Does it pass or will I have to sleep train?

[Moonshine160]

DS2 is 5.5 months old. He used to sleep fairly well with about two feeds per night and would manage 4 hour stretches. Since the 4 month sleep regression and catching two colds over the last few weeks his night sleep has been absolutely terrible and I’m on my knees with exhaustion. Last night he woke hourly and has to be fed or cuddled back to sleep. Two hourly is a good night for us.
When going to sleep for the night he sometimes gets put down awake and settles off to sleep on his own but this makes no difference to how the night goes. Co sleeping doesn’t stop him waking and he won’t feed lay down on his side either so I have to sit up with him all the time. I’m so tired that I’ve been crying this morning and I have a 3 year old to look after too. DH tries to help but it’s breastfeeding that gets him back off to sleep in the night so he can’t help much.

I have always said I wouldn’t sleep train and would just ride it out but after 6 weeks of this it’s starting to take its toll on me. I know that he is too young yet to try any sort of sleep training but I was wondering if this has happened for anyone else and their baby started sleeping longer stretches again?

Help :(

If you think it's the comfort of breastfeeding, would he take a dummy? If you think it's hunger, would he have a bottle last thing to hopefully keep him going longer?

@takealettermsjones hi. Yes he has a dummy, he used to take a bottle but since he had a bad cold and was really congested he seems to have developed a bottle aversion because that’s when he started refusing bottles and still refuses now :(

Just solidarity - I’m in the exact same situation with DD2, who just turned 6 months. I don’t remember our last 2 hour stretch at night and she only sleeps in the day while being held. Every time I think our sleep has hit rock bottom it gets worse again. I also really don’t want to sleep train! Plus if I leave her to grizzle it doesn’t stop at all, just escalates!!

Following for advice and sending love xx

I think you have to look at the bigger picture of your own mental health and impact on the family too. I always said I wouldn't sleep train but with DD she hit a very rough patch around 5 months (sounds similar to your DC) and in the end I tried sleep training (intervals) and it worked and probably saved me from a breakdown!

I now have DS who is only 10 days old and I can't imagine sleep training him in the future either but I also don't think I could cope with DD (who is 3) if DS sleep goes badly wrong so will probably have to consider it at some point