# Zombie mamas---sleep deprivation commiseration thread



## gitanamama (Feb 17, 2011)

Hi fellow sleepy mamas!

I've been browsing this forum quite a bit, looking for advice and commiseration from other moms with not-so-stellar sleepers. My son (17 months old) still wakes to nurse just about every hour at night and I'm beginning to feel like a sleep deprived zombie! I have less energy and patience than before and often feel like I'm sleep walking through my days.

I know I'm not alone in this, and thought it would be nice if we could support one another through our sleep struggles. Sometimes it's just so relieving to know that other moms are in the same boat and to be able to share our "battle stories" with someone who will understand.

So, if you're struggling with sleep in your family, please share your story! And if you're one of those lucky mamas who has managed to improve your little one's sleep, please share any suggestions or advice you may have.

Zombie mamas unite!


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## FloridaBorn (Nov 28, 2009)

Well, I can definitely relate this morning.... my 15 month old daughter decided 4 a.m. was wake-up time. >__<

I was able to nurse her back down at around 5:30 and went back to sleep, but my poor husband has been up since then! He had to get up and get out like usual!


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## McGucks (Nov 27, 2010)

We're right there with you regarding the waking every hour to nurse. Our dude is 18 months and his sleep has actually gotten worse (in regards to night waking) as he has aged. Fortunately, he usually goes back to sleep pretty soon with nursing, but I don't always have such an easy time.

I have come to believe that his repeated night waking is attributed to our nursing and co-sleeping. While I am definitely a proponent of both, we had a situation this morning that kind of proved that his night waking is mommy-focused. I had gotten up to take my older son to school, and the baby woke while I was gone. If I had been here, I would have nursed him back to sleep. Since he turned over in the bed and only found dad, he fell asleep on his own (this NEVER happens, that I know of, when I am in the bed).

It was really discouraging since I believe so strongly in extended nursing (when possible) and co-sleeping (ditto). I have long suspected that our LO was waking for me, and I think I am right. I am not going to change our practices in regards to these two things, but it just kind of sucks.

I think if he took a pacifier (which he never has, though we've tried) or sucked his thumb, he would maybe sleep better, but who knows. My older son didn't extended breastfeed or co-sleep, he did use a pacifier, and his sleep was still awful for years.

Zombie mamas, unite!


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## remymom (Aug 6, 2011)

Hi fellow moms,

I'm up late instead of catching up on sleep. 

DS is now 8 months old. We wanted to co-sleep for the first 3-4 months and transition to his crib. It worked well for a while but eventually he ended up making his way for parts of the night into our bed. Sometimes everyone seems to sleep better with him in his crib and sometimes we sleep better together. It's so inconsistent. I was trying for a while to get him to go back to sleep without nursing, by rocking or giving him a pacifer. But after several failed attempts to limit his night waking, I have started to just give in and feed him. Truth be told, in my sleep deprivation, I'm not always sure what I'm doing in the night; I'm on automatic pilot. DH said the other day that to actually remember what happened in the night, we'd have to hire someone to sit in our room and take notes!  Most of the advice from my social circle is of the CIO kind and I'm still not comfortable with that. I agree with caedenmama that DS wakes more because I'm often in such close proximity of him and he's gotten accustomed to nursing frequently at night. I'd say DS wakes on average every + or - 3 hours.

My real question to all you sleep-deprived moms is:

*I'm all for attachment parenting and giving my son the very best, but at what point do you know that's its enough and sleep habits need to change for the benefit of the whole family?* I read a forum about night weaning and I think it said not before 18 months. Well some women may be lucky enough to be SAHMs, but what about the rest of us who work, go to school. *How do you function if you have to work and you can't catch up on lost sleep during the day?* I'm in Canada so still on mat leave but that will end in less than 2 months. I'm also in school and have the occasional contract so have had a somewhat flexible schedule up until now but that will soon end.


