8 mo dd2 has always been a terrible sleeper, waking every 10-90 mins after 10pm till just 2 week ago when she has started occasionally going for longer eg 3hr stretches. I've worked really hard to help her to sleep better. I don't have the heart for Controlled crying but have been reassuring her with shushing / dummy inserting and previously feeding or picking up, though I try to avoid those now.
We've got to the point where she doesn't need feeding at night (gradually night weaned), though we sometimes give water if we think she is thirsty. She's learning to put her dummy in and this has helped enormously. She spends the vast majority of the night in her own cot and self settles with at dummy at bedtime 30 mins after last feed. She's mix fed milk and fully weaned onot food.
I'm beyond exhausted but very stubborn so think we have achieved a lot since 6 months where she was Co sleeping and feeding 6 or 7 times a night.
I don't want.to Co sleep ideally, though I'm happy for her to come in at 5am.
The reason I need advice is that despite all this she still often wakes every 10 or 20 minuts or is awake for hours at night. In fact she's only had 2 or 3 decent nights in total, and her big sister woke on those grr! She naps for 1.5-2.5hrs total in the day, 3 naps usually, so don't think she's having too many or too few naps. The only thing that settled her last night was literally coming in to bed and lying on my face for an hour, after which she fell asleep about 4am after waking at 2. Dd1 gets up at 5.30 no matter what so I have no option to lie in.
Is there anything I can do to help get a better nights sleep myself? Only a month till I'm back in work where i make important decision's (life or death type stuff). I don't want to bring her into bed as I don't sleep as well.
Will it just get better in time?
What will make this worse (ie if I keep bringing her in bed will this become a habit? I know some people are happy to Co sleep long term but I am not).
Is there anything else I can do to help her?
If anyone has any advice Id be really grateful thank you.
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Any advice for 8 month old?
5 replies
golfmonkey · 20/12/2016 19:56
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