how do I get my 7 month old to sleep???

[knackeredmuch]

I'm a mother of three ds's... the first 2 slept well but my ds3 is driving me insane with his lack of sleep and I need all the help I can get!!!
from birth ds3 has fed every 2hours and would only ever fall asleep whilst being fed
I have managed since weaning him onto solids to establish a fairly good daytime routine but night are a completely different story :(
our normal routine is wake at 6am and have a small breastfeed, then breakfast at 7.30am, morning nap happens at around 9.30 after falling asleep on the breast,sleeping for around 30 mins lunch is 12.30ish afternoon nap is 2.30 ish for 30 mins, dinner is at 5pm, then we do bathtime at 7ish and final breastfeed and cot....
this all sounds ok but within 30mins he is awake and doesnt sleep again until 10pm after another breastfeed, this is his main sleep and he normally wakes up between midnight and 1am, he doesnt want to feed on waking but will NOT go back down until around 4am after another breastfeed and then wakes around 6am and we start again!!!
i dont understand how he is surviving on so little sleep??? I'm exhausted and at my wits end as I have recently become a single parent too and really need to get it sorted as I'm returning to work in 4 weeks, he is a very happy and content baby, never grumpy or tired?

[elfgypsy]

I wish I could help, that sounds utterly exhausting and you have my full empathy. I feel very new to this too, I have used an Amby baby hammock for a few months and found that great but I am transitioning dd who is 5 1\2 months to a cot at the mo and finding her sleep patterns have changed, you could try him in an Amby, I got mine 2nd hand on ebay for £80, they are expensive new but they do travel well and they gave me stretches of 5 hrs from 7.30-12.30 then she slept till 5am for months, then she would usually need to be in with me and fed to sleep, now she is on 3 hrly cycles and wake ups sometimes at 3 or 4 am for 2 hrs then a short nap then up for the day, hard work...

You can 'snipe' auctions so you don't have to be there at the allotted time to win the item, something that is virtually impossible as a single parent, I am with auction sniper, once I got my head round it (not easy when you are tired I must admit) I started winning loads of things I needed, I recommend the group feature where you can set your price on an item, put it in a group and they bid on each item as it comes up until you win one then it cancels the group, makes more sense on their help page...

www.auctionsniper.com/

I figured I could always sell the Amby on ebay if it didn't work for my LO but it did and I may keep using it for daytime naps and time away once she has settled in a cot.

Someone recommended a woombie which I am looking into, its like a swaddle but more flexible, it stops the startle reflex and gives them a cozy feeling...

I hope that helps, and you are able to get some rest soon, is there anyone could be with him whilst you nap in the afternoon? I find a long nap a couple of afternoons a week really saves my sanity and charges up my batteries,

best of luck to you, it sounds like you are doing all the right things and he just needs a little more pursuasion to get longer shuteye,
xx :)

[elfgypsy]

also i have been influenced a lot by the no cry sleep solution which is a very kind book, it has helped a lot xx