7 month old Still won’t sleep.

[Lishowen17]

Hi guys, I’m new and I’m so desperate for help as I’m finding it really really hard to cope with sleep deprivation.
I have a two year old and as of tomorrow a 7 month old who has only slept the night 2/3 times.
We’ve had some success as in he goes down for his naps well enough and has stopped waking every hour or two at night but now he may typically slee from 7-11.30/12 and then he’s extremely hard to get back to sleep. He seems tired and wants to sleep but can’t I can only assume he’s wrecked and finding it hard but nothing I do works, I bring him into bed he’s still going mad Im Getting extremely frustrated. I’ve tried every sleep clashing trick in the book he doesn’t respond to CIO.
When he eventually sleeps he’s unsettled and easily woken. He doesn’t use a dummy but in the dead of night with desperation I have used it to quiten him but he never keeps it in.
He has a white noise teddy which seems to help a bit but doesn’t keep him asleep.
Please anyone have any advice I’m really at the end of my tether here.
Thanks

[AmberB22]

I have the exact same with my 8 month old! Exhausted!
Fingers crossed for some replies and advice for us

[Lishowen17]

Oh Amber, fingers crossed someone/ something can help us!

[nerofire63]

Have you tried using different white noise sounds? Maybe the sound of rain, or a fan, crickets?

[rebelrosie12]

Sorry to say it's very normal. Maybe you got lucky with your first child and had different expectations. My first was waking several times a night til 16 months. There's a website called Isis (bad name, something to do with infant sleep) which outlines normal infant sleep behaviours. Not really helpful but It did help a little bit to know it was normal.
The other thing I'm wondering is if you could improve day naps? Sometimes when they're unsettled it's because they haven't had enough sleep in the day. I'm finding with my second it's really hard to go about normal life with an older child and make sure the baby is getting good naps.

[AmberB22]

I suppose when you hear so many people ask if they're sleeping through yet and saying there's are sleeping 12 hours it makes you think something isn't right! But maybe it is normal

[Waitingonasmiley42]

I think for some children waking is normal. My almost 3 year old still doesn't sleep through and woke every 3 hours until 18 months.

Could you try shifting his bedtime to slightly later then at least you are getting more of a block of sleep. If he's doing roughly 5 hours then maybe move bedtime to 8/8.30 and you go to bed then too. Short-term it would help with sleep deprivation.

[Naschkatze]

Sounds normal to me! But exhausting with a toddler as well, I can imagine.
Here’s what I’ve learnt, just from having DS and reading a LOT. For what it’s worth, I guess I would be labelled as an “attachment” type parent so none of what we did were quick fixes or involved crying. This has worked for us but do what works for you!

1. Find out what wake time is normal for DCs age. My DS was overtired at that age because I was missing sleep cues in the day time and then it made nights hell! When I made sure he was back in bed/sling/car after 2 - 21/2 hours awake in the day he was much better.
2. Get as much daylight, as early in the day as possible. So get out or open the curtains etc as soon as you are up. The flip side of this is to limit artificial light and screens, especially in the evening. We have a red light bulb in our bedside light and only that is on at bedtime.
3. Play white noise/alpha music at bedtime and through the night.
4. Clear bedtime routine. Same things same order. We read the same book, EVERY night last before he goes to sleep. We read other books too but that one has become a sleep cue. He knows when it is finished it’s time to sleep and he rolls over and drifts off himself.
5. Enough time to be physical and active in the day. When my DS started crawling, sleep went to pot because he needed to practice all the time. Making sure he was moving around a lot in the day meant he could sleep at night.
6. Dummy. I wasn’t going to use one. Ha! best thing we ever did. I know you said he doesn’t keep it in. DS used to lose his too, but around 8/9 months could find it himself and things got so much better. Could be worth trying again?

I agree with PP as well that you have to do what you can to help yourself with sleep deprivation so going to bed when DC do, even just a couple of times a week will help.

[newcupcake]

Same here my almost 7 month old wakes every 3 hours on a good night on a bad night it's every other hour. Sometimes she wants a feed other times just a cuddle. It's shattering and I resent it at times when I'm dog tired , but I keep saying over and over to myself it won't last. Trying to roll with it and not look for a reason all the time keeps me sane.