10 month old - terrible sleeper. help

[Pancake2110]

I'm desperate for some sleep help! My 10 month old DD feeds to sleep and goes to bed at 7. Sometimes we get 2-3 hours of solid sleep or other times 45 mins before she is up again. She then only settles if bf to sleep in my bed with me next to her!

Throughout the night she uses me for comfort and wants the breast. I know it's not hunger as she feeds brilliant in the day with formula and food.

Ideally I want her sleeping in her cot. I don't mind waking up a couple times at night but currently getting 2 hours of sleep with sore nipples and backpack.

Not to mention 0 sex life!!!

Try feeding her a little earlier like 15mins and then maybe read a book. Then put her to bed so she can start to learn to self soothe rather than feeding to sleep. It will take time for her to learn how to self soothe but once they can do it to go to sleep in the first place, the rest of the night takes care of its self. Since they apply what they've learnt if that makes sense.

So don't expect it to work first time round. After the reading or whatever bedtime routine you have just put them down and keep coming back to put them down with minimal talking.

Its like a softer version of controlled crying.

It's really hard I know, but you just have to take the huge step away from what you are doing and stop letting her use you.... You could try introducing a dummy if that makes you feel better about it. Mine DD is 6 months, and for 2 weeks now she's been learning to self-soothe in the evening and it's made a huge difference to the nights as well. The first few days were horrendous and I nearly gave up becuase I felt so mean, but I'm so thankful I didn't.

In my opinion, looking back, it's just another thing she needed to learn to be able to do and it was me standing in her way from learning.... Once I stepped back, and let her cry a bit and fuss when I put her down, she soon learnt within a few days.

It's exhausting I know, hugs, it will get better x