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## Arete (Aug 1, 2010)

I am not always a Z.M. (zombie mama) these days, but man, I sure am today. DS (15 months) was up every 2 hours and then up for good at 4:30. (he is not co-sleeping anymore, but still in our room.) I feel a real pain when I think that after I took a weekend trip when he was 11 months (which he instantly copped onto--Mama's not here, no need to wake up) he was sleeping 9 hours straight a night. I could actually stay up and watch a movie with DH sometimes, instead of going to bed at the same time as the baby! Ever since then the wake ups have been steadily increasing, til we are now back where we were before the trip. I guess I need to go away again! The worst part is that being tired makes me depressed, and brings back the PTSD I had after the little guy's birth. This is no fun for anyone.


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## blue elephant (Jul 7, 2010)

Totally feeling like a zombie mama!

My two are usually a lot of work, but the last few weeks have been awful- one waking up crying/screaming and taking a long time to go back to sleep, and the other waking up ALL the time after midnight, and taking ages to go back to sleep.

argh, someone just woke up!


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## Aithnea (Jan 15, 2011)

I'm in the same vote as you Mamas. My sweet girl is 14.5 months and has lately started the wonderful trend of attempting to give up her naps AND trying to stay up until midnight or later. Seriously, right around 11 or 12 at night she gets all excited and super sweet, wanting to run around and play. DH and I are usually ready for bed by then and want nothing more than to sleep. It's really hard to be mad and annoyed at her because she's so darn cute, but it sure is a pain that she's getting herself all worked up. Usually she doesn't go down until between 3am to 5am. Not good when both Mom and Dad have work in the morning.

She has also started hourly wake ups as well. Since we co-sleep with her I'm usually able to nurse her back down but I'm getting really tired of just as I'm about to fall asleep having to wake back up for the nursing.


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## gitanamama (Feb 17, 2011)

It's so good to hear that we're not alone over here! We had a pretty rough weekend of nighttime sleep, but luckily I was able to catch a quick nap on Sunday--that almost never happens! I'm feeling slightly less zombie-ish as we start our Monday...hopefully we can get through the week without feeling too fried.

@caedenmomma-my little guy is the same way. When he takes naps with his dad, he'll fall right back asleep if he wakes up and doesn't see me there. With me in the bed, however, he needs to be nursed back to sleep or is up for good. Maybe I should just let the two of them co-sleep and I'll get a big bed of my own 

@remymom- I have many of the same questions! My son has been grumpy and irritable lately, and while I know a lot of his behavior comes with this age, I wonder if he would be more cheerful if he was getting more sleep. I know I certainly would! I wish it were easier to transition to a different sleep situation--our attempts at night weaning and putting him in his own bed have been pretty horrendous. I remember when my son was 9 months old and started waking up a lot at night, I thought, "there's no way I'm going to put up with this for another few months--something has to change!" But here we are, almost 9 months later and still in the same position. Grrrr... Most days, I feel like I can function ok, but I definitely feel more irritable and emotional than I would if I was getting solid sleep.

@aithnea-3am bedtime! oh mama--you're brave!

I hope all my fellow zombie mamas get some rest and relaxation (if not solid sleep) this week!


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## Redmom (Jul 26, 2011)

Sleep deprived Mamas...I hear you all loud and clear.

Our little guy is 10.5 months, and up until a month ago woke up every 1-2 hours. In the last month he has gotten a little better, doing a stretch each night of 3, 4 or 5 hours. But still wakes a total of about 5 times a night.

And for every nap and every bedtime he needs to be rocked in our arms until he is sound asleep before being placed in the crib/on our bed. If he is not totally asleep he immediately wakes and starts screaming. He is getting quite heavy and my arms are on the point of collapsing.

My bugbear is hearing moms in my mom's group complain that they've had a rough night when their baby wakes a couple of times a night (when they usually pretty much sleep through the night)....grrrrrr,,,,,,,

I feel your pain and I agree that being able to to express one's feelings on this message board is a life saver - I've posted a few times when I've hit rock bottom and it does help me manage the feelings that come with having a baby who is a frequent waker (albeit a gorgeous and adorable little guy).


