Feeling discouraged about the whole thing...

Hi!
I am so down and discouraged about DS sleeping right at the moment! At 13 monts of age his sleep seems almost worse then when he was a newborn!

He had his 8th tooth break through the skin last week and I don't see any evidence of further teeth on the move so I can't say for sure that teeth are the problem.

I have been keeping a detailed sleep journal and he is often waking 6-8 times a night. DH does as much of the settling as he can and that hasn't seemed to wean DS from waking so often. I try to limit the feeds I offer in the night but because he wakes so often and I get so tired I ultimately pull him in to bed with us and he co-sleeps and feeds as he wants.

But last night I noticed that he isn't always waking for boobie even when he is co-sleeping, a few times last night he woke crying but didn't want a feed so I just don't know what is going on.

His day sleep (he dropped to one a couple of months ago) is getting shorter and shorter as well. He often will only sleep 75-90 minutes and that will be broken as well.

DH and I are very anti controlled crying but would like to find something that will help all of us get a better nights sleep.

I tried the Brauers Calm last night gave DS the inital 4 doses before bed and then another dose at midnight but it didn't seem to make a difference. Does it take some time (like a few nights) to take effect and start working?

DS and I will also be commencing an elimination diet as recommended by Dr Sears to see if the frequent night waking is somehow attached to a food he is eating, as in thinking back, though he has never been a good sleeper, it has been getting steadily worse since he was 6 months old.

So I guess I'm asking for thoughts and suggestions for gentle ways to encourage DS to sleep and I'm hoping someone out there might suggest something we haven't tried yet. I have purchased Elizabeth Pantley's No-Cry Sleep Solution and read it twice (halfway through reading it the third time) and I'm also re-reading Pinky McKay's Sleeping Like a Baby! Help!!! :wall: :cry: :pray:

You've probably heard all this, but
- limiting sugar intake including through fruit juices, white bread and so on.
- Give him a really active day, maybe morning and afternoon to the park or something. Lots of playing and moving and crawling to wear him out.
- Put his bedtime back a bit?
- does he have a soft cuddly or teddy or something? he could get attached to?
Is the co-sleeping/feeding meaning you don't get enough sleep? cause if that's working...!!

Some kids do just sleep badly though, my friends' two kids have been shockers so it's not neccessarily something you are doing wrong. Sorry if this is all old news to you. Good luck.