@Meepmoop 5h that's really good!! My baby is 9.5m and never EVER she slept 5h :(
But I totally see how stressful it is to get him to sleep. It drives me mad! :)
I've read a lot about the subject. Unfortunately I'm still in the thread... I would say a good place to seek information is the www.babysleep.com a site from the paediatric sleep council. I would advise to read about it in there. I used to get a lot of reading when feeding or holding baby to sleep.
Also, yes, Gina Forbes book "THE COMPLETE SLEEP GUIDE FOR CONTENTED BABIES AND TODDLERS", I've got it from the library. I think it's a good book. I was struggling to get the time to go through it though. But I've noticed some things I could definitely improve. You can have a read and see what catcher your eye to actually have a good read. For me, I have her contented baby book as well, from that one I realised I wasn't feeding DD properly. I wasn't giving enough protein or enough cereal I think. Please do have a read if you can because I don't want to give wrong information. But now what I do is some sort of cereal at breakfast (oats for example, or bread), vegetable and fruit in the 3 meals, at lunch protein (fish, meat, pulses, or egg), feeds in between (midmorning, after lunch nap, and evening before bed). In our case a bunch of times overnight although it shouldn't. From that I know she is not hungry overnight. I think she has 2 feeds she genuinely feeds, the rest she just wants breast.
It's important that you know your baby isn't actually crying because of hunger, or a burp. It's very hard to hear baby cry, we are not naturally prepared to ignore the crying.
Then, you should never start sleep training when other important changes are happening. Choose a time when you actually think you can go through with it. Once you start, stick with it. Otherwise it will be worse. Consistency is the most important, really!
What I did. Have a bedtime routine. I do bath at 18h, then feed at 18h30, then read a story with light dimmed, then lights off, white noise on, getting baby in sleeping bag, place in cot, pat her head, kiss in the for head "sleep well", kiss, get out, close the door. Then wait 2 min before going back to comfort baby (assuming he didn't fall asleep right away), get in pat/kiss/sleep well/kiss, get out, close door. Then wait 4min. Then go in, same response, always, then wait 6 min. Basically you increase time intervals in 2 min every time. You get out even if baby is still crying, you shouldn't stay with baby more than 2/3min maximum. Do not pick up baby.
Now, I usually pick mine one or 2 because she struggles to burp and a lot of times she is crying from discomfort. But if you pick baby up don't stay long holding baby, place in cot, same response, get out.
When I did this first night she cried 1h, second night is usually worse, she cried 1h20 min (it seems an eternity).
I saw improvement in second week.
Now,the thing I didn't do. You should give same response overnight. What I agreed with my HV because my DD wakes up so much is to give feed at 10lm and at 2am,out of those hours to do controlled crying method. She advised me overnight to wait 10 min before going in because baby might self sooth if given the opportunity. I've actually done this and it's true. Sometimes she does go down by herself. Actually if I get in I'll disturb her more.
But I'll do this seriously when back from holidays.
I think these are the highlights. Choose whatever response works for you. But keep is consistent so that baby know you are him getting out. They realise this part very quickly. So often we you give the patting and kissing babies cries more. What they need to learn is that you are always available even if they don't see you. That takes longer. But babies are different! Maybe yours will realise sooner.