We're in sleep hell

[Teatimecakes]

DS is 5 months old and his sleep at night is becoming progressively worse. Until 13 weeks old he slept thru and was fantastic. Now he wakes every hour, maybe 2, crying inconsolably. It can often take over 30 mins of cuddles/pacing/patting/bf to get him to nod off again. But the the second he hits the cot he's off crying again :(

He's had a bedtime routine of bath, story, feed, cuddles, bed since around 4 mo, we start at 6pm and he's in the cot by 7. he can go down in the cot awake when first going to bed and will happily settle himself off to sleep. This first stint will last about 2 hours - after that we're up with him every hour/two.

We know its not hunger as last week I was too ill to get up and down all night so we co-slept. - he slept all night, no fuss, with one feed in the early hours! So he can do it! Just not on his own it seems :(

Any tips or advice would be great - we're exhausted.

The HV today suggested CIO .... I'm not keen thou ...

Co sleep? I did with my second - much better sleep all round unlike with my first who I kept trying to get to sleep in the cot. They settled down at 6 months.

Poor you. Our ds is the same. But I must admit after a recent illness and nights of co sleeping for various reasons we discovered ds 7mo slept through with no feeds until morning! Tonight we adapted our normal cot into a sidecar cot in desperation to have space but also a good nights sleep. WE tried all the things you mentioned except CIO or cc - we tred a bit of the jo frost crying technique but gave up after an hour of crying.

I'm not opposed to go sleeping and it's been a life saver while I was I'll as he'll sleep beautifully with unlimited mummy cuddles all night!- just worried that it'll b s long term habit. We're planning ttc dc2 at the end of the year and can't imagine co sleeping when pregnant again or having an unsettled 18mo whild pg either! I'm hoping to nip it in the bud now - who knows of it'll work thou :(

Cosleep now.

You can "nip it in the bud" when he's older say around 6/7 months when his sleep is likely to settle down again.