How to encourage 7m old to sleep independently

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I'm really struggling with my 7m olds sleep now. He is ebf and will only nap on me or when out in the pram during the day. At night he sleeps in his cot in our room but is waking more rather than less. He's slept 4hrs straight less than 5 times. We were going towards 3hr, 2hr between feeds but this week he's been waking after anything from 20 to 80 minutes. I can't take much more of the disrupted sleep.

I have the huckleberry app and he's having 3 naps a day that mostly happen when the app suggests naturally.

When he wakes during the night he used to feed for 5-10 mins and be straight back over. Now he's feeding for longer and crying if I try to put him down sooner.

Weaning has been hit and miss. I offer food 3 times a day but he won't always take it. Not sure if waking for comfort or if hungry.

I have a 2 year old who was formula fed and slept through the night from a young age. That happened by following his lead, no apps, no books.

I really need some time away from baby now to spend more time with 2yo, and showers etc would also be nice! I'm worried about how attached he is and worry how we'll cope when I go back to month, albeit months away.

*back to work.

My little boy was the same, wouldn't eat many solids during the day but would feast all night. I felt almost dead with exhaustion. I went cold turkey on the breast feeding at 10.5 months as I couldn't take the lack of sleep any more. I was like a zombie and my memory was horrendous. I was back at work and luckily had sympathetic collogues and boss!! Well, after my concern he wouldn't eat anything and wouldn't drink any milk.... of course he did and had I known that I would have stopped the breast feeding sooner. I too have an older child who was formula fed and slept through the night from am early age so this was a shock! If this one had been the first I'm not sure there would have been a second

Had the same problem with my DD at 7 months so I dropped the 3rd nap.. Took a few days for her to adjust but she slept so much better at night!

Mine’s the same at the moment! Do you think it could be the 8 month sleep regression early? Mine is crawling, standing, teething, and transitioning from 3 naps to 2. So naturally night time sleep is a complete disaster atm. Nothing works! Longer wake windows, shorter wake windows, back to 3 naps, back to 2 naps - we’ve tried it all. I just keep repeating to myself ‘it’s just a phase’ and ‘this too shall pass.’

Maybe this is why your LO is up all the time too?

Ah @chocolatepudandchocolatesauce we were saying that last night. DS1 was about this age when we started trying for #2. He was in his own room, sleeping all night and napping in his bed during the day though!!

@Vicky1989x his naps have become short 30 minute ones, so I'm worried he isn't getting enough sleep and often he's upset around naptime so feel he needs it. DS1 always had 2 naps, then down to 1 from what I remember but that just isn't going to fly with this guy 😢

I could have written the bit of your post about sleep! No answers, but feeling the same...

@sleepslikeababy this week he has started babbling quite purposefully so I did wonder if a development leap/8m regression was part of it. He has been teething for around a month but still no tooth through 😬 everything goes to his mouth. A few weeks ago paracetamol helped but he doesn't seem to be sore, just unsettled and wanting held. I have been telling myself the phase will pass since his first week. I'm just so tired now 😢

@EnglishRain it's tough isn't it! I think lockdown makes it worse as can't meet friends for lunch and have them hold him for a while! Wow that would be great!

Could have written all of this. I have a baby who is Exactly the same age. He is also EBF. I haven't even managed to get him into a cot! We are co-sleeping.

He shows zero interest in food.

He has just popped his first two teeth which has fractionally improved his nighttime sleeping. But there's no way he will sleep independently and regularly wakes through the night.

It’s so hard I know. I am up every hour at the moment. It’s been 3 weeks so far and I have been close to tears. I really can’t offer any advice...just solidarity 😩

Lockdown just means it double sucks. Never thought I’d miss those inane songs at baby group...

Has anyone tried sleep training for naps? I've been feeding dd to sleep and was able to transition her to her cot where she'd started to do 2 sleep cycles, but that's no longer possible, she wakes every time on transfer so her naps are ridiculously short so it's totally pointless.

We're struggling to get the routine set to, I'm basically working off a nap every 2 hours but each nap seems to differ in length so it's so hard to get through the day.

My first was ebf as well, but was a great sleeper perfect nap routine from 6 months,
slept through from 8 and sucked his thumb so was good at self soothing, I just can't believe how much harder it is with this one! I've come to the end of my tether a bit, it's also not good for her to be so overtired all the time, so I think I might have to sleep train her at least in the day.

I was also going to suggest 8 months sleep regression come early. All the things you list going wrong at once does sound developmental. Our 8 month regression was a real doozy, went on 6-8 weeks I recall, but it did pass.

DD is 2 l, am hasn't slept more than 6 hours straight for nearly 2 years, and is a super clinger, she coped sleeping without me ok when I went back to work don't worry about that. She gets in bed with me once I'm in bed so I don't have to do night wakings but she's pretty happy in her bed, just can't go to sleep.

No sleep training here, doesn't suit any of use but especially not her.

I feel like I'm forever saying how unlike his brother he is, which feels unfair on him. Maybe it's because focus isn't all on him and he's fitting into our routine rather than being the focus. But DS1 didn't falter from his great sleep habits around all the regression points,is it only ebf babies that are affected?

Last night was better, no cycles less than an hour, but none more than 2hr 20mins. So depressing that's a good night!!

He's had 3 lots of solids today but already been a bit unsettled sleeping so no easy solution I'm thinking apart from waiting for the phase to finally pass!!! I don't think I have concentration or will to try sleep training.

I don't think It's s breast vs formula thing, I thinking you first was just easier than your second.

I look around sometimes and wonder how come that kid sleeps better, how come that parent doesn't even know what the sleep regressions are let alone had to ride through all of them. Having spent some time in some big FB groups I've just concluded the babies are just different, even within the same family.

DD and DNiece are both breastfed on demand, one eats like Henry VIII and the other like a sparrow, neither are anywhere near what most would describe as good sleepers.

I've just got into bed and DD has been asleep for nearly 4 hours which given what her sleep was like a month ago is a miracle, looks like we're heading back to where we were maybe 4 months ago, sleep isn't linear it's developmental. The other night she woke and called out to me and then went back to sleep when I replied, that was a first, she slowly getting there.

Aaah I think you're right, every baby is different and can't be trained. Unfortunately!!

My boy is less grumpy now, but still keen to see me regularly at night. We have managed a few naps separately though!