OK, current bedtime routine:

1. Bath
2. Dry and massage
3. Feed and read The Very Hungry Caterpillar
4. Rock to sleep with lullaby machine on, whilst humming along
5. Put into bed 20-30 mins later (or when the snoring starts) and pray he stays asleep
If he wakes, feed, rock and lullabies (my voice was going hoarse without this!) until he's asleep, then try putting him down again.
If he wakes up and I'm in bed, bring into bed with me because I need sleep.

Ideal bedtime routine:
1. Bath
2. Dry and massage
3. Feed and read The Very Hungry Caterpillar (or story of choice when he's older)
4. Put to bed with lullaby machine on
If he wakes, feed then back to bed with machine on.

We'll cut down the amount of time the machine is on over time, then have no machine eventually. Plus I want him sleeping all night, so will look at not feeding at night when he's ready for that.

I've tried putting him to bed before he's fully asleep and rocking for 20 mins, then sitting for 10 mins with the machine on checking he doesn't stir... but when I leave him, he's crying five minutes later. Some nights we can do this, others we can't... but although he didn't want to sleep (then cried due to over-tiredness) last night, he did sleep 9-4ish. I don't mind feeding him overnight, I just want to give my back a break before it breaks (and no, DH is not willing to help me bounce and rock DS to sleep; I envy you girls whose DH will do something like that!).

So, any hints as to how I can get my son to go to sleep without me rocking him? I don't mind sitting with him for now while he sleeps, just I'm so tired by the end of the day I really don't want to have to hold DS for half an hour or more whilst walking the floor or rocking. And I hate having to be in the bedroom for over an hour with no-one to talk to! I need company too, but DH is in front of the TV to recover from his "stressful" day.

ETA: I have a dirty t-shirt of mine in his crib so he can smell me, the matress is on an incline due to reflux, he also has a hotwater bottle in there before I put him in so the bed isn't cold.