Ok, hopefully this post will make some kind of sense...just don't mind me if I ramble on too much!

First of all let me say that I love Master D and think he is a brilliant little bubba, he really is a dream baby. I just think we both need some fine tuning

D is really good at bed time and will go off to sleep (with his dummy) most of the time fuss free (unless he is overtired).

He has been getting up around 7am, going back down around 9am for 2.5 hours, then up again for another 1.5-2hrs then back to bed around 12.30 ish for around 1.5hrs then he goes back down around 3pm ish and usually stays there until 5pm. Then we keep him up and do his bedtime routine so he is in bed around 7-7.30pm.

He just can't seem to get past the first sleep cycle though without needing his dummy. He has it in to fall asleep with and then spits it out as soon as he is asleep. But you can guarantee 45 minutes later he will stir/cry until he gets his dummy back in. Then he will go back to sleep.

Of a night, he goes down around 7pm and wakes around 10.30pm for a feed and then another one around 1.30am and then around 4am and then we both get up at 7am ish. He is great during the night, has a quick feed, a burp and then back to sleep (sometimes I will have to pop the dummy back in if he has spat it out).

I rarely rock him to sleep and he does go off to sleep fairly easily himself (as long as he has a dummy).

So my question is, do we need to ditch the dummy so he will learn to self settle (I really dont want to ditch it though) or is there another way around it? We have tried to let him cry it out, but he just gets louder and louder until we are both in tears!

Last question - for his day sleeps, should I put the tellie and light on in his room so that he knows it's day time? Or should I just leave the light on and have no background noise?

Any tips/advice will be great as I really could use some guidance right now. I just feel a bit like a fish out of water - would be so helpful if they came out with a little manual to help you through the tough bits!!

Hiya

For that age - I'd keep the dummy. Are you still wrapping him? can you place a spare dummy next to him that he may reach around to?? (bit hard if he is wrapped!!)

To me it looks like he is seeking the dummy for comfort so I'd keep it.

Day sleeps at that age - i just opened the curtains in Oli's room - and played his sleep CD when we put him in the cot (then once it finished that was it) - not sure if you want to link sleep with keeping the tv on!!!!LOL

At that age they just seem to be working everything out (plus what mummy can do for them!)

Enjoy

Sim x

If its not a major issue for you to get up and put it back in, stick with it and when he is older get rid of it..he is still so little.

With the day sleeps i think you should feel it out, it depends how his room is...i have always had my kids in a dark room..only because thats how their rooms are iykwim??
I hope that made sense lol

ETA...It sounds like you are doing a great job, his sleep pattern sounds totally normal to me

As you say he is waking because the conditions he went to sleep in are not there anymore ie the dummy is gone. So he needs that put back to drop back off to sleep.

If you are happy to keep popping the dummy back in then stick with it for now and get rid of it when you feel more comfortable doing so. If the dummy is an issue for you then you will prob be in for some tears before he gets used to going to sleep without it. At least the dummy is not too intensive for you.

With day vs night sleeps I just make the room normal daylight during the day - so blinds open. At night blinds are shut.