When did it get better for you?

[Cbell]

My DS (6MO) is a crap sleeper. My DD (3yrs) is a brilliant sleeper but was crap.

I remember when it all changed with DD. At 4 months she went from waking twice a night to eventually by 8 months waking every freaking hour and wanting to keep my nipple in her mouth all night long.

After many months of sleep exhaustion we did some sleep training and moved her to her own room. She went back to making twice a night by 12 months once a night until she eventually slept through at 15 months.

It was a long slow process and despite reading every book/ method I think sleep is just a developmental issue and it takes time.

Once again I find myself with a baby who doesn't often sleep for more than 2 hours. Who wants to be hugged/ fed/ sleep in my armpit. Luckily this time my DH is helping by doing some of the night feeds. So now we are both tired by managing.

I keep telling myself it will get better but when? Is 12 months really a magic marker? I would be interested to read some research on this topic or to just hear your stories.

[MooseBeTimeForSnow]

No. DS is 2 and still wakes twice a night. Often awake for the day at 5:00am too.

[Cbell]

Oh dear! Is he waking to BF? Does he stay awake for long?

Why do our LO hate sleep!

[TotesAmazeGoats]

18 months and still going. For every week we have of sleeping through, it's followed by 6 of not. Cold after cold, teeth, I don't know, but I'm currently at wits end. Just when it gets better it gets worse again which I think is the hardest thing.

[jimijack]

Ds 1 was 5 and at school when he slept a full night through.

This time my baby is 12 months old and wakes once sometimes twice a night so an absolute dream.
He has only been doing this for about 3 weeks though. Prior to That he was as you describe op.

[DrMcDreamysWife]

Dd is 16 months and has never slept through. Over time the survival tactic was cosleeping. But I was dying of exhaustion as she woke every hour from midnight to snack on me, or get comfort because of teething/illness. She had never done more than 4 hours at a time by 10 months and that was rare.

We night weaned over Christmas and now she's waking 2-3 times which is a lot better. Sleeping through remains a dream! My brother didn't sleep through till he was over 3, and my mum says she's just like him!

[Cbell]

Oh dear! I've been telling myself that my experience with my DD was bad and really DS would be better. By the sounds if your experiences it's just wishful thinking on my part.

[MarlenaGru]

DD didn't sleep through other than for a week after sleep training until she was 2, but she had reflux and after medication was much better - but her waking wasn't typical in that she would be awake every 45 minutes and often was impossible to settle. She is still a rubbish sleeper at 5, but mostly sleeps all night once she goes to sleep apart from two or three times a month when she starts the day at 4am.

Everyone assures me this one due in June will definitely sleep, but I am not going to get my hopes up.

[Twattergy]

No night waking from 5.5 to 8 months (swaddled him!), then major regression until about 16 months, at which point dramatic improvement to sleeping through at 18 months. I think 18 months more of a break through time then 12 from mine and friends' experience.

[BertieBottsJustGotMarried]

Sorry to say it was about 2.5 years before DS reliably slept through.

I'd say it got better far before that, though. (18 months could be true!) I can't remember what age he was but I remember a long phase where I could put him to bed and go up once or twice in the evening and then when he woke in the night he just wanted to see I was there rather than wanting milk. This progressed to just once, then not at all, I could feed him just about when I went to bed and then he slept through until about 5am at which point he'd come into my bed for cuddles.

I really strongly believe it's about how you manage it and work around the patterns rather than them sleeping really long periods of time. I do seem to remember the period just after the first birthday being really crap and hard, but then it got better.

[Andcake]

17 mo still bad - has had v short phases of sttn but then stops. Has been night weaned since 6 mo so it's purely he can't self settle ( and believe me I try) we cope by co- sleeping