7 month old self settles but wakes 1-2 hourly

[Bubblesandpop]

Hi everyone, any ideas?

My 7 month old has a regular bedtime routine and most of the time can then be put down awake and easily self settles.
This has been happening since he was 5 months old and I was told his night wakings would soon improve but wakings are between 6-10 times a night and have been since he was 3 months old (he always wakes crying).
When he wakes I settle him in his cot apart from 2 night feedings but am seeing no improvement in wakings (in fact recently it's been getting worse).
I don't want to go down the CIO route as we were able to teach him to self settle with a softly softly approach but this doesn't seem to be helping him get himself back to sleep when he wakes through the night.
He has been in his own room since 6 months but nothing changed sleep-wise after the move.

Our routine is (ish - nap length varies quite a bit so I work more on 2.5 hour wake time which seems to suit him at the moment):
7am wake
9:30 nap (usually 45 mins - 1 hour)
1:00 nap (can be anything from 45 mins to 1.5 hours)
4:00 nap (30 mins)
Bedtime routine starts at 6 and asleep by 7.

I'm looking forward to any words of wisdom!
Thanks ladies :)

Anyone who tells you that baby sleep only ever gets better and you're doing something wrong if it doesn't is delusional

It often gets worse as well as better through teething, illness and sleep regressions (there's another one at 8-10 mo)

My daughter woke every 1-2 hours for the first year of life and then every 2-3 hours from them on. She is now 19 months and sleeps through a couple of times a week but often still wakes 1-2 times a night. It’s normal.

Thanks both, it's good to know I'm not alone and it's normal. It can be tough when the other mums in my mums group are talking about their babies who nap for 2 hours at a time and sleep through the night!

Agree completely normal. Spent ages getting DD2 to self settle after Dd1 didn’t sleep through til 23 months (having been fed to sleep). Everyone said if they self settle at bedtime they’d magically sleep through. Made bugger all difference with DD2, she still is a crap sleeper. Just 18 months now and we’re down to 1 short wake up (having just night weaned her).

Coffee and cake til this phase passes. You are not alone.

@bubblesandpop totally with you on this. Have an 8 month old who can self settle. Wake a up on a good night 2-3 times plus a usual wakeup 45 mins after bed. Last night was 6 wake ups. On my knees with exhaustion, back to work in 2 weeks.

I can semi reliably get 1.5 hours out of her for a nap twice a day but today it was 45 minutes. I went out with her to playgroup to find some support and met a mum who proudly told me hers slept through at 2 months. I then left and cried. DD is exhausted but she is now crying in her cot. I tried to feed her to sleep on me but she woke up when I put the tv on.

Baby constantly wants boob and never does a big feed and is currently steering clear of solids. I never know if she's hungry due to this so always put her on boob as a result. Met other mums who can feed on a schedule... gagh! Anyway just wanted to say I feel your pain and hope we get some decent chunks of sleep soon. All I ask is for more than 3.5 hours! I remember once she did 6 and that seems like heaven x

Thanks @Catheroooo and @Orangedaisy . It is interesting isn't it how everyone tells you self settling is the key to STTN.
I have one friend whose baby will only fall asleep on the boob which is supposedly a big no no in getting them to STTN but she feeds to sleep & then sleeps through.
I guess it just proves they're all different and why they don't come with a manual.
Ah, one day we'll all get a good night's rest and not know what to do with ourselves :)

Yeah the one time DS slept 6 hours, I didn't sleep a wink.....