Where to start?

[BraveGirl]

EBF and BLW, now 7.5 months.

The problems...
Rolling over in cot.
Trying to move out of swaddle, now in gro-bag with arms tucked in.
He gets his arms out and starts scratching his face.
With scratching comes waking.
Now waking up to 8 times per night.

What we've tried...
Scratch mitts
Scratch cuffs
Scratch mitts under scratch cuffs
Scratch mitts over scratch cuffs
Wrapping a muslin around his arms to stop him getting arms out
Using a dummy
Using lullabies
Return to feeding in night time
Introducing a night time toy
Diprobase everywhere
Looking at diet to see if food is aggravating his skin

Before he hit 19 week/4 month sleep regression he would self soothe, but given the scratching, he can't be trusted. If he gets his arms out, the cot is like a scene from nightmare on elm st in the morning - blood everywhere.

This morning, I have stitched up the sleeves on a sleepsuit to see if that will help tonight.
He's fairly good at daytime naps, and generally goes to bed without any issues - usually goes down awake in cot, put lullabies on and he's asleep within minutes.

The real issue is his night waking. I don't want to get into the co-sleeping habit - it gives me nightmares. DH and I take turns to go to him in the night - sometimes it's just put the dummy in, other times it takes a lot longer.

I'm out of ideas...what can I try next? I know he'll eventually grow out of it, but as I'm now back at work full time in a demanding job, sleep is becoming the most important thing in our lives!
Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

I got nothing, sorry, but a "there-there". hope someone more helpful is along soon...

My DS scratches his head and face terribly when tired, upset or when trying to go to sleep. I know what you mean about the horror film analogy.

I now use my 4 year old's socks as scratch mits. They are small enough not to come off but long enough to cover his hands - in fact they look like he is wearing evening gloves!

I put them on him every nap time and at bed time and it has helped. He naps well but night time sleep is still poor but at least when he is crying or trying to settle I know he is not scratching his head.

I too have no ideas about how to stop the night wakings though.......Surviving on 4ish hours a night with work looming on the horizon. Ugh.

Sewing up the sleeves on his sleepsuit certainly helped last night - we didn't have a bloodbath last night.
However, I did have to feed twice and use dummy / soothe on countless occasions to get him back to sleep.
Am I doing something wrong - is there a trick I'm missing? We suspect he's teething in addition so don't want to do CC or anything too dramatic.
Might try the socks tonight as I don't have time to sew up all his sleeves!!!
I often strap him onto his doomoo seat for naps as it stops him rolling and keeps his arms down.
For naps, should we just put him in cot allow him to sleep when he's ready, no matter how long it takes and how frustrated he gets?

I worked out when DS needed sleep and now just put him in his cot with the socks on (!) and the mobile. He goes off after about 5 mins of grizzling. He is 6.5 months so a bit younger than yours but has 45 mins about 9am, up to 2 hours at about 11ish and 45 mins at around 3.45.

His naps are great but night time sleep is awful. Bed at 7, goes down half awake after a BF then wakes for a feed at 10, 2, 4 and then 6. I am sure he doesn't need this much and am trying to settle him at 2 without a feed - limited sucess. He settled at after about an hour last night then up at 4 BFing on and off until 5.30. I wish I knew if there was a trick I'm missing too!

If your LO naps well in his seat then wouldn't worry about putting in cot. My first would only sleep in the pushchair at that age and didn't learn to nap in the cot until she started nursery at 8months.

Good luck.

BTW - I really think that sleeping longer is a developmental thing that they find in their own time. I am trying to force the issue with DS but really I just think they get there themselves eventually. I don't really want to believe this but am coming round to this way of thinking.

That doesn't help I know!