Cuddling crying baby to sleep

[firstbaby12]

My seven month old DS has started waking very frequently during the night and crying (sometimes every one/two hours, sometimes he'll be fine for a few hours then wake every ten/15 mins for an hour or two). He is breastfed and cosleeps. He has always woken up every few hours to feed (not crying), but now it is getting worse. He also has v short naps during the day (even if held or in buggy), about 30-45 mins.

To put him back to sleep he needs to be breastfed (even for a minute) or rocked (while standing). He isn't hungry as he doesn't really eat much most of the time (during thenight - during the day he eats a lot ofboth solids and breastmilk), I think it'sa comfort thing and he's dependent on these methods to fall asleep.

From reading on here, I think what's happening is he has had a sleep regression and can't link his sleep cycles and self settle. Then as he has always been dependent on being fed or rocked to sleep, this is now becoming a bigger issue as he is waking so frequently.

The crying is not serious upset or with tears (his eyes don't open), but more like a constant cry of complaining/irritation. I think he's half asleep and can't fall back properly and it's annoying him.

What I have started trying to do (I think this might be nightweaning?) is to not breastfeed him (unless the crying goes on and seems like it's going to wake him up fully and get him very upset) and also to not stand up and rock him. I just cuddle him in bed and rub him and hope he falls back. Sometimes it works and sometimes it goes on and I just feed him.

My question is - has this worked for anyone as a way to teach babyto self settle? It is kindof a gentle cry it out method? I amletting him cry, as I know if I feed or rock him he will stop, but he's beside me and I'm holding him while lying down the whole time.

Can only speak of my experience (also breastfeed and cosleep). The first year was up and down continuously with my DS waking every sleep cycle crying and I would always feed back to sleep. On the days he refused, he would be rocked. It got so much better at 1 year old, he started linking cycles and not crying all the time. He's now 18 months and can still be a bit up and down but for the last 6 months it has been so much better.
Not much advice but just do whatever works just now, it gets easier, I promise! If you want to keep feeding to sleep, just do it if it's going to make it easier for now. If you want to stop, staying with him and rubbing his back let's him know you are there with him

Thanks Opus17! I do want to stop feeding him to sleep and try the comforting instead, in the hope he'll then learn to fall asleep without feeding or rocking. i've just looked up about CIO and CC and people only ever seem to do it by leaving the room, seems to me there must be a middle option!