Sleep, What Little There is.
“People who say they sleep like a baby usually don’t have one.” ~Leo J. Burke
I used to have that baby. The one those people were talking about.
A baby who slept for seven hours when he was 4 weeks old. A baby who slept so well overnight I would wake up desperate to feed him. A baby who slept so much I worried something was wrong.
But I broke that baby.
Now my baby wakes up, a lot.
He wakes up and cries and cries.
He wakes up his brother, and his sisters.
Now sleep is precious and what little time I have when he is asleep is carefully measured out between all the tasks that are best done with two hands and without him on my hip.
Now my brain is fuzzy and my words are jumbled and I forget what day it is and who has show and tell and if I fed anyone yesterday.
Now I am pacing the floor in the wee small hours of the night whispering to myself… “This too shall pass…”
Oh how I know what you mean! We had sleep problems with our first daughter, she woke every hour of the night until she was 8 months old. So, with our second daughter we were strict and she was a wonderful sleeper from the start. Now, my baby boy is doing my head in with his sleep patterns. My brain has gone on strike from lack of sleep.
I actually can’t complain as my middle boy was a terrible sleeper – this one still sleeps way better than his brother at this age. But *yawn* that doesn’t make me feel any less tired! LOL
Wishing I could help but know that there is so little anyone else can do during those wee morning hours when you cry in desperation for some sleep. You didn’t break him and you are so right, it will pass.
Oh Kate, I very clearly remember those days. I hope it does pass very quickly.
you may remember me having the same issue with my youngest not that long ago, walking the floor at all hours, lucky to have 3 hours sleep total myself. Gosh I feel for you. It will pass. I never believed it myself but it does and it has. If you want to talk ideas, let me know, we can chat, I may be able to give you some? Not sure but otherwise I hope he sleeps for you and soon!
ah yes I remember reading about it on your blog… must go back and re-read. It helps a lot to be reminded that I am not alone.
Oh no…. Its no consolation when you are feeling absolutely shattered and exhausted beyond measure, but you are not alone! And you are SO right, this will pass and slowly you will surface and get yourself back. Take care of yourself! xx
Actually I think it helps a lot to hear that this is pretty ‘normal’ and that I am not alone. I’ve been here before when my big kids were babies but still… in the middle of the night, when it’s just you and them… it feels like yours is the only baby who never sleeps.
I feel this pain, there is really little I can do to help. I have paced that floor and learnt every creak in the boards under the carpet, I have co slept and fed to sleep, I even ended up with the mothers little helper “teething mixture” it was a special concoction made at a ballarat chemist, no longer available, with a nice dose of sleepy drugs for babies in it. My husband has walked the streets at all hours of the morning with sling on and I have nearly cried as I heard the screaming as they returned.
it will pass, but unlike me, please accept any help. when others said they would cope with the crying I felt guilty leaving her, worried about how upset she would be and how much they might ‘dislike’ her. For 11 months, Not another single person looked after her. It was hell.
But it did end. And she now, sleeps like a baby!
actually I wonder if it might be teeth that is causing my boy to wake and cry…. none of the others got teeth until they were way older, but it might explain it…. hmmmm
post it notes are your new best friend.
Love the quote and your mantra :)
ah post it notes…. I even have a ‘digital’ one stuck in the corner of my computer screen! :)
Oh it will pass, but man in the meantime, try and keep you sanity. I swear my middle child didn’t sleep for 2 years. We look back now and wonder how the hell we did it.
Take care of yourself!!
I hope you get a good sleep soon, maybe tonight will be the night!
It really does pass, doesn’t it? I used to worry with Boy 1 that “This will last forever”. But after a few more kids you realise it doesn’t, and it teaches you resiliance. And in the meantime, there are thousands of mums and dads out there on the same journey, just on a different mountain top. x
Hope that sleeping baby is still in there somewhere and decides to come back to you soon!
I’m right there with you, lady. And if the wee babe’s not up, it’s the other kids. Sometimes I feel unsafe driving, you know? Shocker. If only I could drink a good strong espresso! (We’ll miss them when they’re big.) xx
Its just plain sucks doesn’t it!
My generally wonderful one year old twins have decided now that mum has gone back to work 2 days a week to stop sleeping. 3am is the new play time. …I must have missed that memo…
OMG yes. I’ve had about a week in the past eight months were Abi hasn’t woken at least once. I’ve taken to falling asleep at random. I usually get woken by Erin screeching “MUUUUM WAKE UP!”