7 month old sleep is rubbish...do I need to change routine?

[NEAKT5]

Sorry for the long post I just feel I need to get this out in the hope that someone has been through the same and can maybe help!

DS will be 7 months tomorrow, we moved him to his bigger cot (originally in a Snuzpod) about a month ago and he rarely sleeps in it for long. I know a lot of people will suggest self settling but I just can’t leave him to cry.

Currently his day goes like this:
Wakes around 6:30-7 and normally takes 6ozs of his bottle by half 7.
Playtime and then normally a nap at around half 8/9 for 40 minutes.
Breakfast at around half 9/10 each day and then 5ozs at roughly half 10.

Most days he’ll nap for an hour at about 12.
6/7ozs around half 1.
Normally naps at half 2/3 for 40 mins.
Has a small tea at around half 4 then 6/7 ozs around 5 and then will be normally awake until his last bottle at half 7/8 which he normally falls asleep with.

I’ve tried putting him down awake in the cot and he just turns over and starts crawling around or crying wanting back up.

Most nights after putting him down he’ll stay asleep for an hour and then he wakes crying and needs picked up and cuddled before going back in. But after this first wake up he wakes up a few times between that and then eventually at around 1 I’ll just bring him in the bed because I’ve already tried settling him multiple times. I know I’m creating this habit myself but I tell myself that he’s only young once and needs me. However I will be going back to work in May and would like to get him into his own room and mainly sleeping in his own bed by then so am just wondering how I can start helping this soon.

We use white noise for him and I think this helps him stay asleep for a while but doesn’t tend to work anymore during the night, it used to when he was in his snuzpod. He hates the bath so I can’t use this as part of his routine and he rarely sits still enough for a story.

He just wakes when you try to put him down for daytime naps in the cot and then is grumpy from being overtired so I just hold him for naps.

I know a lot of people won’t agree with what I’m doing and will say he needs to learn to sleep alone but he’s my first baby and I’ve just wanted to give him as much as comfort as he wants and needs! but obviously the older he gets the more I’m worried he will never sleep in his cot for more than a few hours.

@Thatwentbadly yeah I am really missing having time with my partner, I think it’s such a hard part as you love your child so much but you also love your partner it’s who you choose to have your baby with, so it’s hard not to miss having one on one time with them!

The first year is the worst, I promise.

@Thatwentbadly can I ask when you did get yours into their own room and how you managed it for future reference?

With DD1 DH or I would settle in her in our bed and DH and I would sleep in the spare bed. When she woke up one of us would go in with her. When she was 20 months we put her in a 3/4 double with bed guards in her room. For the first week I put her to bed and stayed with her all night. Then DH and I went back to alternating who went to her if she woke up. DH would always settle her and then come back but I would normally fall asleep and stay. Over the next year her wake ups reduced to virtual none.

DD2 is similar but bf. I start feeding her to sleep at 7.30, usually asleep by 8 when I leave her in my room. DH and I are in her room and DH goes in with her for her first wake up an stays until she wants milk. She doesn’t alway accept DH. When she is bigger probably when she is 2 I will put her in her own room.

@Thatwentbadly thank you, it’s great that you have found what works for you, I think we just need to find what works for us all too but easier said than done isn’t it

Totally. I big problem with sleep is that it is constantly changing.

@Thatwentbadly exactly! Just in case you were interested we moved DS cot back to my side of the bed and he still wakes but he doesn’t wake crying anymore he just starts moving and my hand settles him rather than needing to get out of bed and rock him!

It’s not perfect and eventually we will want him to move to his own room but I think for now if it gives us all sleep then we just have to do it, I think there’s just too much pressure on getting kids to sleep alone that as a FTM you feel like you’re failing if they need you to sleep.

That sounds good. I totally understand the pressure but there is all that jazz about cosleeping being an international and historical norm but I only do it to survive and I like sniffing their little heads. You can also cuddle them in either facing you or spooning and rock yourself back and worth if they need rocking to sleep. Much warmer and easier on your back.

@Thatwentbadly yeah sometimes it’s just needed, I’ve brought him in both nights the first was half way through and the second wasn’t until 5 and yeah he normally sleeps facing me in the bed too. So true they’re the best to cosy!

The first 2 years are survival and we will get through it. It won’t be long until we are on the teenage board complaining that they won’t get up.

@Thatwentbadly exactly it’s such a short time but it feels long! Oh I know that’s a whole new issue let’s not think about yet 😂