7mo won't go back in cot after waking at night - any advice?

[Dragonball]

hi there - wondering if anyone has any advice - we are at our wits ends and getting too sleep deprived to see the woods for the trees...my 7 month old DD was doing great at going down during the night after a breastfeed - but roughly since I've stopped breastfeeding 6 weeks ago, she wakes a few times in the night crying and just won't go back in her cot...she ends up in bed with us - which isn't great, as we have a 4yo who also ends up in bed with us (we've tried mostly everything, but he doesn't even seem to remember coming in - and often we're asleep when he does come in and if we're awake, too exhausted to put him back)

The baby is exceptionally happy during the day - and during the night, as soon as she is being held, she mainly drops off quickly (although she's just cutting her first tooth, so been a bit harder to soothe her back to sleep in the last week)...I give her water and teething things before I get the milk out - and she generally has about 5-6oz once a night - she eats like a sumo wrestler during the day so I know she's a hungry little thing, so I don't think it's time to take away her milk at night - but if only she would go back in her cot - as soon as I go to put her back, she wakes up.

We've tried pick-up, put-down but that only seems to annoy her intensely and she then ends up more awake then ever! And I've given her little comforters/ one of my tops, muslins etc to see if she needs something like that - but it just isn't working. I'm not a fan of CC - but am I being too soft? I have tried to leave her in her cot when she cries, without picking her up, and stroking her/ talking to her, but she just fights me, rather than it soothing her. To complicate matters, she is still in our room for numerous reasons - but she will be going to share with her brother as soon as we can get the time to move her in there - but is that only going to make things worse!!

Would LOVE some advice on this - we didn't sleep for two years with our first - until we gave in and just let him sleep with us, but determined to get my bed back..

Help! Thank you!

[milkyman]

As soon as we put 6mth old in another room they were happy to go back in cot at night but realise this maybe tricky if they are sharing. Also bought a vtech sleepy bear projector/lullaby machine which helps him sleep. We have a white noise machine to block out sounds and play it low all night.

[milkyman]

We also started trying to put him in cot wake rather than lowering him in. we were suprised when he fell asleep!

[Dragonball]

Thanks for your reply, yes - we did think there might be something in moving her into her own room - she most definitely knows we are in a bed without her, so it's probably a bit tempting..we also try to put her in awake, but there's always the inevitable crying/ protest at doing so, which doesn't slow down..

[CreatureRetorts]

Put her down drowsy? On her tummy and stroke her back?

[Dragonball]

She has never slept on her tummy before - is it safe to try it? And, yes I do try to put her down as soon as she quietens down, eyes closing etc - it used to work when she was smaller, but now she immediately wakes up on hitting the mattress...sometimes even before..

[CreatureRetorts]

From 6 months when they can roll both ways etc, the rate of SIDS drops right down. But they say from 12 months although it's ok to leave them on their tummy if they do it themselves before then amd can roll etc.Obviously it's your call but mine both slept better on their tummies. I could put them down a lot easier on their tummies and if they stirred, stroke their backs and whisper near their ear. I cleared the cot of anything to be extra safe (I did it from 5/6 months as both were mobile by then).

[Dragonball]

hiya, she's sitting up now, but has never rolled over on either side! but she loves tummy time - I guess it's worth a try - is suffocation the risk?
thanks for taking the time to reply.

[CreatureRetorts]

Not sure - SIDS increases with them sleeping on their tummies?

Another possibility is she might have wind - mine needed winding even at that age (both BF).!

I didn't completely stop cosleeping until 9 months though - before that dd slept in her cot until the first waking then slept in with me. But by 9 months she was too interested in trying to climb on me so I had to stop!

[BotBotticelli]

Can you try putting her in the crib before she even looks tired?? My DS is only 5mo so not sure it would work for a slightly older baby, but when we know its coming upto bedtime, ie 2 hours after waking from his last nap, we put him down into the cot awake. He normally babbles/coos for 10 mins or an before falling asleep. If he cries with go and do and bit of the old shush pat. If you can get this nailed in the early evening at bedtime first your DC might then learn to do the same thing in the wee small hours? We have found that every time we have to reach DS something about sleep he has to learn it at 7pm before he can do it at 3am! Xx

[Rootatoot]

Hi Dragon

How was last night? Just chipping in from my experience. Our DS is now 21 mo. He went through a horrendous phase at about 9 mo IIRC, where he'd go down to sleep but at first wake up, I couldn't get him NEAR his cot. He would fall asleep in my arms but try and lower him down into it, somehow his 'cot radar' went off and he would scream the place down. It was a phase.

Things have improved though unfortunately for us, DS is still not a great sleeper. He still comes into bed with me just so I can get some sleep. I just got to a point where I stopped caring what anyone thought and am doing whatever I can to get sleep for me and him.

I will probably have another go at getting him to stay in bed when I finish work (I lecture so end of semester is looming.)

Not sure this helps but try not to worry, it will pass.

[Dragonball]

hi Rootatoot - last night was OK - but only because the baby woke up and we put her in our bed straight away - and then when my 4yo came in, I went and slept in his bed!! We are too tired to fight it all at the moment....I know what you mean about cot radar - DD fell asleep quite happily within about 5 minutes in her buggy today (stationary in our hall, while I was faffing about before going out!!) but screamed and screamed tonight while trying to get her in the cot - in the end, I just put her on my bed as nothing was stopping the screaming, whereupon she smiled, stopped crying and fell asleep...I kid you not...

[NEAKT5]

I realise this is a very old post but by chance can you let me know how this went? My DS is 6.5 months and currently the exact same and I’m exhausted and uncomfortable from him sleeping in the bed!