Sleep problems - help!

Hey Mamas and Fathers

I havent been on for a while

Jasmin has been having major sleep issues , waking hourly mostly. Its been going on for a months now and it has really effected my quality of life - and hers.

She wants to sleep, she just finds it really hard. She wants to sleep at around 8pm so I put her down, and she will stay in bed till 8am, but in between then , she is sleepy but wakes up hourly. She needs nursing back to sleep, sometimes can sleep with a dummy and being held. She is sleeping in our bed now, because picking her up all the time from her crib has really knackered my backbone!

I dont want to try crying it out, as she is really determined and stubborn and she would cry for hours without stopping. I know some of you mummys are rolling your eyes at me at the moment but if anyone could offer me some advice without crying it out method Id really appreciate it.

Ive read the NO CRY SLEEP SOLUTION and I have been trying to put some things into practice like putting a lullaby on and trying to introduce a cuddly comfort toy, instead of breast feeding her back to sleep. The lullaby seems to be working sometimes slightly, although its been a few days.

Its so rough I feel nauseas from exhaustion, Im all over the place I feel ill!

She has ezcema and itches at night, and also allergies which has contributed to the waking pattern, but she isnt always itchy and I think it has just distrupted her sleep pattern for good

Thanks you guys

Awe D i am so sorry!! I know sorta how you feel as Thane also wakes about every 2 hours and is still nursing back to sleep. I do not do the CIO method, so don't worry I won't say that to you because I cannot do it! He also sleeps with us for at least half the night (or beside our bed) and sometimes the entire night, but I don't care what people say about it either, its a WHATEVER works type of thing!!!

Jasmin is a bit younger than Thane but he still won't take a paci or really care about a comfort toy. There are some nights that him wanting "BOO" just drives me nuts and i turn around and ignore him, he usually whines and falls asleep, if he doesn't then i give boo and go back to sleep.

How does she nap? Does she nap well and on a schedule? Do you nurse her to sleep then too?

I wish I could say something for you to try!!! Mostly I am just sympathetic becuase I go through some of the same stuff and he is almost 17 months old! BUT, its not EVERY night, just most of them

I think the lullaby is a good idea, and one thing I haven't tried yet that MAY work for you depending on DH, is maybe get DH to change up the bedtime routine a bit. See if Jasmin would let him rock her or something like that? I think a lot of times they wake out of habit and know that we are giong to bring them to our bed, so of course they want to come and be with us and to me that is wonderful and perfectly fine Not everyone agrees and that's ok. The fact that she has allergies and itches could really be bothering her also poor baby!

I am sorry to hear that you are so exhausted! XXXX I hope it gets better! Definitely try the lullaby and actually...one thing that actually has worked for me with Thane (the BIGGEST BOOBIE baby in the world!!!) is singing to him when he is beside me in the bed and holding him OR rocking and singing. Maybe that would help! Good luck and its great to hear from you!!!!

I wish I could offer some advice. We did CIO - took about 3 nights and he has slept through the night (12 hours) since.
It was really hard for me to do but it went a lot better than I ever thought it would.
We never brought Owen to bed with us so I don't know what the solution is!!!!

But - at any rate - I'm here for you if you need to vent!!!!! Hang in there!!!!!

Several nights last week Lucy was up all night very uncomfortable from a skin rash. The doctor gave us a perscription to give her at night that is a benedryl type medicine. It takes the itch out of the rash and also makes her kinda sleepy. Since we have given her that she woke up once in the middle of the night each night for about 3 nights. Last night she finally slept the whole night thru again.

Maybe if you talked to your dr something like that could soothe the itchiness and help get her back on a normal sleep pattern.

I would say the doctor might be able to help...
I have a 4 and a 2 yr old, and im lucky to get a all night sleep out of both them....

If my youngest daughter wakes suring the night I put her straight back to bed without looking at her or talking to her. If she gets worked up I give her a few mins (usually 5), go in and calm her down (usually a silent cuddle), then leave her again.
It's really tough on you and you usually don't get alot of sleep but for me it works like a dream.

D4A.... the only book that I have read that I agree with as far as sleeping is: Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. It is written by a leading child sleep expert here in the states, and it gives you several alternatives from CIO to no crying at all. It saved my life.... and although my baby still wakes up after 8 hours of sleep... she has some milk and goes right back down.

