8-10 month sleep regression, how to cope...

[offside]

Hi

We're really struggling at the moment with what to do for the best.

Our beautiful DD started sleeping through at around 6 months, after spending the first 6 months waking hourly (if we were lucky!) Or co-sleeping. It now seems we've hit the 8 month sleep regression which is coinciding with teething.

We've read that as hard as it is, we should just perservere and not let DD into our bed or rock to sleep etc etc as the habits formed at this regression will stick...but how on Earth do people cope?! It's taking over an hour to settle and she is screaming until she goes to sleep (usually being rocked or soothing on me) and now back to waking hourly until we bring her into our bed as we all need the sleep.

How did anyone else deal with this regression and has anyone got any tips??

Thanks

Wrong board!! Will ask for it to be moved...sorry mnners

Moved and bumped
Sending sleep dust and sympathy
zzzzzzz

I am sorry to tell you this, but sleeping through isn't the 'magic key' to good sleep I am afraid. Being able to settle to sleep without external help is the 'magic key' you need.

Babies and toddlers cannot self settle in the way an adult can (tired, close eyes, sleep) until school age. Until then they need something to use as a comforter and sleep trigger to help them get to sleep.

Sleep comforters used are generally already established by this age so you may find it hard to establish anything new. Some sleep comforters other parents use are:

• Feeding to sleep
• Nipple sucking

• Dummy sucking
• Finger/thumb sucking

* Rocking *- Patting (being patted or self patting) *- Ticking (again being tickled or tickling self) *- Hair twiddling

• Rhythmic movement
• Special toy/comforter
• Special "blankie" or muslin

There are loads more. What you'll notice is that some of these require another person to trigger sleep (the *'s) and some of these do not require someone else the -'s).

The key to babies/toddlers /children sleeping well is comes when they are able to get back to sleep themselves at natural times when they may stir slightly in the night. Everyone had times (often between sleep cycles, but also for many other reasons) when they wake a tiny bit, shuffle and go back to sleep.

The problem with pre-schoolers is that they do not have the emotional capacity just to shuffle and go back to sleep. They need their comfort of sleep trigger in order to do that. At the moment you are your daughters comfort and sleep trigger so you will be needed at every wake up.

Thanks for you post.

I never thought sleeping through was the magic key. Maybe I should have clarified, my DD was sleeping through and not using any sleeping aids. She would wake in the night and stir but soon settle herself and she would happily drift off herself at night once in the cot prior to whatever has changed.

I don't now want to have to introduce sleeping aids for my DD to become reliant on when I know she can do it herself.

How did anyone else get through this period, did you just perservere or resort to sleeping aids?