Dd is 8 months and sleeps terribly. She does not have a feed anymore at night simply because she doesn't want one.
Currently I feed her around 6.30-7.30 depending on when she seems tired. She usually falls asleep with that. I put her in her cot and she will sleep until around 12am. After that it's waking anything from every 1-2 hours. I cuddle her to sleep which seems to have to involve me standing,rocking her and singing while she nips my neck. It's almost impossible to then put her down once she is asleep. None have worked.
We have tried ... Cosleeping (she still wakes and needs me to do the whole standing, rocking thing), me sleeping next to her cot to settle as soon as she stirs, and sleeping her on a mattress as its easier to put her down without waking her.
Basically she now needs me doing the rocking thing to get her to sleep, and she needs it numerous times a night.
For the last three nights we have tried a shush, pat type thing with me putting her down slightly awake and sitting next to cot singing and patting. She just gets more and more angry though. I can see why. But we have to change this. I am surviving on around three hours sleep.
I just don't think it's going to work me being in the room ad not rocking her etc.
Do I try leaving her for short amounts of time (while I cry outside the door!) or do I keep going with this?
I just can see an end to this and its getting us all down. I also have a 3 year old who has just started nursery and I worry about her being disturbed. My mum has offered to have dd2 tonight so I can get some sleep and I want a plan of action for tomorrow night.
Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler.
Sleep
Please help me make a decision!
baddyfreckleface · 25/09/2012 07:32
I had this with my DS..... Back breaking isn't it! He is now 11 months and was a terrible sleeper as I always used to cuddle him to sleep and he came to rely on it. Once he hit 8/9 months sleep went to pot as he was busy crawling and standing in his cot and, like you, I was up multiple times a night pacing the halls with a heavy baby!! I ended up doing 'gradual withdrawal' which I came across on a post called 'what worked for us'. You should be able to find it if you do a search. I was really sceptical as I thought he would just scream all night until I picked him up, but it wasn't half as bad as I feared. There WAS crying but it was of the angry sort rather than the hysterical sort, and because I was in the room I didn't feel I was abandoning him. We started this about 3 weeks ago and now he sends himself to sleep in his cot (eventually!) and then either sleeps through the night (!!!) or wakes once (normally with an easy settle). Naps however..... well that's a different story 
. Might be worth a go? Hope this helps and you get some sleep soon
Good luck. Hang in there! Just try to be consistent and keep your eye on the prize.... A full night's sleep!! I'm right with you.... Pottering around in DS's room studiously ignoring him while he tries to pull his blind off the wall and release himself from his sleeping bag . They do go to sleep eventually I promise!! Longest it ever took my DS was 50 mins and I was honestly expecting hour long marathons! Really hope tonight goes well for you. Let me know how you get on.
Well done.
Just to give you further hope, what you describe is how it was with our dd. I had to stop picking her up to comfort her in the night for her to learn to settle herself, which I started at about 8/9 months. It didn't take long until she only woke once a night and not every night. And she sleeps through until 7:30am now, unless ill, and has done since then. She's 2.5 now. I'm awake with her younger brother. Look forward to a good night's sleep. It's coming for you soon. 
Nice one baddy!! So pleased your first night wasn't horrendous. A few more nights like that and you'll feel like a new woman. Well done you 
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.