think I have a sleep problem!

[suss]

DS (8 months) goes to sleep ok but does wake up most nights, he settles himself ok but if he wakes after I go to bed then he wakes me and I can't go back to sleep. My Dh says my expectations are too high and that DS waking most nights is ok. Sometimes he wakes crying and if I go in he seems to get more upset! So I try only to go in if really really necessary. Is he just letting off steam, just irrated that he is awake or should I be worried that he is not getting more settled sleep as he gets older. In any case is there anything I can do - except buy a bigger house!

my lo seems to settle herself after waking in the night unless she spots me and then she seems to wake up more fully. So I always go to make sure she is not in any trouble but make sure I keep out of her view to do this. So I can assess whether she is just making a noise whilst shes unsettled/resettled herself.

I am not worried about my lo waking as seems very happy during the day - well at the moment anyway. The problem is me I lie awake for hours after he wakes up even if he goes straight back to sleep which he does 90 % of the time. last night he woke at 2.30 and then again at 4.30 and i didn't go back to sleep inbetween. The problem is I'm more knackered than my son. So any ideas to help me get back to sleep would be welcome. Either that or ideas to stop my lo waking although sometimes he cries out in his sleep and that wakes me too!

suss - I used to have the same problem. my dd2 wakes up in the night often 2 or 3 times.
I use lavender oil on my pillow and also a homeopathic remedy called passiflora which helps when you can't go back to sleep...

thanks bagpussmice i will try the passiflora!