How to encourage more independent sleep?

[NoviceKnitter]

DD is almost 6 months. She's never been one for independent sleep and we started co-sleeping after a few weeks which has made night times really good. Daytimes, she only naps in car, buggy, sling or on lap. Well, this doesn't give me much time for anything else but I'm fine with it and happy to be able to go out and about and not be tied to home for her naps (which are pretty regular now in the day.)

Trouble is, the period between 7 (when she gets ready for bed) and our bedtime. From quite early on she's fallen asleep between 7.30 and 9pm (always bfed) and then cluster feeds till we turn it at 11 or so, semi waking every half hour or so for food. For ages we kept her in with us, watching telly etc, her asleep on our laps. Then we tried the moses again and had some good nights where she spent some of the evening happily asleep in that.

Recently she's waking up after about 10 mins of first falling asleep and then being wide awake and seemingly very cheerful until about 10. Then, at about 11, she semi-wakes again and feeds some more and then won't settle until we're all tucked up in bed together. Even tho she's asleep if I leave the bed to go and clean teeth etc she wakes and cries.

I'm pretty relaxed about it all in as much as I know they change all the time and this won't be forever, but this week I've been a bit poorly with a cold and just could do with a bit of time to myself at some point during the day. Also, because our bed is a normal double, DD and I sleep cuddled up all night. This is very lovely but am I training her to be completely incapable of independent sleep?

Just interested in any insights or ideas.

PS As I write this, she's happily asleep on her own on a cushion on the sofa - has been for 20 minutes - so perhaps we're getting there after all... and of course I'll miss all the cuddles!

PPS My long term mission is to gently encourage her towards more independent sleep - pretty sure i coud't go through with cc etc.

Sorry bit long but TIA for any thoughts.

OK, sorry, that was long. To cut to the chase, how did you get your DC to self settle/ sleep independently? Anyone?

had same thing with ds now aged 6 who pretty much alternated through the night between ihs own cot and my bed.

at about 8 months i was knackered, not up for major controlled crying stuff, but tried putting him down at 7pm which for some reason was THE MAGIC TIME and apparently is for lots of babies. 7.30pm bedtime didn't work at all, 7 did. he would whinge a bit (but not yelling/crying) for 10 mins and then fall asleep. took maybe 3 nights of the 10 minute whinge, which i could cope with, then he'd just fall asleep.

odd thing is, 7pm is still the magic time 6 years on, any later and he gets 2nd burst of energy.

you'll get there... unless you're prepared to be really, ahem, "firm" about listening to crying upset baby/child, just bear with it and it'll improve gradually. you are NOT training not to sleep.

loads of people told me i'd never get my son out of my bed... these days i rather miss the cuddles!

DS is 4.5 months. Hasn't slept alone since around 4 weeks old (I think, it's a bit of a blur!).

In the evenings I BF him to sleep on our bed then creep away. He wakes after 20 or 45 minutes, then I resettle him (as quick as possible before he gets too awake) and repeat ad nauseum all night. Sometimes after a couple of wakenings he sleeps until I go to bed, giving me a couple of hours free time. More frequently he just keeps waking 'til I lose my patience and go to bed.

It drives me half mad.

It will pass. Please let it pass!

Apparently they do start to sleep for longer periods (according to some veterans of wakeful babies on the SIFTW thread). Eventually.

Thanks - Chubby that sounds very like DD except the last week or so she treats bedtime like another nap - like now she's just woken up all ready to play...

Interesting about the 7pm thing Lady Sanders. Will try that...