Feel like I'm losing my mind

MommyMoru

My LO is about 5 days shy of turning 5 months. For a while we've gone through the 4 month issues and that consisted of naps all over the place, up and down feedings, and shorter sleeping at night. Now his schedule is all off. For the past week I've been in tears every night due to exhaustion.

He's been waking up anywhere from 3-5 am thinking it's time to get up and play. He'll stay up a while maybe an hour or two and go back down but not easily. After that it's up around 6-7. He will not nap during the day and I have to fight with him to get him down. It's so difficult because he screams and cries almost all day from being tired. Then night comes and I literally spend two hours every night with him screaming and kicking and fighting me until he just passes out in my arms.

I'm so tired and I've caught a cold and I'm just in need of any advice or support. I'm feeling so overwhelmed and overworked because I literally take care of my LO by myself due to my husbands job. He works early and comes home late and I have no one to help recently as my mil has been busy.

I'm at a breaking point and really could use some help. I've googled things online to see if I could get any answers but nothing I've found/tried has worked ._.

ashleyv1988

I'm sorry your going through this for the last week I've been in the same boat. It will get better, I don't remember this with my first one!

EasternBluebird

Have you tried just letting him kind of set his own schedule for now? I know this is really hard for you and I'm really thankful DH is able to help me in the evenings.

Could he be teething? Maybe his teeth are coming in and he is just fussy and grouchy. Maybe try some teething remedies.

How about feeding him more during the day? Try and read the signs of hunger earlier. That way you can give him the breast/bottle before he gets fussy during the day. I know my LO is hungrier some days than others. Sometimes he will eat every 3-4 hours and other days it is more like 1-2 hours.

Short cat naps are better than no naps. Take what you can get during the day.

I give LO a bath every night around 8:30 pm. I only wash him with soap if needed (usually every other night) I let him stay in the tub as long as he wants, it really helps get all the extra energy out before bed.

After his bath we get ready for bed while singing songs and light play until he starts whining or not smiling anymore. Then we have bedtime feeding in a quiet, cool, dark place. I rock while I feed him.

If he wakes during the night to feed I also do that in a quiet, cool, dark area while we rock. I try not to make eye contact or talk to him. So he knows it isn't play time.

I really let him set his schedule. It has worked for me. After a few days of letting him kind of do his own thing a pattern did emerge and now I follow it but not to a "t".

I hope things get better for you. I know my advice probably isn't the greatest but maybe something will help you.

ebilbao

Omg-I was there for two weeks and it was terrible. I was a basket case this past weekend and really, really feel for you. It sounds like he is perpetually overtired, and since sleep begets sleep, he is just wired all the time. I would suggest trying to work on a four hour schedule: wake for two hours, eat, play and then put him down for a nap. Swaddle him up if you have to, and leave him in his crib or swing or whatever you want to use. Use a pacifier if you need to. He is going to fight you the first few days, but stick to the routine until he picks up on the cues that mean "It's time to sleep." This might be nursing, reading a story, dim lights, white noise, etc. As for bedtime, establish a routine (he will fight you on this, too) but go through it, put him down and come back to soothe a little if necessary. It's going to take a few days, like I said, but stick with it.

Take a breath. You're doing the best you can. Everything is a phase and this, too, shall pass.

brittanyholthof

I'm with you, my little man will nap for a half hour tops during the day (after dealing with the screaming and kicking while trying to get him down) and when he wakes up you can tell he's still tired but won't go back to sleep. He used to go to bed at night without hassle, now we fight that too, and I have been having to go in a couple of times after putting him down to get him back to sleep. He then wakes up between 3am and 5am to eat and won't go back to sleep in his crib, only with me on the couch.
I've been googling like crazy, and it seems like what works one day won't work the next. I just keep reminding myself this phase can't last forever. In the mean time I'm just trying to keep myself from going crazy from stressing over his sleep schedule

teaismCAgal

We were dealing with the short nap issue for many weeks. Now we put him in the Merlin Sleepsuit for naps — he does 1- 2 hour naps every time now! That has worked well for us...not sure what will happen when we transition him out of the suit. 

MommyMoru

Thanks ladies. I took a short break from the forum to try some things and because I was so tired I didn't have energy to reply/post.

I have tried in the past doing the two hour routine as a PP mentioned. It worked before his regression perfectly but since then it's been kind of hell to use it. I've been trying to let his cues lead me but when I do that for sleep, I'll tuck him in for nap time, sing his sleeping song, and let him be only to have to return to either him rolled over fussing or to him screaming.

Recently I've reverted back to his rocking chair as he seems to like rocking to sleep for naps. I don't need it for bedtime but he has fallen asleep maybe twice in his crib in the past maybe three weeks and the other times have been in his chair. I figure if it works it works and have just been doing it but I know later on I'll have issues if he gets accustomed to it

Fun news though my husband is off for holiday this next week and said he'd do my job as caretaker for 24 hours to see why I'm always so stressed out >_> I'm happy he's willing to do it but I'm worried how things will turn out with LO I plan on going g shopping and seeing A movie to relax for a day. Haven't had that in a long time....

xc1148

There are some good suggestions here, I'll only add that when my baby changes her routine, I find it best to just follow what she wants. Babies are teething, growing, learning...it's a lot at once. I know it's frustrating to think you have a "schedule" down, but until they are 1+ a lot can change and it's easier if you just go with the flow. Keeping LO awake/forcing naps usually backfires with me, because she's either tired or grumpy later so I just let her sleep when she wants. 

Hang in there!