Sleep training

[Holidaytime86]

DD is 8 months old. She’s never been a good sleeper since birth, however there doesn’t seem to be any improvement at all.

She currently sleeps for around 3 hours in her cot and I can put her down awake for this. However, after this she wakes up every sleep cycle/every other sleep cycle and wants feeding back to sleep. I usually give up around 1ish and co sleep with her.

She is a hungry baby and is on the 97th centile so I’m still expecting to feed her in the night just not every 45mins. She naps well in the day, usually once in the cot and once in the pram on a walk. It is only the last week that I’ve managed to get her in the cot for naps and for the first part of the night.

Any suggestions for what I can do after the first 3 hours when she wakes up. I’ve tried leaving her to self settle but she screams and screams.

She can’t self settle. She doesn’t have the developmental ability to and won’t for years yet.

Feeding also isn’t just about food but comfort too. She needs you, so I’d just be there for her.

My 7.5 month old is a bit like yours but wakes every 3 hours throughout the night, so a bit more manageable than every 45mins, you have my sympathy as I imagine that is so tough. Like yours she self settles for bedtime and all naps. I disagree with above poster as am sure you can encourage her to link sleep cycles, and be there for her at the same time... don't give up hope! Will she take a dummy or a comforter? When I do the night feeds with my little one I unlatch her when comfort sucking and before she fully falls asleep, so she is all snuggly and drowsy but falls back asleep in the cot rather than on the boob. Are solids well established or is she making up for calories overnight? It maybbe worth talking through with a sleep consultant. I had a useful free 30min telephone consultation with one, if you're UK based and want her details let me know and I'll pm you.

My ds is the same. We've given up on the cot and now completely cosleep and I think this has helped him start to link the sleep cycles a bit better! I just think when they're this small some babies need you there while they sleep, mine does anyway haha. I also only feed him if it's been 2 hours since the last feed and try and soothe him in other ways if not and that's helped too I think. Now he sleeps 6:15-9pm, feed, sleep until 1ish, feed, v quick sleepy feed around 5 and then up at 6:30.

I’ve also been doing the unlatching before she’s fully asleep which I think has helped a bit. It’s just strange how she can self settle sometimes but not others.
I will keep trying other ways to settle her, however this sometimes wakes her up more and then it takes longer to get her back to sleep and I end up feeding her anyway.
She’s definitely not well established on solids. I think she fills up on milk in the night and doesn’t seem hungry for solids in the day. I always leave 1 to 2 hours to give her solids after milk.
Yes please to the sleep trainer