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## Learning_Mum (Jan 5, 2007)

I'm pretty consistently sleep deprived. Both mine still wake up at night. It can be anywhere from 3 - 7 times a night then they wake up for the day anywhere from 5.30am onwards. I am so tired that I don't think I even register being tired anymore, if that makes sense! I'm a single Mama too, so unfortunately I don't have anyone to give me a break sometimes.

I feel your pain Mama's. I live in hope that one day I will sleep through the night again!


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## sarahusesthis (Dec 3, 2009)

Sooo..does it ever end?? My 14.5 month old has been nursing constantly lately. If i try to roll over at all he wakes up instantly and bats me to nurse. nights like this make me want to night wean right away, but I need help from my husband, and he isn't willing to be up all night right now- just started new job and school. I know he is teething and has separation anxiety but it's getting a little ridiculous.


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## Learning_Mum (Jan 5, 2007)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *sarahusesthis*
> 
> Sooo..does it ever end?? My 14.5 month old has been nursing constantly lately. If i try to roll over at all he wakes up instantly and bats me to nurse. nights like this make me want to night wean right away, but I need help from my husband, and he isn't willing to be up all night right now- just started new job and school. I know he is teething and has separation anxiety but it's getting a little ridiculous.


Well mine are 6yo and 3yo but it has to end one day! LOL


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## choochootwo (Oct 11, 2011)

I am totally in your boat.

Our son is 15 months old, we also co-sleep and nurse. He's been a very frequent night waker and nurser, sometimes every 45 minutes. He's slept 5 hours on one occasion. I finally HAD IT last week. My lack of sleep was starting to affect my ability to parent and I was becoming short-tempered. My sister has five kids and whenever one was little and causing similar disruptions, her husband would take the baby downstairs and sleep with them. It made a big difference. I've asked my husband to help with night parenting in the past and the look of shock on his face was priceless. He was not a fan. Last week I decided I didn't care if he wasn't a fan, being a parent doesn't mean taking a vacation at nighttime. So, I told him I was sleeping the guest bedroom. I did this for two nights. Mikey screamed the first night and my husband comforted him. The second night he screamed less. Since then, our night times have been much better. He still nurses, but I've been able to sleep 3-4 hours at a time and my husband enjoys the special night time bond he has with his son. Win. Win. It just took me standing my ground and realizing I deserve a little help in the evening.


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## Redmom (Jul 26, 2011)

So DS is our first and he is 11 months now and wakes about 1-2 hours or about 5-6 times a night.

A few of the moms in my mom's group say they are ready to try for another baby. The thought of having another baby right now makes me feel physically ill. I can't imagine ever wanting another baby and the thought of going through this sleep deprivation with another baby, and with a toddler on the scene really scares me.

How do other zombie mommas feel about this?


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## BabySmurf (Apr 27, 2011)

I'm just chiming in...mine is almost one, and I feel great on the occasions he wakes up every two hours! He has a sensitive GI tract and will wake up every 30 to 90 minutes many nights. Ugh! I know he is *capable* of sleeping longer stretches because he will throw in a couple of good nights in there - one time I got three nights in a row of a 5 hour stretch! And then just when I was getting comfortable enough to not wake up from habit, the frequent wake ups returned. It's so hard! My cousin has twin boys who are 10 days younger than my DS. They have been sleeping through since 6 weeks old. Seriously!? I remember her complaining when the went through a sleep phase where they woke up once or twice, and she was exhausted. Oddly enough I am am starting to have pangs of desiring another baby - DS is just so much fun during the day....I think I am crazy! Luckily no AF yet, from all of the frequent nursing, so I can't get into something I can't handle.....


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## blake201 (May 20, 2010)

Zombie mama of a 16-mo-old here!

