Help with 5mo sleep! (I'm desparate)

[Babooo]

Hi everyone this is my first post to mumsnet I need your Help! My little girl used to be a pretty good sleeper, at 3 months she was waking twice a night and settling no problem. She's now 5 months and for the last couple of months sleeps gone to pot.
She'll go to sleep ok after a bit of fussing but wakes up every half or or so because her arms and legs start thrashing about in her sleep. This goes on through the night. It got to the pint where I was standing over her cot for up to an hour after each waking holding her still so she could sleep. The last few weeks I've resorted to co sleeping which gives us more rest but isnt what i want long term. Has anyone else had this problem? Do you know what causes the thrashing about? Or how to stop it? I thought it might be due to her learning to roll or something but it's gone on so long now I'm beginning to wonder if it'll ever stop? I'm really desparate as tonight she's been in bed for an hour and a half but woken 4 times already 😭 I don't pick her up when she wakes just guve her the dummy and gently hold her still until she goes back to sleep. Feel so sad for her that she's not getting proper rest it can't be good for her. She's ebf and doing great apart from this issue. Any advice is much appreciated!

Didn't want to read and run but not sure I can help much

Two things we experienced was night terrors in a 'leap' or development phase and only going to sleep when held.

It's a divisive issue and a very personal choice but we did sleep training (at 6 months) for naps which had a knock on effect for self settling at night.

She's probably disturbed during a sleep cycle to a point when she's fully awake and thrashing around.

Hopefully it will pass soon but all I can suggest is soothing and settling without picking her up and leaving the room so she doesn't rely on your presence to fall asleep again - but I'm not her mum xx

It sounds like the 4 month sleep regression! Ours hit at 5 months as well and my daughter woke every 45 minutes for 2 weeks. I promise it won't last forever it will get better x

...and the thrashing about is a lot to do with learning yes :) I recommend downloading an app called the wonder weeks if you can it's been great for us x

Thanks for your help 💜 seems like I'll just have to wait it out and see if it passes. I did consider sleep training but my hv recommended waiting until 8 months so if it's still bad then I'll try that route. And I'll have a look at the app thanks crazycatlady 😊

A tightly tucked in sheet may help. If you use a cot sheet width-ways across the cot rather than lengthways, it can tuck in right under the mattress really tightly.

It helps calm flaying around limbs (which is normal, so don't worry)

It's a nightmare but it's normal. My advice is do what you can do to get some sleep- take turns/co-sleep. If you have a spare room or couch someone takes turns sleeping there so there's always one parent well rested enough not to lose it!

Babies aren't meant to sleep through the night, society just cons us in to thinking so. Keep going!