6.5 month old, waking every time they are put down

[Mumof1DS]

DS is 6.5 months old and I am feeling at .y wits end at the moment. Every time I put him down, he wakes up and cries after 10-15mins, even if he's asleep when I put him in the cot. Some nights he will be awake for hours, some nights he will just cry but not even open his eyes. He will only sleep properly in my arms, which I can't sustain. Usually each night I fall asleep in the nursing chair at least once, so I end up facilitating it (bad momma admission). I know how dangerous it is, but I just can't help falling asleep.
We can't co sleep, as his cot won't fit next to our best and he is too big for a crib. I can't bed share with him because DH is far too heavy a sleeper. I do bring him in with me once DH gets up for work about 4.30, but DS doesn't often go back to sleep then.
To get him to nap sufficiently during the day as well, it needs to be in my arms (or the car, which I'm not keen on him doing regarding car seat safety). He barely sleeps in the pram although he used to.
He has fallen back asleep on my lap on the nursing pillow at the moment, but I know as soon as I transfer him to the cot, then re settle him with sshhhh and headstrokes, he will be awake shortly after.
I've tried everything I think, leaving him longer before transferring to be in a deeper sleep, keeping night light on and I'm stuck for what now. I'm exhausted. I am back at work in a few weeks and I am going to be a zombie.
Any tips to help an exhausted momma out?
We went from 4 month regression, had a good week or so, straight into this :(

Ha, I was about to write pretty much the same post! I can totally sympathise with you after a night in th inner circles of waking hell. I too have a 6mth old that sleeps beautifully in my arms but wakes every 30mins or so if I put him back in his cot. I have no idea how to break the cycle. Other than sleep in his armchair until he’s a teenager 😂
He’s always been a challenge with sleep, rarely sleeping longer than 2hs at a time (and mostly waking non stop from bedtime to 1 then finally around 2h or more stretch).

If it helps at all, I have started getting somewhere with daytime naps. I used a dummy to begin with (and staying with him holding it in until he fell asleep) which helped him settle in his cot (I sweetened it so he’d take it). I then gave up on it as he loves nothing more than to pull it out. It took almost a few weeks for him to relax into his cot naps. And now with lots of grizzling often settles himself to sleep for his first nap. I bounce him to sleep for the other naps.

I’ve been wondering if it’s teething or development? My DS just did a full roll for the first time as soon as I put him down this morning.. or maybe they just know how amazing we are and can’t get enough of us?

Looking forward to hearing people’s words of encouragement and advice. At least it’s nice to know we’re not alone and it’s potentially ‘normal’

I'm so glad someone else is in the same boat! I think he might be starting to teeth, and we're also weaning him at the moment. Plus he has just developed the core strength to sit generally unaided, with the odd wobble here and there!

Ditch the cot and get a floor bed. You can feed/cuddle to sleep on the floor x