We moved DD into her own room a few months ago because she kept kicking and punching us in her sleep and was nursing every 30 minutes sometimes. For a while it seemed like a huge improvement and for a few weeks she even slept through the night... I'd nurse her to sleep for an hour and put her in the crib, then go nurse her in the morning before work. I started feeling so alert and human again and even got to watch movies in the evening w/ DH.

And then she started getting her canines... I'd wake at 1 am to hear her screaming "mommy! Mommy! Nurse! nurse!" on the baby monitor, run to her room... And spend the rest of the morning nursing her every 30 to 40 minutes lying on a bed in her room. No matter how sound asleep she is she screams and wakes up if I try putting her back in the crib.

The canines are in but this hasn't improved. I am such a zombie at work. And I miss my husband! He doesn't want to cosleep any more because she's still a serious kicker / puncher... But I can't let my daughter cry in some other room by herself!


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## teeg1973 (Oct 15, 2008)

Oh I am so there with you ladies! I swore after my first DD, who was a horrible sleeper, that I would do whatever necessary to not have another bad sleeper. Well, guess what....YDD is also a terrible sleeper and I have no idea what to do! YDD sleep issues are different than ODD's were, but equally exhausting.

I just posted in the breastfeeding forum, but DD is 10 months and is on the nurse every hour thing. She does sometimes take a pacifier, but will seriously get pissed in the middle of the night if you give it to her and she wants the boob (after she has had the breast, for a bit I can usually slip in the pacifier if needed).

I am a complete zombie and not dealing well with it. At around 4 months, DD would give me a 5 hour stretch, which I now look back on fondly. We took a visit overseas and everything has gone downhill since. I keep saying to myself that it can't get any worse, and then it does :-( I seriously wouldn't give a second thought to attempting night-weaning if I thought I could do it, but I can't even begin to fathom how it would work (I envision one entire night long tantrum, which I can't do). I feel bad complaining b/c I feel quite fortunate that I am around to see my children grow up, but man, I am tired!

Anyway.....maybe someone reading will have the magic secret to share with all of us!

Tracy


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## gitanamama (Feb 17, 2011)

Do good to hear from other mamas in the same situation (although I feel for each and every one of you--it's no fun being so exhausted!)

Redmom-I can definitely relate. I always thought I wanted lots of kids (like 4 or 5) but now the thought of having another one just sounds so tiring, I can't even imagine it! Plus, I think my body is too depleted and worn out right now to even make pregnancy a possibility. Ugh

We caught a cold from a friend's baby, so now my stuffy-nosed little guy is waking up every 30 min or so, totally miserable and unable to nurse well. I'll be glad to get back to those 1-2 hour stretches of sleep when we're healthy again


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## newmamalizzy (Jul 23, 2010)

I'll join the fray on this one. We're at 19 months now, and I really thought things would be better than this with the night-wakings, but...they're not. She's bottle-fed, and we still do 1 or 2 bottles at night, but there are many times that she wakes up even though she doesn't want a bottle. She's often very upset when she wakes up and lately she's gotten very clingy at night, too. I think the most frustrating thing is just not knowing why she's waking up. I'm very verbal, and not particularly relaxed. I want to know what's wrong, then figure out what to do to solve it. And I don't want to have to INTUIT the whole darned thing. I want her to just TELL me. It makes me feel so helpless to not know what's going on or how to fix it. Now we're in the throes of toddlerhood, so our days are very emotionally demanding. When we have bad nights, too, it just feels like there's no end to it. She's lucky that she's adorable, or I'd never be able to cope


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## MicaR (Nov 12, 2011)

I don't know that I've ever been so down and depressed, or as lost and clueless, about anything as I do about my 8-month old DS's sleeping (or lack thereof). And I have never been more disheartened than by reading this commiseration thread (which I'm sure was not its intended purpose!!).

