6MO refuses to sleep in cot, will only sleep in with me, wakes every 2 hours

[CEW1975]

I wonder if you can help me as I'm at my wits end!

I have a 6 month old baby boy and we are struggling with his sleep.

From birth he slept through and we couldn't believe our luck. Since moving him into his cot which was in our room first and now in his room he won't sleep in it at all.

I tried controlled crying beginning of December and it did work for a couple of nights but he still woke up in the night for comfort from the breast, and as I have 2 other children who have to get up for school, I didn't want him howling the house down in the early hours.

His naps during the day are non-existent unless he falls asleep on me after bf or if we are out in the car.

I brought him into our bed in December to get some rest after a bout of teething and illness now the only way he will go to sleep is if I lie with him and he suckles himself to sleep. He wakes up 3 to 4 times in the night to do this. Feel a bit of a failure as 2 other children were great sleepers from an early age. I should know all this 3rd time round!

[Iggly]

What happens if you feed then rock to sleep and transfer to the cot?

[jjosiejo]

Hi, tbh it sounds completely normal to me! My dd (now 3) was still waking for feeds 6 times a night until she was 2 and my ds (5.5mo and 10.5kg!) is waking 2-3 times a night for feeds. Your little boy could well be hungry and still can't go that long without food?

Having seen my 2, plus my 5 nephews and neice, and all their various sleep habits, it really isn't something you are doing right or wrong - it's just your baby's individuality! There is a limit to how much influence we have over their sleep habits... in no sense have you failed anything or anyone! It certainly isn't a test, other than a test of endurance :)

With my daughter who was a TERRIBLE sleeper from day 1, I ended up with her in the bed from about 12 months - I was hallucinating from tiredness at getting up to her in the cot every 30 mins through the night! Tried crying-to-sleep with her and she screamed for 5 hours straight without going to sleep at the end of it every night for a week - she was so traumatised she wouldn't even go into the bedroom after that! With my ds I just decided to save myself the stress and bring him straight into bed with me and he settles brilliantly - even if he is hungry, I just roll over and feed him without having to wake up fully and some nights I couldn't tell you how many times I fed him as it doesn't really disturb my sleep. I know co-sleeping isn't everyone's choice, but personally I find it the best way for the whole family to get enough sleep to function - it is only for a short while in the grand scheme of things and my oh and I will get our bed back before too long...!

Good luck - I know how stressful and exhausting it is and I don't think there are any easy answers but just remember that this too shall pass...

[CEW1975]

Unfortunately as soon as he is rocked to sleep and we try and transfer him he wakes up straight away!

jjosiejo, I agree with you with regards to trying the cry and leave him to sleep, my ds is very stubborn and the crying didn't sound like normal crying to me he sounded distressed, I just gave up and bought him back in with me!! But now the children are going to return to school next week and dh back to work I need to get some sleep to be able to get up and take them to school and dh some sleep to be able to function at work!!

I know its not forever but I do worry that the longer I leave it the more entrenched the problem will become.

Thanks for coming back to me I am grateful.

[Iggly]

What about waiting until he's in a deep sleep and putting him down on his tummy? So wait 20 mins? Keep trying a couple of times a night. You'll get there in the end - that's how we got ds and dd into their cot without crying.

[CEW1975]

Thank you. I haven't tried that. Anything has got to be worth a try!!