop - how old is your lo?

I don't have a magic wand I'm afraid.  The only thing I will say is that it is just "habit".  You have to "teach" a baby to sleep through by themselves and I know from experience how hard it can be.  I was lucky as cc worked for me but if she is screaming after 3  hours and making herself sick, I really don't know what to suggest.  When she goes to sleep, does she use any "aid", i.e. dummy, bottle, rocking etc or do you just put her in her cot and leave her?  Is she in her own room?

I'm just asking the questions to see if there is anything I can think of as I know how soul-destroying it can be. xx

Hi ladies,

Just to say Im really starting to feel down about all of this, esp with dh away still. Can anyone else relate to my prob with dds sleepies, and wave a sleepy wand her way x

Have you tried a dummy instead of milk?  It's just that maybe your LO needs to suck to get back off to sleep? Poor you, you must be exausted. x 

bless you. you seem to of tried every thing.

 we did all of these and luckily it worked- but...we also use the prince lionheart "heart beat" simulator we have done since 4 weeks, also has white noise and lullaby which plays for 5 mins .

it  plays when they move and cry. i think it provides a distraction if lo stirs in the night

doesnt always work but just a suggestion- only trouble is not sure if it does work but frightened to turn it off incase it doesnt iykwim

hth

 and well done for keeping sane so long

This is going to sound like a really daft question in regards to your thread but ias she getting enough sleep during the day? Doctor Miriam Stoppard (sp) says that a baby who sleeps, sleeps. Basically she means that if a baby is over tired then they will not sleep so they need to get enough rest during the day to enable their bodies to get a decent nights sleep in the night? Other than that I dont know what to suggest im sorry hun. My dh was the same with rusks in his bottle/good night milk-it seemed to make his waking worse and thre doctor thought that this was because it was too heavy on his tummy and gave him indigestion! Have you tried dream feeding also? You poor woman, you must be at your wits end, im so sorry i couldnt be of more use xxx

Still no joy.......... can anyone offer any new suggestions x

Hi

My little boy was exactally the same. He was on hungary baby and i replaced his night feed with water and he eventually stopped waking up for his feed. He slept through for the first time last night 7 till 7. I also put a handful of dummies in his cot too so he could find them in the middle of the night. Also i noticed with my lo that he wakes if he is too hot so he just sleeps in a vest and babygro when the gro egg is 22.

I hope this helps. xxx

As post says, lo is still waking several times in the night and Id really like people's advice on how and what I can do to get her to sleep through. I'm so tired, and not sure what I am doing wrong.

My oh is away in the Forces and so I dont have help around to at the moment give me any time off, so it would be a dream (excuse the pun) to think I may get a full nights sleep.

She eats three very good sized meals today, (more than lots of her babybuddies), drinks 3 x 8oz bottles at brekkie, mid pm, then bedtime, she has lots of exercise, stimulation, and fresh air.

She has never slept through, though from 6-8months it did reduce to just waking the once. Every time she wakes the only thing that settles her is milk.

She goes to zzz at 1900 after a bath, we have a good routine, and its all very relaxing, snoozy and quiet. She always goes straight to sleep.

Ive tried so much. Gradually reducing the quantity of milk doesnt work at all, she just wakes soon after if less than 5oz. Giving her more milk in the day doesnt work. Gradually watering down the consistancy of the milk doesnt work and again she wakes very quickly.

Ive tried cc, 5 nights in a row I left her for nearly 3 hours, twice she made herself sick with being so upset, she just sits up and screams. Ive tried waking her before she wakes herself, to break the routine. Everything I try I do for at least 4 nights. Nothing seems to make any difference. She has been teething at times, we try Calpol, Calgel, teething granuals, everything.

Rusks in her milk make her wake more, C&G Goodnight milk makes no difference nor does Hipp Organic Night time milk.

She has been in her own room, nice and warm (we use the Egg), quiet, with black out blinds.

Please, any suggestions would be great. x