If this waking 6-8+ times a night continues until he's 12 months, 18 months or 4 years ... I don't know what I'll do. I honestly can't imagine life like this for another two months, much less YEARS. We partially co-sleep, but are trying to inch away from that as neither of us (nor my DH) are doing well in a family bed type situation - none of us are getting much sleep. I'm still adamantly against any CIO method, as my son gets quite hysterical quite quickly when crying. I don't think he's ever cried for more than 10-15 minutes at a go, because someone is always there to see to his needs, whether for something tangible or just company, comfort and a song.

That said, almost all of my mommy group members who have tried some sort of CIO or CIO-related method report almost instant (< 1 week) success, and their LOs are happier and better rested, and their daytime life and relationship with their DP is smoother without everyone's nerves completely shot from lack of sleep. I'm so jealous, but I just know there is absolutely no way I could do that to my DS.  The low-cry solutions, like Baby Whisperer, No-Cry Sleep Solution, and Sleep Lady Shuffle -- I firmly believe NONE of these methods are truly "no-cry" -- are on my agenda to give a shot, but I'm so exhausted, and nothing seems to work, and I'm just so completely down about the entire situation. I'm at the point of "what's the point of trying, it's just going to fail."


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## Redmom (Jul 26, 2011)

Hi MicaR I couldn't read your post and not reply. Awwww I want to give you big hugs, I understand what it's like to have a little one who wakes 6+ times a night.

My DS is nearly 12 months and he has woken 6+ times a night since he was about 4 months old. I clearly remember when he was in that 7-9 month age range and the night wakings were THE WORST, and I felt so incredibly desperate and exausted.

\

Like you, when I read mamas saying that things did not improve until bubs was 18 months, 2 years etc I felt so desperate at the thought of things being this way for another 1+ years.

The only I can share with you is that things have gotten slightly better for us - particularly around the 10 month mark, he started sleeping a stretch each night of about 3, 4 or 5 hours. It doesn't sound like much, but was a huge improvement from him sleeping only 1-2 hours and then waking. It was amazing how better I felt getting a little more sleep, and more importantly it gave me a glimmer of hope that things would improve.

One thing my DH and I have noticed lately, is that when DS starts to stir (DS or I co-sleep with him), many times we can get him back to sleep just by placing our hands/arms around his body and shushing him - where as before he would only go back to sleep by being rocked or breastfed.

My friends with bubs who were the same, also have told me that from about 1 onwards they will start to understand things better. I've noticed DS understands simple words like "piggy" "ducky" "teddy" etc so now I very consciously say "sleepy time" at bedtime.

The thing that helped me the most, was my DH and my bedtime arrangement. Basically one of us co-sleeps with DS and handles the wakeups (me by nursing him, DH by rocking him) while the other one of us sleeps in the living room (on the sofa...ha how crazy is that!) and then during the night we swap locations. So usually I feed DS at about 10.30, and he falls asleep on our bed. DH comes to bed, then I got to the sofa. Usually around 3 or 4 DS nees a feed again so I go to our bed and DH comes to the sofa. Having a few hours of uniterrupted sleep and also just the mental break of knowing that I'm not on baby duty, has made all the difference. And I'm really lucky to have a DH who is on board with me 100 %. Perhaps you and DH could think about some way of dividing the night time parenting.

Also, with the Mom's group I belong to, of course they all have bubs who sleep well and complain when bubs wakes once or twice a night of how "sleep deprived" they are - it kind of annoys me. But I have come to realized that our DS has different nightime needs from their babies so there is no point in comparing.

I too tried "No Cry Sleep Solution" but ultimately it made no difference - I have come to believe that my baby sleeps the way he sleeps and we can't change it.

Anyway, I know how tough it is. All I can say is to be really kind to yourself and take it one night at a time. With every month that DS got older, I tell myself it's one month closer to better sleep.


