6m old sleep training help / advice

[AmberM2022]

So my LO is 6m next weekend and i think we are at the point where we have no choice but to sleep train. He has always been an awful sleeper, never slept through (apart from once when he was very poorly) and wakes anywhere from 6-8 times a night just for either dummy, or to be rolled onto his side to go back to sleep. He feeds once anywhere between 11pm-1am (and even then he rarely drains the bottle usually leaves 1-2ounce.
Our sleep is so broken it’s got to the point my partner ends up taking days off sick to stay home because i’m so exhausted i can’t look after him.
I have tried elements of ‘sleep training’ without any professional help myself, like leaving him to cry it out (i’m not sure how long you should do this but he has on multiple occasions cried for over 40/50 mins and not settled so i assume this isn’t the way to go?)
Im at a complete loss, so just wondering if anyone has any sleep consultants they recommend? or even better if there any actual good free sleep recourses out there!! Thank you!

Crying for 50 mins alone? That’s not going to help separation anxiety which starts about now - and night feeds and wakes are completely normal at 6 months.
Get rid of the dummy as that will be creating issues now, feed/cuddle to sleep as needed while you wean off the dummy.
6 months is very young - it’s natural for them to want to be with you while they sleep.

Yeah 40/50 mins with me probably going in once or twice just to either pat or shush. He just gets more worked up anyway i don’t actually believe there is any way he would fall asleep crying.
I don’t actually think he needs the feed overnight as it’s a struggle to get him to even take it, he just fusses around with it and then leaves the milk, i’m sure it’s just comfort. I actually don’t mind getting up to feed (if he wanted the milk) but getting up an average of 8 times each night is becoming unhealthy

I'm with PP, you need to wean off the dummy before starting to sleep train as it's clearly giving you issues with his sleep atm
I followed Calm and Bright Sleep Support on Instagram they also sell sleep plans.
I think they use gradual extension method, a bit like the Ferber method which is better than cry it out. It's basically where you leave the baby to cry for a minute then go and sooth them, then leave and wait 2 minutes and so on, they say it only takes about 3 days to work if you stick to it, which seems amazing to me!
I hope you find something to help you soon and get your sleep back 😊