Friday 13 July 2012

Sleep envy

When you become a parent you expect sleep deprivation. It's one of the things EVERYONE talks about. Right from the time you announce your pregnancy.

"How are they sleeping?, how many feeds do they wake for" and the question I have always hated "Does He sleep through yet?" whilst looking at me with pity and a smug look that tells me their child has slept through from a ridiculous age. But how are you supposed to cope when the sleep deprivation continues as your child approaches his 4th birthday?

Surely he should be able to settle himself, sleep through, wake quietly each morning?

I want to scream "NO! He doesn't bloody sleep through or well. He never has. Now sod off and take your sleep smugness with you".

Add a new baby, well 14 month old who still wakes 1-2 times per night and has a daily start time of 5am {oh, just like big brother} and you get a Mummy on her way to insanity.

I'M SO BLOODY EXHAUSTED!

I want to cry. I'm frustrated as whatever we try, it doesn't help. We have been trying since birth to get Noah to be a good sleeper. We did everything "right". No co-sleeping {he'll get dependant on being with me haha}, put him down to bed awake blah blah bloody blah. It hasn't made a jot of difference.

The one thing I am really struggling with right now is that Noah always wakes up screaming. He has NEVER woken and been content to play with his toys quietly until I go in to him. Even now at almost 4, he cries and screams at his gate until I go to him-regardless of the time. This wakes Benjamin {well, when Benjamin does go back to sleep after his 5am feed}.

People have suggested to me to seek professional advice. We have. We have seen countless drs and health visitors who give the same rubbish advice. Make sure we have a structured routine {check}. Make sure bedtime is the same each night {check}.

I should point out that Tim still co-sleeps with Noah, and me with Benjamin.

I hate seeing Facebook updates from people who have to wake their kids after 15 hours of sleep. It's not fair, why won't my child do that? I've even deleted people and unfriended them because I'm sick of seeing how well their kids sleep. Crazy?

I'm being irrational. I know it. I can't help it.

There is a reason they use sleep deprivation as torture.

Anyone have any advice or tips to help me get this sorted?

 

1 comment:

  1. No advice, but sympathy. We we lucky that Jnr I just suddenly got at after 13months, and the randomly stopped the waking yelling thing after about 2. Jnr II is still all over the place so feels like we haven't slept properly for nearly 4 years too. Weird for me, is that I just seem to be able to cope with it, but fully appreciate that most can't.

    Hugs from the sunny (NOT) S coast!

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