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## remymom (Aug 6, 2011)

Hi MicaR,

I really feel for you. I started reading this thread when DS was 7-8 months. He's now 9 months. I also was like "there's no way I can do this until he's 18 months or longer." Most of the people I know have either done CIO or they sleep separate from their spouse because they're co-sleeping toddler still wakes at night. I don't necessarily want to go either extreme. We decided to come up with our own method. I thought I had to follow a specific method. Well, not sure our method is going to work since it's only been a week. I'd just like DS to sleep a 6 hour stretch. So we're trying to get him to stop feeding for a 5-6 hour stretch and hope that he'll stop waking if he sees he's not getting fed. I think like everyone says, until you're ready, there is no use in trying X method. That's still how I feel about CIO. Hang in there and maybe trying something YOU feel comfortable with will at least give you the feeling that you're moving forward to your goal of getting more sleep.

Hugs


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## newmamalizzy (Jul 23, 2010)

Sorry, MicaR, I didn't mean to dishearten you! Honestly, things have gotten a LOT better for us since DD was your LO's age. She may still wake a lot, but her sleep is consistently better than it used to be and I definitely don't feel that crazy, awful, sleep-deprived way that I used to. One thing that's helped is that her ways of going to sleep matured over time, so I expend a lot less energy getting her to sleep. It's still time consuming, and I still get woken up at night, and it still sometimes drives me nuts, but it is much, much better. I remember feeling just as you describe, and I don't feel that way anymore. BTW, once your LO reaches a certain age, it does become easier to encourage changes in their sleep. You're very right, that even NCSS really isn't no-cry, but...babies DO cry when they aren't getting what they want. CIO works because babies aren't stupid. The same thing happens every night, so they learn that that's just the way it's going to be. You don't have to use CIO for a baby to learn that lesson, though. You just have to be really consistent, even if your baby does get upset. I think you'll see by 12 months or so that it's very similar to how you deal with tantrums - lovingly, compassionately hold your ground, and see them through the upset so they know you're on their side.


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## Arete (Aug 1, 2010)

I just thought I'd check in as tonight was a real, true zombification night. I actually stayed up to watch a movie. DS woke up just as I went to bed at 11, then again at 1:30, and stayed awake til 5, at which point I couldn't go back to sleep, so here I am. Two hours of sleep in a night makes me not functional. I am dreading the day. But I have to do justice to my little pork chop guy, he is usually better than this. Last night he slept 8 hours straight. I couldn't believe it when he did wake up and I saw the clock. I think 4-5 hour stretches in the first part of the night are the norm, then 1-2 hours in the last stage. But I thought it was funny how many of us have spouses on the couch. Mine has been stuck down there for months. He can sleep through DS's wake-ups, but his snoring on top of everything is simply too much for me to take. newmamalizzy, you are so right. The babe is quite capable of figuring out what is going on. I cave in because nursing is the fasted way for ME to get back to sleep, but the time may be at hand to try some consistent something or other.


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## newmamalizzy (Jul 23, 2010)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Arete*
> 
> I just thought I'd check in as tonight was a real, true zombification night. I actually stayed up to watch a movie. DS woke up just as I went to bed at 11, then again at 1:30, and stayed awake til 5, at which point I couldn't go back to sleep, so here I am. Two hours of sleep in a night makes me not functional. I am dreading the day. But I have to do justice to my little pork chop guy, he is usually better than this. Last night he slept 8 hours straight. I couldn't believe it when he did wake up and I saw the clock. I think 4-5 hour stretches in the first part of the night are the norm, then 1-2 hours in the last stage. But I thought it was funny how many of us have spouses on the couch. Mine has been stuck down there for months. He can sleep through DS's wake-ups, but his snoring on top of everything is simply too much for me to take. newmamalizzy, you are so right. The babe is quite capable of figuring out what is going on. I cave in because nursing is the fasted way for ME to get back to sleep, but the time may be at hand to try some consistent something or other.


