Thanks everyone for this excellent thread. I too am going nuts after bubs who was previously settling well and sleeping all night (1 get up most nights, some nights twice) turned a horrible corner just before 6 mths involving 3-5 get ups (and not settling afterwards). She is teething (top and bottom) but this has been going on for weeks and I fear she has learnt a new unsettled pattern. I have the capacity to cope when DH is here as we tag-team the nights and I get extra nap opportunities but he's going away soon (weeks first, then months) so the word "sleep school" has started to be bandied about. I feel very ambivalent about this but I doubt my ability to function in a sleep deprived state while meeting the challenges of single motherhood! I will reread this thread some more and further ponder...