baby sleep

[B.Bee]

my 8 month old is not sleeping well, she has recently got her first bottom 2 teeth and may be still teething at the top i guess but cant see anything. I have also managed to stop her breastfeeding to sleep by replacing to a dummy, which she is pretty much accepting now, but she is touchy but I think this is because she isnt sleeping well for her naps only 20/30 mins at a time she wont go back to sleep so we are up and down all the time as she is still tired. how can I help her sleep longer for her naps, i cant see any reason why she wakes up, she is not too hot or cold, not noisy, we creep around as it is, her dummy isnt falling out as I have layed next to her and watched her. its driving me crazy, what can i do to help her

[tracymort]

She's only 8 months. It's totally normal for a healthy baby of this age to wake unless they've been trained (which is detrimental to their physical and mental well being in the long run even if the results seem convenient at the time).
Personally I cosleep with mine, best way to get sleep, get the night feeds in and if done safely adhering to the guidelines issued by UNICEF believed to be the safest place a baby can be. Contrary to popular belief it doesn't spoil them and they do eventually want their own bed and sleep through with no stress
Self settling is something that comes with age, just like walking, talking etc it's a stage the reach when the parts of the brain required to do this have wired up. When this happens just depends on the child. We all wake at night, just takes a bit of time to work out how to get back to sleep without comfort of another.
This stage of their lives is short compared to the rest of your life, thos quiet unhurried nightime cuddles are to be cherished, you soon miss them once they've gone.
You also often find night wakings can increase when they get older as they are so busy and active in the day they "forget" to feed and need more calories for all that activity and growing, they want to catch up later when it's boring.

If your babies sleep habits really do bother you why not try The No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley for some more gentle ideas they won't cause stress and long term problems like other harsh methods can. I've also heard good things about Dr Jay Gordon's idea but I believe he does think under 1 is too young to start trying to change their sleep habits.

There is a lovely article here you may find interesting http://www.mothering.com/guest_editors/quiet_p lace/141.html

[B.Bee]

Thank you for your message, someone on the same wave length as me!!! sorry but it doesnt happen often, I have read elizabeths book but my daughter is very resistant to the nipple removal technique and I have tried recording sleep patterns but I fall asleep, none the less i wont let her cry unless she has the whimper of tiredness and it actually helps her to fall into sleep, I have now decided to feed her then stop and then give her a dummy, she accepts this now, although resistant at the beginning, she didnt get too upset so I felt was acceptable. It just will enable me some separation time from her, as I have felt like she is my parasite, not nastily but i need a break every now and then. she did start with sleeping in my bed but I have adapted her cot so it is next to the bed and I lean into her to feed her and help her to sleep as i was getting should pains, now I get back pain but now so bad. I just now find she is waking more frequently, i am guessing as she has had her bottom 2 teeth through and maybe the top ones are moving and causing her pain. I am taking her back to a cranial osteopath and hoping he can help her relax or sleep more deeply as I think she is a genuinely light sleeper like me, any further comments would be helpful.