Oh, yes, the snoring. Mine's been in the living room for a year now. He just bought a cot


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## gitanamama (Feb 17, 2011)

MicaR, sorry that you're going through such a rough time right now! The point of this thread obviously wasn't to make anyone feel worse, but I can totally understand how it does. I remember when my little one was 9 months old and waking every hour, I talked to a friend with a then 18 month old who said her daughter did the same thing. It made me want scream, imagining 9 more months feeling so exhausted. But if it's any consolation, things are improving for us little by little. My son still wakes much more frequently than I would like (4-6 times per night) but he's much easier to get back down--often I can just nurse him for a couple of minutes and then roll over. I actually don't feel like much of a zombie most days now. I don't know whether I adjusted to this crazy sleep schedule or if it's actually improved significantly, but either way, I seem to have more energy and be in brighter spirits than a few months ago. Hopefully things will move in that direction for you too!

And I can definitely relate to feeling resentful (if that's the right word?) of moms who've used CIO methods. There have been points where I felt like I would do anything to get a solid night of rest, but even the "gentle" sleep training methods we tried were just too draining on all of us and I gave up and went back to nursing on demand.

Arete and NewMamaLizzy,

It's so good to hear that other people play "musical beds" in their houses as well! I always felt slightly ashamed for some reason that one of us ended up downstairs most nights. I felt like I was failing at cosleeping--which is obviously a very silly thing to feel but I think it stems from some of the judgement I've received about cosleeping from family members and friends. Anyway, I've come to embrace our little musical bed routine--we all sleep for a few hours together until I take our little one downstairs to escape the snoring or my hubby retreats to the futon to escape the wiggling.


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## Redmom (Jul 26, 2011)

gitanamama

We are another household that plays musical beds. I figure it is something we will look back on and say "remember when....". Something to tell DS about what things were like when he was a baby.


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## RStelle (Jul 12, 2011)

DD was doing great, sleeping for 6-7 hours, nursing in her sleep, then sleeping 3-4 more hours, but now, not so much. She'll sleep 3 hours at he beginning of the night, but then be awake for 45 minutes, sleep for 30 minutes, wake up and get all hyper, and it's pretty much downhill from there. The thing that helps is just realizing that it's not going to last forever. Right now my brain is pretty much mush, though. I actually went to work wearing 2 non matching shoes the other day, I was so not awake yet.


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## Skippy918 (Jul 15, 2008)

I am so tired. My DD (6mos) has been sleeping like crap no matter where you put her. I thought I would be able to sleep better with her in bed with me, but not so much. Last night, it was after 10 and she was ready to party. I have to be up before 6 to get ready for work. I can't keep this up for much longer. I typically try putting her down in her crib around 8. Sometimes she'll stay asleep but other times she'll wake when I'm ready to get to bed and then every 5 mins and need to be rocked or fed again. Then I'll bring her in bed. I have trouble falling asleep while she's latched on, so I kinda just lie there till she's done and then I can fall asleep. I lost track of how many times I nursed her last night, but it was at least 4 . DS was so much better at this age. He would eat and fall asleep and then stay asleep till he was ready to eat again.
I'm at a loss for what to do. I hope she outgrows this soon. I have never drank so much coffee before in order to function at work. I used to be an infrequent coffee drinker, like once a week or less, but now I find myself needing a cup 3 times a week.


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## LeaPea (Oct 7, 2009)

My 17 month old daughter is a horrible sleeper, and always has been! She still wakes every 2 to 3 hours. Plus, she has to be touching my boob the whole night. I'd kill to sleep on my back







Her sleep got better around 15 months, then she got 8 teeth in a month, and it has been horrible ever since. We are starting to come to a breaking point because I'm pregnant and horribly exhausted. My husband and I have been doing a lot of talking and researching, and I think we are going to try Dr. Jay Gordon's method. My husband is going to start putting her to sleep, and he'll be primarily responsible for night wakings. I think if she slept longer, we would all be so much happier.


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