PDA

View Full Version : feeling helpless about sleep, help!


simplegirl
12-05-2007, 06:03 AM
I'm feeling very helpless. DH takes nighttime responsibility with DS1 while I sleep with DS2. DS1 has been in his crib for almost a year now and for months he slept through the night. Right after DS2 was born, he wakes up several times a night now. I can't help but think that the two are related but why, since he was fine for so long?

If it were up to me I'd cosleep with both but DH is completely against it and I'm complying because I'm happy to have co-slept with DS1 as long as we did and now I'm co-sleeping with DS2. DS does a variation of things, sometimes he just goes into DS1 room everytime he wakes up, sometimes he'll sleep on the full bed in his room or sometimes he even sleeps on the floor next to the crib...whatever works for that night to get them through it. DH is getting fed up though because nothing we do helps DS1 sleep better. We make sure his tummy is satisfied, we've tried earlier bedtime, we keep the house quiet and dim, we have a bedtime routine and stay calm before bedtime. DS1 NEEDS better sleep and DH is going crazy. This is also causing tension between DH and I. He insists that DS1 needs to learn how to fall asleep on his own. Honestly this makes sense to me because whatever substitutions we've made since nightweaning, first backscratching, then singing, he always wakes up and *expects* whatever he went to sleep with. This can happen several times a night and it's really hard for me to see DH getting so little sleep and then working as much as he does. He's been sick a lot too. Please help!!!

Close2MyHeart
12-05-2007, 06:23 AM
I wouldn't change anything when he's sick because they need extra comfort then. Also... he could be sick more because he isn't getting sufficient rest. :shrug

What about something that's a comfort to him like a special blanket or a special animal? My kids all have a stuffed animal that they love and cuddle with when I'm not cuddling with them.

Marsha
12-05-2007, 06:44 AM
As a mom who has a still cosleeping 5.5 year old, I sympathize. I have't slept in my own bed with my husband since Riley was 3-4 months old..........not for more than an hour anyway.

simplegirl
12-05-2007, 07:02 AM
sorry, my DH keeps getting sick, not DS.

simplegirl
12-05-2007, 12:38 PM
bump

Everytime I write about nighttime issues I seem to get very few responses. Is it b/c no one wants to talk about it? The board is just busy? I feel like we've tried everything to help DS sleep better and read lots of stuff too. Any advice at all?

milkdud
12-05-2007, 01:06 PM
I have no advice, but wanted to offer :hugheart. I will say though that when we brought ds2 home, ds1 started having sleep issues. He went from sleeping all night, every night, to waking up all.night.long. It was awful, but we trudged through it. I honestly don't remember how long it lasted, but we survived.

I hope you are able to work it out.

simplegirl
12-05-2007, 02:42 PM
I have no advice, but wanted to offer :hugheart. I will say though that when we brought ds2 home, ds1 started having sleep issues. He went from sleeping all night, every night, to waking up all.night.long. It was awful, but we trudged through it. I honestly don't remember how long it lasted, but we survived.

I hope you are able to work it out.


thanks! :heart