If Jasmin's naps are out of sink or at the wrong time... or she isn't getting enough day time sleep, it can mess with her night time sleep. Also moving the bedtime earlier can help as well. The book recommends a bed time of anywhere between 18:00-20:00 p.m. Make sure that Jasmin is asleep no later than 8 pm. That is what I found with my baby girl. Once I sorted her naps, and moved her bedtime earlier, she stopped waking up constantly at night. Also, when she wakes up at night.... don't go into her right away. Sometimes they will fuss and cry a little bit, but you will be surprised how often they will just return to sleep.

You sound exactly like I did at one point, you are not alone! But one day I just snapped and said enough is enough!!! I'm not going to lie, there was some crying involved with getting her to sleep, but really it wasn't all during the night. We just let her cry when she would go to sleep initially for the night, and that along with better timing of naps and an earlier bed time, fixed the problem.

Thank you so much Ladies!!!
Just a quick reply for now to say thanks....
be back on soon,,,

Thank you Ginny yes she is a boob addict unfortunately, my grandma warned me this would happen with a breast fed baby but I wanted to carry on BF due to the allergies, cows milk and formula flaires it RIGHT up, to the point of bleeding patches!!! So i cant give that and she hates hypo allergenic formula, she gags and has tantrums (arched back etc) so breast feedig till self weaning it is I guess (up to 2 yrs old and then I will put chilli on my nipple to get her off!!!)

And Princess L I will buy that book TODAY!!! Yes I do not mind some small crying but not hours cos husband and I cant take that, she is one determined child she just would cry till she choaked and I couldnt bare it,... Im gonna try this book and I HOPE it will work....

Mailey if all else fails Im gonna be back to you for some more advice on CIO thank you

bye for now guys xxxxxxxxxx

D,
She's so gorgeous and sweet looking, if I weren't a mom of two girls, I would say you were lying on that baby. But, under all that beauty lies a more colorful personality, huh? We did the CIO method, and after that first night of pure 100% peaceful sleep, DF and I knew that it the was method for us. I actually have no idea how long it took for her to fall asleep that first night, cause I was sleep almost immediately on the opposite side of the house. After she stopped crying at night(about 3 or 4 nights), I turned the baby monitor back on, and life was back to normal. Good luck, honey. And know, most of us have been there(there are some of those mean, bad, lucky ladies whose babies slept all night almost from day 1 ).

CIO - was hard for me! I sat outside his room until my husband made me come to the living room and we watched a movie.
I kept muting the TV to listen to him and I didn't let him cry for very long periods of time but it DID work. I was afraid I was being mean but I KNEW he was not hurt, he was full, clean, etc..... and now he wakes up so happy in the morning.

BUT - having said that - I KNOW how hard it is! I don't envy any mom that is thinking about CIO or in the process. It tears your heart up!!!!

Maybe you wont have to go that route!!!!!

LOL miss cherry

I think I may go down that route soon because it is just torture. I have actually delayed going back to work because I cant function and concentrate, my work involves calculating tax and stuff and I dont want to get that wrong LOL!! people will receive massive tax bills hehe

Dollys mama Im going to ask the Dr for the anti itching cream. I just found her itching in bed sitting up crying so I think this is in part half of the problem. She has made her ezcema bleed on the shoulder again. she has small patches that just get so bad. tried everything shes just really sensitive to certain triggers

Skyllar I am going on holiday with her and Im dreading it a little, I wont be able to go out clubbing or anything as my mum cant look after her when she cries at night - only I can get her to settle. ughhh

Jayden has mild eczema too. The dermatologist once prescribed desinide for her skin when it gets really bad, but I think I want to take her back and have her give me something else cause she said that applying the desinide too often can cause skin discoloration.

Doesnt she have milk allergy too?? Is it all related I wonder....Yes Jasmin is half asian and so she is olive, like dark tanned, and she is going hyper pigmented in some places because of the ezcema,,,,I hope she doesnt stay like that...

Yep. She is/was allergic to cow's milk protein and some other stuff, but she's growing out of it. We've been giving her different things that we know contain it, and most of the time now, she has no reaction to it, except for itching. So, I'm going to see if maybe they can give me something to cut down on the itching.

cut out milk and egg for 1 week and ezcema 90% gone! got a better night sleep tonight as well. She only woke up 3 times instead of 11. Its a start....

D4A- I am so happy that things are improving. Keep us updated.

Glad to hear that has helped!

I remember getting 11 times at night..... NOT FUN!!!!! Hang in there! I'm thinking of you because I truly know how frustrating it is!!!