who said this was going to get easier?

I feel like my girls were so much better when they were smaller. For the past 3-4 weeks they haven't been sleeping during their naps or finishing their bottles. Now, they are waking at 5 in the morning to eat and won't go back to sleep. We tried putting them down immediately after feeding, 1 hour, 1.5 hours, and 2 hours after eating but they just don't fall asleep. I let them CIO, but they cry for 1 hour then I go in and get them and try again in a bit but nothing. They are so cranky it's ridiculous. I haven't gotten any sleep in the past weeks either. I can't take them anywhere because all they do is cry from being cranky. I don't know what to do. Others keep telling me it is just a phase but how does a phase last a month? I'm at my wits end and feel like I can't do this anymore. DH doesn't understand and keep insisting that I'm making a big deal out of it and that I should learn to cope. Easy for someone to say who works all day.

I really thought things were supposed to get easier after 6 months, but lately it's been really hard. I really want to buy a plane ticket and leave...

 

Hugs to you! Everyone told me things would get easier as they got older, but I have noticed that it gets easier in a different way.

Mine are the way you describe some of the time. Mostly at night before their bed time feeding and bottle. They have been teething, so I am blaming everything on that. The bottom two teeth have already some in, but the top two are trying to work their way through. I have been told that the top teeth are worse for them than the bottom ones, but who knows.

Stick with it it will get better and just keep telling yourself that this too shall pass. Keep smiling and sometimes you just have to laugh to keep from crying!

Take care!

 

WEll, I'm not one who said it would get "easier". I don't think it does. It just changes. Some things get worse and some get better. Things never get easier, I don't think. Things will always change and you'll find new issues but at least they will CHANGE. That's what I always tell myself, anyway.

You're not alone. Not at all.

Hugs.

 

thanks! i wish i could blame it on teething, but they still have no teeth. i check everyday so maybe i can have a reason for all this madness, but still no darn teeth.

 

Just becasue you can't feel the teeth doesn't mean they aren't teething. Mine was cranky for weeks and then one popped through. I would try Tylenol. IMO it can't hurt and maybe they will be able to rest.

 

when all else fails, I always went out... that is when they are both at their best, specially in open places, I would take their bottles and solids and feed them at a park, or any other place with shade. As soon as I would put the in the carseats the crankiness would stop...soemtimes I think they just get bored of being at home and they enjoy the distraction....and it will make you
feel better too!...now at almost 1 year..I still do the same We go out at least once a day everyday...and if we don't, crankiness ocurrs...

 

I agree, if they don't have teeth yet, they could be teething. Once you see the tooth come through, the worst is over. Sleep issues in the first year are so difficult that they make everything so frustrating that everything seems even harder. After they settle into sleeping regularly, things do get easier, if for no other reason that everything seems easier when you are getting adequate sleep. :hug: Hang in there! :hug:

 

Yep, I definitely agree that it doesnt get easier, it just gets "different." There are different challenges at every age. But once they start to sleep, you will feel better. I too, would try some Tylenol or Motrin and see if that helps. :hug:

 

Hey sorry things are tough Christine, you have just described my last couple of days with the girls,sorry i have no advice! I hope it passes soon though!

 

I feel the same way you do, some times they just get into this grove where they won't sleep easily. It is like once you get in a good grove something changes. I had to revisit the swaddle, yes at almost 8 months for my one son. I use a large sheet with a recieving blanket for his arms, same idea as the miracle blanket but he is too big for that. Or sometimes when it is really bad I will put them both in a bouncy seat with soft music and keep boucing them, sitting in back of them so they can't see me until they fall asleep, and keep puting in the passifier over their heads. Maybe a long car ride with soft music. I do not have many other suggestions, but I feel your pain. My husband always says what is the big deal, men!

 

Did you ever read Healthy sleep habits happy child (think there is a twin one now) get if from the library and you can just skip to your age group. I think I remember at your twos age that I started to ask on here what everyone else's schedule was. I took a pencil and paper and decided what their new schedule would be.

I started to re-vamp what time I put them to bed and meals and naps. I think one of the big things was to put them back to bed 2 hours after they woke up. They were IN BED two hours later so that included food. I found even 30 mins could make them sleep less. often it looked like this....

up at 6:30
in bed at 8:30

(slept 2 hours or more)

often in bed by 12:30 or 1 pm

(sleep 2 hours)

bedtime strict IN BED at 6:30 pm


rarely did mine sleep less than 11 hours each night often 12 hours. If one woke up from their nap in say 20 mins. I'd leave them for an hour. An hour in their bed is "quiet time" and they can sleep, talk, cry, what-ever they want. I'd often have a door stopper in the door and this allowed a bit of a crack so I could smell a poop. My one daughter NEEDed music constant during her naps, and the girls were separated for their naps. I used a pnp. If one woke early from a nap sometimes I'd give them a quick bath in the kitchen sink -- no talking- and then straight back to bed. This seemed to teach their mind to get tired at a particular time. Hope something of my babbling helped.

heather

 

yes, i do own that book and the schedule that it supplies does not work for our family. plus, they can't even be up for longer than an hour and a half after waking...they just can't make it. i have tried stretching it little by little and it just doesn't work. i follow their cues. in no way can i write down a schedule and try to make them follow it. that doesn't work for them either. they call the shots except for when they go to bed which is the same time every night. they used to wake up at the same time everyday too, but the past few weeks have been different.

we use a white noise machine and they can't sleep without it. we also have room darkening shades. i think they were going through a bit of a growth spurt and then teething. things will change i'm sure, it's just really frustrating when you are in the groove and get used to it being one way and they all of a sudden, without warning, they change everything.

i put them to bed for an hour even if they sleep or not. it's their time to rest, play, or whatever they want, but they stay in for an hour. if they don't sleep at the hour mark i take them out and try again later for a nap.

they rarely give us a hard time when going to bed, which is amazing! they go down at 6:30 (sometimes 6 if they are really tired), and have the same routine every night. this morning they did get up at their usual time of 6:30 and everyone was happy and rested. i'm hoping it was just a phase. oh, and we went out today...all day and they napped in the car and in the stroller. they used to do that before this little phase hit them, so i think we are going to be back into our groove for a little while. well, until they get their shots, which is coming up very soon.

thanks for all the advice. it seems like we all are doing the sames things in order to help our little ones get enough rest.