she just wants to play with me!

[enchantmentandlove]

I'm sorry as I feel I've posted so much here recently, I've been trying people's advice but nothing seems to be working.

DD is 7 1/2 months and just doesn't want to sleep at all. Her sleep has never been great, but this past month has been awful.

I always used to lay beside her in bed, holding her hands and stroking her cheek before she drifted into a light sleep, then transferred her into the co sleeper/cot beside our bed. But recently dd just won't let me soothe her at all, but just try's to play with me and laugh. I have tried laying her in her cot to sleep, but after a few minutes she starts crying and screaming "mama". I've also tried soothing her leaning over the cot, but again she just smiles and tries to play.

I have tried adjusting her routine, but still haven't seen an improvement. In the end, she's just getting ridiculously overtired. Music and white noise also don't help.

I would really appreciate some advice. Thank you

Oh yes - the only way she seems to sleep in the end is when she's way over tired, after winging in her cot for a few minutes and just can't stay awake any longer. I don't want to leave her to cry though, and don't want this to be how she gets to sleep. She now often cries as soon as we enter the bedroom, as she knows it's sleep time.

Does she have a dummy or could you allow her to feed to sleep and stay where she is?

Lots of babies need to suck in order to fall asleep. Those that don't, they usually develop a ritual that they do to themself (stroking own cheek, tickling ear with comforter teddy, playing with hair... and so on).

Your issue with these types of things is that baby probably won't yet have the physical dexterity skills to coordinate movements accurately and repetitively enough to get comfort. So you just have to middle through and until baby is a bit older.

Could you wheel her in her pram/buggy to get her to sleep?

Not ideal to do it every night, I would if I had a not great sleeper, but if it gets you through the next couple of weeks then I would do it.

Babies need to learn to fall asleep by themselves, otherwise you will always have to be there. Initially you will have tears and crying but once baby becomes comfortable and secure with bedtime routine then they wont be upset, and the only way for them to feel secure is with consistency. Decide on how you are going to tackle it and stick with it, lots of mums use the controlled crying or pick up put down technique. I've use controlled crying and it takes a while bit worth it in the end, lo is 3 and goes to bed happily x

Thank you for your replies everyone. I feel that I'm not always consistent which I know isn't helping. I think because I do whatever I can so she sleeps, it's often a different thing each night.

She has a dummy, which she often pulls out when she's getting sleepy as she seems to know it will wake her up. She's able to put it in if its very close, if it's further away she can't. She's never really fed to sleep, in fact I could probably count on one hand the amount of times she has since she's been born. The pram is hit or miss, but something I often try for naps.

Dh thinks we should try going in after 30 secs, then 1 min, 1 1/2 mins, 2 mins etc if she's upset. I have never really wanted to sleep train or left her upset, but I feel she's giving us no choice right now.

Oh she is very tactile if that's the right word - before now she's always liked to play with my hands to sleep or grabs at her face (which I wish she wouldn't do).