6 month old never wants to sleep

[BackIntoTheSun]

Does anyone else have a baby that you can go through the whole nap/sleep routine including story/blacked out room/white noise/Ewan the sheep/dummy/sleeping bag/5 mins rocking and they will still just lie there in the cot wide awake chatting to themself?? She's never slept well and it's always an ordeal to try and get her to sleep night or day. She's up every 2 hours at least at night. She was awake every hour last night (despite co-sleeping) and still won't go down for a nap. I'm exhausted but she seems wide awake. However I know she must need sleep!

I can't even do controlled crying cos half the time she doesn't cry, just won't sleep. So I don't know what to do. She will be clingy and grumpy later if she doesn't sleep but I just don't know how to get her to go down. She won't self settle and when she does nap it's only usually 30 mins. I have mental health issues and I'm really struggling on so little sleep :( Considering a sleep consultant but I know it's probably a waste of money. Anyone got any ideas?!

I'm exhausted but she seems wide awake

A baby who is past the overtired point and into sleep deprived and exhausted takes on a wired look. The untrained eye could view this as wide awake. In fact it means baby has been awake far too long.

The best and easiest time for baby you get to sleep is at the just-got-tired point. This is about half an hour before any outward "tired signs" that many parents use. It's probable the first cry baby makes when unhappy to be left to play on the floor.

Babies can keep going for a good hour after the just-tired point and still not be overtired. Just "tired and ready for a sleep". But if you keep going past over tiredness (or the lack of sleep is long term) then baby will find it very difficult to go you sleep. The more over tired, the harder it us to switch off and relax - hence appearing wide awake.

The ideal is to anticipate when this just-tired point will be. Then if you know it takes 10-15 mins you settle baby to sleep, so start the process 15 minutes before the just-got-tired point. So this will be 45m before any outward tired signs. The more you pay close attention to awake times, the better you'll become at reading and anticipating naps.

I would never, ever go more than 2h awake at thus age. 90m awake time is a reasonable expectation but if your child is chronically over tired then 60m awake times are not unreasonable. Also factor in settling to sleep time in your awake times, so you can predict when you need you start the settling process again, by noting the time baby wakes up.

I really sympathise although have no experience of the same situation as mine didn't chatter but instead just screamed 😶

I found they slept better as soon as we started some routine and consistency with nap times. At seven months we started the day at 6am, they went down for first nap at 8.45 (ideally 45m) and then a second nap at midday (ideally 2 hours but never ever managed this long even now), then up until bedtime.

Hiya,

Sorry you're struggling.

I too have a 6 month old and sleep is a much bigger issue than I'd ever imagined! Her day and night sleep are both hit and miss (night before last over 7 hours straight in cot (but that is very rare!) last night up every half hour!), so I feel for you. My baby will still never go to sleep on her own in the cot. I still breastfeed my baby to sleep at night, and wait until she's been asleep for 30 mins or so before even attempting to transfer her to cot. Also keep white noise on all night. For day time naps have you tried taking her out for walks in pram or sling, or car rides? Slings are the most reliable thing for us at the moment. Hope something here might help!