5 month old only contact sleeping

[wigglerose]

Please help. I'm desperately trying to get my LO to sleep. We've been trying since 7.45 and it's now 9.18pm...

She only contact naps during the day or in a sling or in the car. I've just had abdominal surgery so sling and car are out for the next month. I feed her to sleep but she just won't let go! The minute i think she's asleep (sometimes after holding her for an hour or more) I unlatch her and she frequently starts rooting for boob and wakes up.

That means she gets short naps during the day. At night i have to side fees and lie next to her for hours before I can crawl away.

This isn't sustainable.

What can I do? Habit stacking doesn't work. Patting her just seems to wake her up. Dummies just wind her up. Lying a hand on her makes her angry. Bouncing/rocking wakes her up.

I feel like we have no routine and no way to get one.

[wigglerose]

Also because she only contact naps her sleep is crap. The minute i move she wakes up. I can't and don't want to sit or lie down with her for hours each and every day and night.

[wigglerose]

Anyone? Im currently trying to get LG to go back to sleep. She nurses then wont let go. Any de-latching results in crying. I cant go on like this.

[Orchidflower1]

Bump for you and🌸

[Flippyflops2021]

Have you considered co ~ sleeping? My third is 12 months, I didn’t do this with the other 2, but this baby went thru such a crappy sleep stage around 6 months, it was the only thing to go so we all got sleep. She now sleeps in her cot, wakes once a night usually. She’s still breastfed and mainly sleeps on my lap during day (which I enjoy really!) or pushchair /car.

[oliveroses]

Hi, I had a much less extreme version of this til recently and I did a bit of reading around sleep. My 5 month old boy went from sleeping well at night to quite badly and only napped on me during the day. I could manage as long as he slept at night but when that stopped I felt I had nothing to lose by switching things up.

First, we introduced a bedtime routine which is bath, bottle, lights dim, story, bed. I pay his tum and shush him to sleep - I know you said that didn't work. But I think I managed to get him used to bring in his cot so he accepted it. I would lie him in the cot sometimes so that he just got used to it being a safe and happy place. For naps, I didn't believe he'd sleep in the cot. But I persevered and he does sleep for two naps there now. Just short ones, 30 to 40 mins usually, sometimes 20, sometimes we manage an hour. He refuses to nap in the afternoon lately. I'm going to start taking him on long pram walks as he's a total mess by the evening.

This sounds nuts but he is also soothes by the fisher price glow and soothe seahorse which I use for naps sometimes. I discovered this by accident.

I am planning on reading Richard Ferber's book to try and help me some more. I couldn't go on with contact napping and as you say I would wake him up by accident. I would just take little steps and persevere. I hope this helps even if it's just to say you're not alone!x

[FATEdestiny]

If you want your baby to sleep independently then she has to go to sleep independently, in the place she will be asleep, and stay there.

That is the beginning, muddle and end of it.

Yes, she will cry. A lot. Significantly more without the ability to comfort suck a dummy. So no point thinking her crying (massively) is a reason something isn't working. It's the only option if you want independant sleep and baby doesn't know how to get comfort. You just have to carry in.

Or adjust your expectations and find otger ways to cope.

[Chester72]

Hi OP, how is your little one now? Going through this exact thing with my 6 month old :(