6 month old fighting sleep

[Chococroc]

We seem to have totally lost the plot when it comes to my (nearly) 6 month old sleeping, he's never slept well but it's getting worse.

A typical night at the moment is a bedtime routine (bath etc) getting him off to sleep by around 730. He'll then be up for a feed around 10 and take anywhere between 1-2 hours to go back to sleep. After that he's up every 2 hours, and up for the day around 5am. I can just about cope with the regular wakings, but he massively fights going back to sleep, however tired he is he will throw his head around, kick his legs, scream etc, anything it seems to stop himself going to sleep.

Daytimes are similar, he'll probably have 3 or 4 naps during the day, but they only last half and hour and if he doesn't drop off during a feed then it's the same battle.

My feeling is that he is really overtired, but I just can't work out how to get him past fighting sleep. He's only ever gone to sleep while feeding (ff) or being held, he cries very soon if he's just put down in his cot. He will take a dummy , but it doesn't seem to help him sleep.

We're all so overtired, and it's horrible seeing him so upset before going to sleep. Any suggestions of things to try are very welcome, or just encouragement that it will get better. (Hopefully soon!)

The throwing head around and screaming etc. sound like textbook symptoms of over-tiredness. Have you considered these could be "leave me alone I am tired and want to go to sleep" signs, that baby isn't appreciating over stimulation.

I remember my eldest used to throw her head around, often quite violently, as a self-soothing way to get to sleep (she had very poor sleep associations as a baby).

Could you try staying with your DS, but stimulating as little as possible? So not picking him up, soothing and settling him while lying in his cot. I am not suggesting this will be a magic wand situation, he will still scream. But if you understand that the scream isn't 'pick me up and cuddle me', it is a 'help me sleep' then it may help you cope with teaching him to be calm, quiet and still to sleep.

I would definitely still have the cot next to my bed at this stage. Then would lie on my bed next to him in the cot. Maybe holding both his hands (to aid staying still) or alternately a firm and reassuring hand on his chest - then keep shushing and maybe patting (if not too stimulating) to help him relax. Keep putting the dummy back in as required (dummies are brilliant for fussy babies). He will scream, because he always has. But you are there with him helping him to learn to go to sleep.

With such disturbed nighttime sleep, I would try and aim for frequent daytime naps - 30-45 minutes in every 2 hours throughout the day. This should also tackle the over-tiredness.