Sleep regression

[Ravensmommy]

I'm not sure if I am looking for reassurance or help!
My little girl has never been amazing at sleeping. She is nearly 6 months and her sleep record is 4 hours and that was quite a while ago! These days I am lucky if she goes 3. It has been going on since roughly 4 months, so I get its sleep regression, but how do you all cope?! I am literally like a zombie. I breastfeed so there's no chance of oh doing a feed in the night, She hardly naps in the days. She doesn't really cry much, she just cries to be near us, as soon as we're in sight, she will happily gurgle to herself then eventually fall asleep.

I co sleep when things get dire as it seems to keep her asleep for longer, and she only wakes to feed, but I don't want to get her used to sleeping with me, as I'd rather her sleep in her own room/cot.
I have no other ideas.
Other than redbull, does anyone have any advice?

Can you express for your dh to do a feed?

You mention dd hardly sleeps in the day. What are her typical nap lengths and awake periods? Only reason I ask is that it could possibly be overtiredness. Good sleep in the day usually helps good sleep at night. Do you think dd is getting enough sleep? (Average sleep per day would be around 14 to 15 hrs for 6 month old IME)

Does dd settle ok for bedtime and naps?

She will wake at 7-8am, wake until 10-11am for maybe half hour nap maximum,
then awake until 3pm ish for another half hour/hour
then again at 4-5pm,
Then bedtime at 7,
and she will wake at 10pm, midnight, 3am, 5am then 7. On a good night she will settle to sleep easily on all of her wakes during the night, on a bad night it will take me an hour to get her to sleep each time. But she still wakes without fail every time.
Sometimes she just cries for me to be there and stops when I walk in. HV suggested maybe she wants a dummy, but have tried that and she's not satisfied with it.
Getting her to sleep isn't the issue, it's keeping her asleep more than anything xxxx

Oh works a pretty intense job so he can't really get up with her past midnight, he does leave me in in the mornings, but that's only until 9:30 when he has to leave xx

Sounds familiar! I'm in a similar boat. In what seems a never ending sleep regression at 4 months, and that's on top of shit sleep to start with. Also breastfeeding (won't be making that mistake if I have another baby!) DH can't feed her as she won't take a bottle.

It's getting ridiculous here. Currently she's wide awake at 230am and I'm at my wits end. Not ready to leave her to cry it out although once she goes into her own room at 6 months, we'll start then as this is just torture.

My DH will take her from 5am if needed which at least gives me a few hours sleep. Can yours do that? It does seem to help. Other than that, just get through it best way you can! I am doing my best to try and accept that I have a baby that won't sleep, and not get frustrated. But it's so hard not to. Especially when I hear of the many babies that can sleep with no problems!

Oops sorry just saw what you'd put about your oh taking her in mornings.

she just cries to be near us, as soon as we're in sight, she will happily gurgle to herself then eventually fall asleep

and

Sometimes she just cries for me to be there and stops when I walk in

Bring the cot into your room. Not right by the bed, maybe the other side of the room (I'd remove a chest of drawers to make space, if needed). My DC4 is the same. She simply likes to know I am there and then she is happy to go back to sleep without disturbing me.

She is 13 months now and is looking more ready to be separate. But for now she is in her own cot, in the corner of our bedroom. She sometime stirs slightly in the night, I might hear her shuffle around. But just like when going to bed, she doesn't need me so doesn't shout for me. Just looks over, sees me, goes back to sleep.

On the three occasions I have trialled her cot back in her own room, I have ben up and down to reassure her several times a night. In the corner of my room she hasn't woken me in the night for a long time. No brainer for me.

I would also increase daytime naps, because it sounds like she's not sleeping enough in the daytime. If you cannot lengthen daytime naps (maybe by a pushchair walk or carseat ride?) then I would make them much more frequent.