To settle or not to settle...?

[Party-of-five]

my DD is older but Ive just come to realise that i spend more time in a day trying to get her to sleep and stressing myself out...so now ive started spending more time playing and less time stressing and she is sleeping less often but for longer...she is also sleeping better at night. she was having lots of little sleeps thru the day but now is having 2 or 3 good sleeps.

[Nicapotamus]

Thanks for your replies. I would prefer if my DD had fewer but longer sleeps in the day, I suppose we'll get there eventually. I find the whole process of observing her for 'tired signs', getting the timing right to put her to bed and then getting her settled in bed quite stressful, so the fewer times I have to do this in a day the better! I think I spend more time on getting her to bed than she spends in bed! I agree in theory about taking the advice lightly, but in practice sometimes this goes out the window and I freak out thinking "oh my god, I've been doing it all wrong I have to do it differently....!" It's good to remember this is advice, not fact!

[Snacks]

Aw, gosh I recognise that all too well! I attended a 'settling seminar' with Natalie when she was a few weeks old. I found it SO hard keeping to a schedule/pattern every sleep of every day but thought I didn't have a choice. I realise for some people it works and I don't want to discount that but I really hope you cut yourself a break - I wish I had've! I have a 3.5yo now and I have NO IDEA where those 3 years went. Sleep is very important and when you don't get a break it can really let you down. But this 'little baby' stage is not forever and you guys will get into a groove regardless of whether you stress about it or not.
All the best.