I never thought I would be one to try self-settling, but at nearly 7 months old we have got to the stage where DS was suddenly having ALOT of trouble sleeping, and we were up sometimes 5 - 6 times a night or every hour (which is just not practical, and extremely exhausting)!

DS used to sleep from 8pm to 8am every night until about 5 - 6 months old when he started getting teeth. He also got his first cold around the same time, and I think we did a lot of 'accidental parenting' such as feeding him to sleep, putting him in bed with us, rocking him to sleep etc.... because we were just so worried about him and didn't want him to be sick or in pain. Previously I would put him in his cot and walk out, and 95% of the time he would go straight to sleep, which was pretty much the way it had been since he was born.

The thought of letting my newborn baby cry has always absolutely killed me inside.... but at nearly 7 months of age I feel he is older and needs to learn to sleep!
After only 2 days of self settling... I have a completely different baby! Some people say you should wait 12 minutes before going into his room at his age, but I could never do that to him. I have only ever left him for 5 minutes at a time, and then go in to reassure him and calm him down, but do not remove him from the cot while doing this. Previously me and hubby would rush in as soon as he would first stir, pick him up, and it was a real fight to get him to go off to sleep.

After only two days he is sooooo much happier.... back to his usual happy baby self, and has been sleeping through the night again, I have only been getting up once for a dream feed at around 11pm (which the MCHN said I should still be doing up until around 8 - 9 months of age).

It has made a real difference for us.... but I have adjusted the level of self settling to what I feel comfortable with, I could never let my baby cry for 45 min until he fell asleep, I just couldn't do it, 5 min is hard enough and feels like forever.... but I know in the end I am doing it for him and he is a much happier baby again now he is actually getting some real sleep!