Ten month old girls sleep - aarrrggghhhh!?

Question

Hi there - hope someone can jump in and maybe offer some alternative advice to what I have had. So, I have a ten month old baby girl who is our second baby.  She was a fantastic sleeper at the beginning - so great, she slept all the time.  I put her to bed awake and she just went off to dream land just so easily.
Step forward to about five months old.  We went camping and she was pretty good but I made the mistake of taking her into my bed when she woke up - so she didn't wake anyone else around us.  When we got home it was time to move her from her basinnette to a cot and this is when it becomes all my fault - she pretty much didn't like it and decided she much preferred to sleep beside Mummy and feed ALL night long.  She would seriously feed about 5-6 times, sometimes more!  
I know she has developed a sleep association but now need some really good advice as to how to move her back to her own bed.  Here is a snap shot of what happens in our house before bed.

*Baby girl is fed between 5.00pm and 5.30pm
*Bath at around 6.00pm
*Pyjamas
*A story
*A breast feed just before bed at 7.00pm.  Here is where it gets tricky.  Sometimes she falls asleep while feeding and I put her to her own bed.  Sometimes she is awake.  If she is asleep, sometimes she is okay and stays alseep but sometimes she wakes as soon as I leave the room.  Other times she is awake when I put her down and will cry as soon as I leave.
*After she goes to sleep she will wake up up to 5-6 times before we go to bed at around 10.30pm.
*Wakes up as soon as we turn off the lights and television
*I bring her to our bed because I am so exhausted, I do not have the energy to sit beside her cot and mother her back to sleep

I have successfully weaned her off ALL night time feeds.  The problems are this:
*The frequent wakings before we go to bed and also while sleeping in our bed.
*The inability to get to sleep without my husband or myself in the room, holding her hand or sleeping right beside her.
*Naps are also a battle with frequent wakings, inability to get to sleep and are short.

She goes to home based care (care in another persons home where they have a maximum of four children to each carer) for 20 hours a week and naps okay there but does cry when put to bed.

I am reluctant to let her CIO but will do if I have to as a last resort.  She is VERY persistant!
My son was the same and we let him CIO in the end and he is a wonderful sleeper now.
I practice very safe co-sleeping practices.

Any ideas or anyone been in the same boat???
Thanks

Kara · Accepted Answer

How come you don't want her sleeping with you? Are you afraid she'll become too attached later on? If you practice safe co-sleeping methods, and you and your husband are okay with her co-sleeping, then let her stay in there. That way, you and her get the best rest possible.

However, if you do NOT want to co-sleep, then persistence is your best friend!! Yes she will cry, and it will tug at your heart strings. But every time she cries and you pick her up and do what she wants, she learns that crying is all it takes. There is nothing wrong with checking on her, and making sure she has everything she needs, but do NOT bring her back to your room if you don't want to co-sleep. You will probably be dog tired the first week you do this, but it will be worth it. You stated that the CIO method worked for your son. Remember, there is nothing wrong with CIO method. She will learn to self-soothe and will learn that her crying does not lead into your room with you! The funny this is, you know she can do it! She sleeps at the home based care just fine. It's like she's playing a game with you :)

Just wait it out. It will be worth it in the end. Good luck!

? · Answer

um you could try tucking her up in cot, and reading her a story til she falls asleep or singing nursery rymes. maybe put an item of clothing with your scent on in her bed for her to hug, if your worried talk to your health visitor, 

i know someone who's baby co-slept from birth to just over a year and they kept showing her her room and her bed then eventually [[according to her]] her little girl asked to sleep in the 'big girls room'

Ten month old girls sleep - aarrrggghhhh!?

2 Answers