8 mo old doesn't want to be put down alone at night and wakes frequently

[megan sacha]

DD turned 8 months today and our nighttime routine is for her to fall asleep on me in the living room and stay there until we get into bed together. I don't feel this is a good habit anymore at this age (too much stimulation in the living room) and I'm tired of being tied down and feel I'm contributing to bad overall sleep with this situation.  So, I'm trying to get her down without me earlier in the evening and my goal is to eventually put her to sleep in the bedroom initially, but that goal is complicated by her 4 yr old brother who goes to bed around the same time but goes to bed better (and nearly always) without us in the room now.

So, for now my goal is to get DD to sleep in the living room and then be able to lay her down in the bedroom later, but before I come to bed. I've set up a crib mattress on the floor and will nurse her to sleep on it. I can get up pretty easily without waking her and quite soon after she falls asleep but everytime I try this she wakes 5-15 mins later. Only once did she sleep a whole 1/2 hour.

Has anyone else gone through this transition? Will it get easier? Will she start sleeping longer stretches as she gets used to this or perhaps not? Even once we get into bed together, she's generally a pretty crappy night sleeper with going 4 hour stretches only a handful of times ever. Sometimes she's awake/wanting to nurse as often as every 15 mins (really bad night) and usually I would say she's wanting to nurse around every 2 hours for the first 6 hours or so and then more frequently.

DS was a frequent waker before we came to bed, but not every 5-15 mins!  This just feels ridiculous and I get really resentful and then feel like I should just give up and let her sleep on me, but that doesn't feel right either.

[ContentMama]

I did go through this transition around 4-5 months? (don't remember!) and I took it slow. That seems to be the motto for most changes- baby steps. I would pick one change, for example, the mat on the floor in the living room and then do that for a week or so or until she is ok with it. Then add another change, like up to the bedroom or whatever. This sounds like what you are planning to do.

It has certainly gotten easier over time and the changes have become routine. It is usually tough in the beginning of any change for us though. I have to remind myself to persevere and that it will become habit soon!

I can relate with the frequent waking. Not sure how often Lorenzo wakes but some nights seems like every 15 minutes!

Hope this helps! My brain is a bit foggy from a really stressful day.

:)