I give up with NW's

[louis-mummy]

The title says it all 

I have been using BW sleep methods for 18 months or so now and its been a revelation, Louis has gone from being chronically OT and prop dependant to being almost a good sleeper. 
Considering his severe eczema (another reason why i wasn't prepared to consider CC) and our accidental parenting habits i am really impressed.

BUT this continual regression with NW's is wearing me down, i know i need to be more consistent but it seems like the slightest deviation is enough for him to try his luck with me.  DH is rubbish at night and is fed up of me being asleep on Louis' floor - and so am i!
So, the last 2 nights when Louis has woken DH has gone into him and told him its time to go to sleep and that daddy is going to shut his door and go back to bed.  Louis has cried for a few minutes and then gone to sleep. 

I have tried PU/PD and WI/WO but they drive him - and me - nuts.  He just wants me to be there with him.

I am really sad about it (i don't give up on anything easily, especially if i have championed it and still think its a good idea) but he is nearly 2 now and we haven't had a single week where he has STTN every night.  I'm glad he learned how to sleep independantly in a gentle way but after nearly 2 years its time to try something else.

I hope everyone else is doing better than we are.

GL

[newmom7]

I know it is hard, but try not to give up if you really don't want to end up having him sleep with you. (which was non-negotiable for us, but if its ok with you then that's a bit different...a friend of mine has done the family bed thing with all her kids and lucky for her no lasting effects...they eventually all got out on their own which is uncommon I think). What alternate method are you thinking of trying? I only ask because other than sleeping with your child, I think they are all hard in their own ways.

In any case, I feel your pain about sleep regressions and I have been there. Our ds is 34 months old and we have had plenty of regressions even though our BW methods worked also after we started them at 7 months. (believe me there was lots of tough nights at first as our DS is spirited)

In any case, you mentioned your son had eczema. Does he still have it? Maybe that is waking him up at night with the itching if it is flaring again? Also our DS has also had similar sleep "regressions" due to all the typical reasons...impending illness, teething, developmental leaps (that usually creates the most disruption in our house). Also when gets stressed or overtired for any reason it can go on for a week on and off like that and be miraculously "fixed" suddenly. The point I am making is that so many things can trigger sleep issues to pop up again and changing the rules may make things worse. I agree that sometimes you just need some sleep, and do what you have to in order to get through the next few nights but I wouldn't give up on BW all together yet. I can only go on my own experience which showed me thus far that if you are consistent and comfort when you need to (even if it means sleeping on the floor and then paring it down until you are out of the room which we have done many times) this too shall pass. Hang in there. I understand how frustrating it is, believe me.

[louis-mummy]

Thanks for your message 

Totally agree with everything you said and i won't be giving up on BW altogether.  We have deviated somewhat over NW's but tried to apply some BW sense with it, as far as possible.  We just reached 'enough is enough' point, it was seriously affecting relationships within the family...and my sanity!

Louis (spirited/textbook) slept through the last 2 nights so we'll see what happens over the next week or so.  His eczema is not particularly bad at the moment but i find its a vicious circle with that one - without good sleep he is itchier and then he's into the itch-scratch-itch cycle.

I know that you know how i feel. It takes one to know one doesn't it?! No-one really knows what its like to deal with sleep problems unless they've experienced it night after night.  That's what's so good (IYKWIM!) about this site 

p.s. he used to wake me every 45 mins all night long so we've come a long way