Baby constantly sitting up at night

[Vespar7]

Hi,

DD is 10 and a half months and we have always found it hard to get her to sleep be it day or night.

Lately she has been sitting up in the middle of the night and then crying. If I go to her and give her the dummy she will just sit straight back up again. This happened about 50 times between 1:15 and 4:30 last night! The only way to get her to sleep is to take her to bed and then leave her sitting until she finally will consent to being laid down. I am exhausted because she barely sleeps during the day and I am thinking that if I don't sort her sleeping out now we will need to call supernanny in...

Does anyone have any suggestions of what we can do or recommend a good book on sleeping problems?

Thanks!

Afraid you have stuffed it up already by taking her into your bed. Much harder task now but not impossible. Lay her down when she cries, no extra light on, pat her back in a heart beat rhythm until she calms and then leave her room. No talking at all. You will have do this a lot until she gets the idea but it will work if you are consistent. Good luck.

DS went through a phase of this when he learned how to sit up on his own. I'd put my arms around him to support him until he fell back asleep, and then slowly ease him down to a lying position. The phase was over quickly.

Bit harsh to say you have stuffed it up I think - if you don't want to share it would probably have been better not to do it as you may have created an expectation in her, but not the end of the world! I think you just have to tough it out, either stay in her room until she lies down again or go in to her at say 5 min intervals. Suggest you put a chair next to her cot in readiness. Have you got a DH/DP? If so you could divide the night into shifts and swap after say an hour each, with the person in bed putting ear plugs in to get some rest.

Thanks. It is also putting her to bed at night that is proving difficult. I suppose I just have to say to myself that she is not coming to our bed and stick to that. But when I have been up sitting by the cot for hours my determination starts to wane...

I feel like all other 10 month olds are sleeping perfectly except mine!