Why oh why won't my 7 month old stay asleep?

[Pyjamaramadrama]

I am completely baffled.

My 7 month old had a bad start to sleep, he had/has reflux and couldn't go back to sleep after a feed, he'd be sick loads, he'd fight his sleep in the day and would hardly nap, he wouldn't sleep in his cot at all, he was really clingy and miserable.

Anyway, I'm not sure exactly when but things all changed somewhere around 5 months. We'd been doing a bedtime routine and I was trying not to let him get overtired during the day and it all just clicked.

Now we're at the point where he goes to bed around 8pm without a peep, he has 3 naps during the day all in his cot by himself. He started sitting and crawling and is really happy, cheeky and playful. He's eating solids now too and is much less sick although still is a little.

All good except he just can't sleep through the night. On a good night it will just be giving him his dummy a few times or a drink of water, but on a very bad night like last night, he woke 2-3 times before 3am at which time he just didn't really go back to sleep properly. On other nights the only way he will go back to sleep is in our bed.

We stopped night feeds because we didn't feel he was particularly hungry anymore at night, and if he did have a feed he wouldn't be interested in food in the morning. We've tied a 10pm dream feed but it makes no difference. I should add that he can sleep through some nights so I really don't think it's hunger.

We've got the cot right against our bed, we've tried turning the heating up/down it makes no difference. He's in a Grobag and the room is quite warm 22degrees.

I tried cc in the night. It's difficult as my dh has to be up for work and we've no spare room atm. I did try when he was away and ds did eventually go back to sleep after about 1.5 hours, but other nights he'd do a poo after 30 minutes or wake with a leaking nappy. This added with that you can never be quite sure whether it's teething or the reflux and any attempt at cc just hasn't worked out. For example last night I'm certain something was bothering him because he didn't sleep even in our bed.

I'm really not sure what to do. I've been told off by hcps for cosleeping. People in rl are fed up of me mentioning it and seem to think it's something I'm doing wrong, yet my ds1 slept through.

Is there even anything you can do or is it a case of just coping until he grows out of it?

[DangerMouth]

I am no expert (FATE should be along soon ) but could this change be the 9 month sleep regression? It's a bit early but their age isnt an exact science, just an average l think with these regressions. I have am finding this site a wealth of knowledge!

[Pyjamaramadrama]

My instinct tells me if he can't get back to sleep, but manages to sleep in our bed, then that must be the right thing to do.

He just needs a cuddle and I actually love cuddling up with him, apart from getting whacked in the face.