Help us sort out DD's sleep please!

[PineappleBed]

DD is 9 months old and we're having nap and night sleep problems.

Night sleep first. She has dinner, bath, teeth, milk and then shush/hug to sleep. Tonight that shushing took almost two hours. She will then wake three times in the night each time she needs milk and hug/shush back to sleep shortest that takes is 25 mins longest is 1 hour 40 mins. Sometimes she wil go straight down after milk at bedtime but she needs to be properly asleep or she wakes instantly and screams when put down.

Naps. She has milk then hug/shush to sleep it can take up to 40 mins to get her to sleep. She either has a 2 hour morning nap and 1 hour afternoon or a 2 hour nap in early afternoon.

I don't want to do controlled crying but we can't go on like this, DH and I are knackered. The night sleep is more of an issue than the naps.

She's content and sleepy when we're holding her.

If anyone has any advice/suggestions we'd be grateful.

no advice, ive posted loads, going through the same as you. i ve heard the pick up put down technique is quite good for alot of babies. the baby whisperer used to use this.
someone will come along with better suggestions than me.
however, i do totally sympathise x

Thanks Gem I'll Google that. It's rubbish isn't it? I could be a much more fun mum if I wasn't so tired!

im sure youre a brilliant mum but yes, tiredness makes life a whole lot harder to deal with. we are really struggling at the mo coz dd has learned to roll on to her side to sleep but she falls off her side and been waking every ten to twenty minutes ;-( i feel shaky and sick with tiredness!

What are her nap and bedtimes?

How much milk/food does she have during the day? It's possible she isn't having enough during the day so is waking at night...which has now become a 'habit'.

Sorry I dont have any advice. My ds was the same and I never did find the answer. I felt sure he would sleep through the night when he was ready but was giving up hope of it ever happening, then one night when he was 15months old he slept throught the night and has done ever since. I hope you find away of making things better at night time but if you dont your dd will probably do it when she is ready. It is really hard work and makes the day times so much harder when you are tired. Good luck x

your childs sleep problems Ferber

Thanks the support is appreciated!

Her nap time is normally 10-12 and 3.30-4.30 or on one nap days 12-2. I haven't looked at whether she sleeps better on one rather than the other type.

Bedtime- dinner 6; bath 6.30; milk 7.

I do wonder if maybe its just time.

She eats three decent meals a day but will only have milk before naps/bed during the day. She has c.210mls before naps and 300mls before bed.

Julia I can't get that link to work unfortunately

Part of it is age - 9 months is a developmental leap time.

Part of it will be timing - try and nap two hours after first waking, then another three hours after first nap. Keep first nap to an hour and second should get longer. Nap times should be at the same time every day.

Bedtime seems ok although I'd give tea earlier as its a lot on her stomach.

Is she FF? Has she always been?

www.amazon.co.uk/Solve-Your-Childs-Sleep-Problems/dp/0743201639

Thanks iggly, the problem with having naps at the same time is how variable her waking time is and sometimes she just refuses naps.

She is FF and always has been.

We used the Ferber method as mentioned by JuliaScurr upthread. I know its not for everyone, but by night 3 dd started sleeping through. Now a week and a half on, we put her down about 7:15 she grizzles for a couple of minutes and then that is it till 6:30am. Would definitely recommend getting the book and having a read through first. Good luck whichever method you decide to use!