I can't take this anymore! Sleep deprived and beyond exhausted!

TashnBabii · April 2014

My son turned 6 months today. He has been anything but easy to handle! He not only does not sleep through the night, but he's up every 2 hours. I work during the week, and must wake up by 6:30 to get to work by 8:30. I've been so tired that I find it difficult to get up in the morning. I don't know what to do to get my LO to sleep longer at night. He has been teething since he was 3 months old, and this is when his 2 teeth came in. His symtpoms of teething have just been getting worse. I've tried giving him Origel, Tylenol, more milk during the day... Nothing has been working. I feel like I don't get any support from my husband because he also works, and definitely handles the baby far less than I do. It's gotten to the point that I'm actually getting depressed.

Khaleesi07 · April 2014

I'm sorry you're having a tough time with the teething..have you tried ibuprofen instead of the Tylenol? That seems to work better for my DD.

Can your husband at least get up with LO on weekends so you can catch up on sleep then? I SAH, but when I got back to work my SO and I plan to alternate nights getting up with LO. Right now we cosleep with DD, but if it's SO's night to get up with her and I really need some rest, I figure I can sleep on the couch if I need to. My SO does this sometimes if he's really desperate.

I feel your pain. We EBF and since I stay at home with LO I usually get up with her, but my SO will usually spend his days off with DD so I can nap and take care of myself. He needs so be reminded to pitch in with LO once in a while, and sometimes you just need to speak up in order to get what you need. Hopefully things will get easier for you.

DaisyZH · April 2014

If you're feeling depressed you might want to talk to your doctor. Handling sleep deprivation and the demands of a six-month old is challenging to begin with, throwing depression into the mix can make it very, very hard.

Can you talk to your DH about how you are feeling? Like the PP suggested perhaps you could take turns with getting up with the baby every other night. Or maybe you can have shifts, one will get up with the baby 10:30 pm to 2:30 am, the other handles. 2:30 to 6:30 am. That way you each get a solid 4 hours with hopefully some extra sleep between wakings.

roo1oo · April 2014

Talk to your SO. It wasn't until I told my SO that I needed him to help at nights or I would go crazy that he realized I really needed his help. And don't expect SO to just get up when baby starts crying, you may have to wake him and tell him to get up. Men just aren't programmed to wake to babies cries like mom's are. If he's not willing to help at night, at least have him get up early on the weekends so you can sleep in.

And maybe take LO to the pedi for a checkup to see if there's something wrong?

ssublett09 · April 2014

I know how you feel. My LO was never a good sleeper and DH never would really offer to help even if I had to work the next day and he was off. It wasn't until I was getting so sleep deprived and agitated that he told me he was worried when I told him I was going to lose my mind one day. Since then he had really started helping more when I have to work the next day which is the way it should be. Also DD would be up every 2 hours at one point around 6 months and I told the dr this is just not normal behavior. He checked her out and she had fluid in her ears that turned into her 3rd ear infection in 2 months. Her symptoms were teething symptoms, fussy, drooling a lot, not wanting to eat as much ect. Since her ear infections have cleared up for now she is sleepingg better.

BelhurstBride · April 2014

Your DH needs to start helping at night. We split the night; before 1am DH deals. After 1am it's all me.

It's the same game plan we had from when DD1 was an infant.

TashnBabii · April 2014

Thanks ladies! The frustration lies in the fact that I'm always the one to get up at night. Took LO to pediatrician today. She said he's perfectly healthy and she thinks it may just be bc he is teething. I knew having a baby would be challenging, however a person can handle so much lack of sleep before they physically drop to the floor and sleep lol... I've reached that point.

mrsnorthernbell · April 2014

If try ibuprofen like others suggested. Also a humidifier send to help with my ds. I feel your pain. I have a 3 yo and an 8 mo and neither sleep through the night. I am walking between there rooms all night settling one of them down. It wasn't until last month that I finally talked to dh. He helps now and it has taken some pressure off.

gallerybaby · April 2014

I am so sorry that you're going through this. I definitely second the comments suggesting you should speak with your doctor-- just to let him/her know what's going on and what you're feeling. I also had to have a sit-down with my SO because I felt that not only was I working full time, but also taking care of the baby full time as he would be working late and "too tired" when he came home. The imporant thing is to not be emotional when you speak with him, just because you don't want to turn it into the blame game. A schedule has been helpful for us (we alternate wake-ups).

I've used Colic Calm to help my baby calm down (check with your pedi before starting your little one on ANYthing). And I know this can be very controversial, but I, too, bed share. That has helped us astronomically and has actually stopped her waking up in the middle of the night. And some nights she spends the entire night in her crib, but when I can tell she's going to be difficult, she co-sleeps with us and it helps. This is something that you really need to discuss with your SO and only do if both of you are comfortable with the arrangement and can provide a safe space for your baby.

vintageutopia · April 2014

I am so sorry. Sleep deprivation can be debilitating.

My 2nd child was like that and I spent many, many nights sleeping with him in the recliner. He actually would crawl into our bed in the middle of the night every night until he was about 4yo. If your LO has been evaluated and looks healthy, she may just be that kind of a kid. However, don't lose hope. They will eventually grow out of it.

In the meantime, I would spell out what you need from your SO.

PrimRoseMama · April 2014

roo1oo said:
Talk to your SO. It wasn't until I told my SO that I needed him to help at nights or I would go crazy that he realized I really needed his help. And don't expect SO to just get up when baby starts crying, you may have to wake him and tell him to get up. Men just aren't programmed to wake to babies cries like mom's are. If he's not willing to help at night, at least have him get up early on the weekends so you can sleep in.

And maybe take LO to the pedi for a checkup to see if there's something wrong?

Agree about a discussion with her husband. However, I seriously disagree with the recommendation to run to the pediatrician. Some babies just don't sleep long stretches for a long time until much later.

There is nothing " wrong" with an infant that wakes multiple times a night for at least 3 years or even longer. It's only "wrong" because someone somewhere decided to impose adult expectations on wee babies for sleeping.

Babies are just doing what they do. They don't know or care about anyone else's needs, just their own. They are incapable of it.

Does it suck serious ass? You fucking bet. My son wakes up anywhere from 2-6 times per night. It's just his temperament. My daughter slept through the night all by herself at 6 weeks. She rarely has a bad night. She just has different needs.

So what do you do? You wait it out. Drink lots of coffee & do your best to reconcile yourself to the fact that this is not forever. There is nothing wrong with your kid.

As we say on July 2013 BMB: "babies gonna baby".

There is nothing you can do to "make" a child sleep "better" according to adult standards until they are emotionally/physically ready.

I understand it's tough but you aren't alone.

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I can't take this anymore! Sleep deprived and beyond exhausted!

Re: I can't take this anymore! Sleep deprived and beyond exhausted!

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