Can anyone advise me - question re sleep and 6.5 month old

[Jessicatmagnificat]

I am having real problems getting DD to sleep in the evenings at the moment. Since she was a newborn, we have followed an evening routine, and until the last few weeks, this worked well. It always consisted of rocking her to sleep, which only took a few minutes. However, recently, she has been taking longer and longer to rock to sleep, and yesterday, took 3 hours to settle. We have just put her in the cot after rocking her to sleep. She immediately woke and is now screaming. I gave her calpol an hour ago in case she is in any discomfort with teething. She can settle herself for daytime naps. She is fully weaned (eats well) and winded. We have had a busy and happy day, and I just don't understand why the nights have to end on this fraught note. I am tired and a bit fed up. At the moment, I am just leaving her to cry, as I don't feel DH and I can face hours of crying. Will this damage her? What can I do to encourage her to settle herself? (I should say that I have on previous days tried just sitting near her cot - she still screams until I give in and pick her up). Please help.

I know exactly how you feel my little girl is now over a year but I had the same problem with her at that exact age,I would spend hours rocking her to sleep.I found later that it was definatly teething, it is a very hard time but I had to basically do what she wanted until things settled a little, have you tryed to just lay her nxt to you on the sofa downstairs or hold whilst you mare sitting, this worked after a while for me, hope it works for you -GOOD LUCK and keep you chin up, it will soon pass

Jess - it sound like teething to me - DD goes to sleep well but when she is teething is can take an hour to settle her.

Please don't leave her to cry, she will be very confused and get upset which in turn will upset you I know it's hard, when DD is teething I can be driven to distraction. It may last a few days but it will pass.