6 months sleep help

[Happythoughts123]

LO is 6 months old and her sleep has steadily got worse. I am getting so tired. The early morning wakings are just the worst in winter - feels like the middle of the night! Any advice would be so so helpful.

Currently our schedule looks abit like this:

Feeds x5 5oz bottles a day at 4.30am, 7.30am, 10am,12.30pm and 3pm. X1 7oz feed at 6pm. She won’t take any more milk at other feeds. Currently offering porridge’/youghurt after breakfast bottle and fruit/veg purée after lunchtime bottle.

Sleep x4 catnaps a day 30 mins each. She wakes after 30 mins to the second.
Bedtime 6.30 she usually goes down well (she is shattered). She will then sleep through til about 4.30am when she wants to eat (during this sleep currently between x1 - x6 dummy replugs).
My trouble is after the 4.30am feed she is awake and I have to almost wrestle her back to sleep, in my arms or co sleep. She normally wakes between 5.30-6.I’m also having trouble sleeping myself as I have PND and the constant dummy disturbances leave me struggling to get back to sleep.

I’m currently considering a dream feed to try and displace the 4.30m feed. Also considering reading a book about gentle sleep training my friend bought me - although I’d much rather not.

Any pearls of wisdom MNetters?
Sorry for the long post - I just feel like I’m getting everything wrong.

She sleeps 6.30-4.30 at 6 months old, that sounds amazing.
Why so early to bed?

The 30 minute naps are the worst!!!

The fact she sleeps through until 430 is absolutely amazing, however I get that 430 is not fun at all. My 9 month old wakes 3x for milk feeds and then wakes up about 430/5. It's shite 😩.

What I've noticed though is that it's all just a phase. My Daughter will do silly o clock for a week or 2, and then will snap out of it and sleep until 6 for a week etc. It just seems to change constantly. As shit as it is, I think just somehow power through wit a few tears (that's what I do anyway!!). I keep thinking about when she will be 2 and will just sleep all night. Hang on in there x

I have a 6mo too so I feel your pain OP! He’s been awake since 4.30am wanting to play, hoping he’ll go back to sleep in the next half hour so I can go back to bed for an hour.

It sounds like she’s doing a really good stretch at the beginning of the night so if you’re tired all I can suggest is get yourself to bed earlier and that way you’ll be well rested when she’s up at the crack of dawn. I’m generally in bed by 8.30pm these days and asleep by 9.30 after reading for a bit, so can cope ok with early wake ups!

I'm in the same boat and I've a feeling that we would be ok with the early wake ups if it wasnt for the million dummy replacements during the night! It doesnt matter what time you go to bed if you are awoken constantly to settle baby. Plus PND will mean its even more important to get some rest as dealing with that is exhausting in itself.

You mention the book is a gentle sleep training one. Maybe have a look and see what are the most gentle steps you can implement right now. Something really small can make a huge difference. It doesnt have to involved any crying but might be around day routine. Day sleep definitely effects night sleep in my house.
Can you alternate nights with a partner so you at least get some decent sleep during the week?

You have my sympathy. I'm more exhausted than ever. Even though on paper baby is sleeping more than when a newborn. When he was small he slept half the day and just wanted food and cuddles, now he wants to be entertained and play-there is no down time during the day anymore so if you dont have a good nights sleep you are running on empty

My 6 month old is very similar feed schedule to yours, however I dream feed at 10pm, she usually has around 5oz here and has reliably slept through until half 7 for the last 6 week's. I tried one time without the dream feed and she woke at 3.30 for milk so the next night we dream fed again and she stayed down. Hope that helps x

Sorry no advice but OH MY GOD SHE SLEEPS FOR 10 HOURS! My 5.5 month old is currently up every 1 - 2 hours through the night... Very occasionally she'll do 3. Last night she didn't do more than an hour and a half at a time and most of that was while being held. She also does the daytime catnap thing.

I'm not trying to be mean but honestly I think you need to get some perspective. And get to bed early!

Four daytime naps is quite a lot at 6 months, is there anyway at all you can stretch out one of those naps so you can cut it to three naps?
Would she sleep in the car or the pram or on you? It’s not a habit you’d want to carry on, but if you can get her down to sleep later then she should sleep until later.
It is just a phase though and it will get better, it sounds like you’re doing an amazing job xx

Thanks for all your support everyone.
I guess it sounds like her sleep is broadly average from your comments.
I think from reading your comments I can see that the real problem is me and my sleep. If I could just replug the dummy and roll over all would feel better. But replugging dummy every 1-2 hours leaves me awake a lot of the night.
I’m going to speak to my therapist about getting me some sleep help and also try a dream feed.
Thanks for your kindness x

@Happythoughts123 I think you're right - although I appreciate that doesn't necessarily help.. I'm sorry, PND is shit. I hope your therapist can give you some tips for better sleep x

Sorry, but 10hrs in a row is unheard of here at 9 months still. Bed 8pm, woke 9,12,3, 4,6,8am last night!

If she does 10hrs, I would just start bedtime later at around 8pm and she might go until 6am

@Happythoughts123 it's really hard adjusting to the new sleep pattern. I'm a natural night owl. I could easily stay up until 1 or 2am but once asleep dont function very well if woken early. Baby has put a spanner in works with that.

Also don't minimize constant waking to put in the dummy. It's really hard when you arent getting chunks of sleep. Its wears you down and cannot help your PND.
As a newborn my baby woke more for feeds but slept more soundly in between so my sleep was actually much better. Dealing with a newborn who is happy to cuddle at 4:30 but stay awake is much easier than wriggling excitable 6month old.

You are right to seek some support from your therapist. In the meantime try some white noise. I use it as much for me as well the baby.
I also find the winter mornings horrible. It can be so quiet so once I know baby isnt going to settle I switch on the radio and get a bit of life into the place. Helps me wake up a little. I also wear leggings, sport bra and comfy shirt to bed. That way I feel semi dressed and I dont feel as bad if it takes me a couple of hours before I get to the shower and change. That really helps my MH during tough mornings..also means I no longer greet the postman with boobs swinging everywhere!