6 month old who doesn't like to sleep

[Daisyflower2018]

My DD is driving me nuts. We have a bedtime routine bath, massage, feed story then supposedly bed. It's the bed bit thats the problem. We aim for a bedtime of 6pm and she generally has to be rocked to sleep. Then we have the battle of getting her in her cot which at this time is usually ok. We are then going through a phase of her sleeping like a hero until 10ish. She wakes up we watch her on the monitor put herself back to sleep. Shes perfect. The 10ish comes and it's like Mr Hyde has arrived. Shes awake and will not go back to sleep. I've tried bf her to sleep that just seems to have the opposite effect, I sing to her I've tried crying it out (which was horrendous btw I dont know who cried more) I rock her for hours a put her on my chest and her little head bobs up and down. And that's it. No more sleep. Then we try and start again with the daytime naps. And I try a mini routine for each one. She has a story a little massage goes into her gro bag blackout blinds but will she go to sleep. Will she eck as like. I'm lucky if I get 40 mins in a day. She has a pacifier which I've tried taking off her before she sleeps or leaving with her doesnt seem to make a difference. We have calm music and white noise. She will sometimes sleep in the car or pram but I'm reluctant to encourage this as thats a bad habit in itself! What do I do?!!! I'm exhausted I have to go back to work soon and dont know how I'm going to work the 40 hour week that's expected of me and take care of her (wish I could not do that but we cant afford for me not to) DH is trying to struggle along but hes ill so there's a limit to how he can help. Housework is out the window. Help me!! Are there any good methods books whatever to help?

I should add we tried much later bedtimes as well which had the result of next to no sleep at all...

Babies are little buggers for sleep.

She is only napping for 40 mins a day?? She sounds really over-tired. Also like she is treating the 6pm bedtime like a long nap rather than proper nights sleep. Have you tried co-sleeping?

If you could sort the naps she would probably sleep much better at night. Why not do more pram naps? If it works then why fight against it? It also means you can go out and about rather than staying in stressing about sleep.

I'm worried about co sleeping as I dont want to squash her - ridiculous I know - but she wont sleep on me in general. I have started upping the pram naps but even then it only works some of the time she just stares into space or is more interested in the world than going to sleep. You're right though shes exhausted. It's like vicious cycle!

What time does her day start at?

There are safe ways to do co sleeping, millions of people all round the world have been doing it since the dawn of time. She might not sleep on you but she might sleep beside you? Might be worth a shot? No judgement if you want to persevere with the cot though. I always just took the easier option for me personally which was co-sleeping.

I can't help with the night time sleep I'm afraid as my DD won't sleep in the evenings unless I'm in bed with her 🙈 but re naps we literally do all our naps in the buggy. I play white noise on an old mobile phone, either rock her then pop her on or walk her and bring her home, pop her in a dark room downstairs et voila!! It was a bit hit and miss at first and depends on the baby as my first wouldn't sleep in the buggy unless it was moving, but for now it's working, and means that I can nap her wherever I am!! For day sleeps I much prefer that so I don't have to be chained to the house!

If I'm reading this right, she sleeps from a bit after 6pm until 10pm and that's it, apart from a 40 minute nap during the day? So less than 5 hours sleep in total? I'd talk to your health visitor or see a GP because that's really unusual - even the babies I know whose parents got next to no sleep generally got lots of sleep, just in shorter bursts while being held.

Have you tried a Snoozeshade on the pram? Mine will only sleep when she can’t see anything because she’s so curious (nosey little whatnot).

After 2 to maximum 2.5 hours awake time try rocking in the pram. I think get her in the habit of having naps first and then worry about where she's having them. I think better naps are supposed to equal better sleep at night.