Hiya! I'm new here and the proud mama to an adorable 6.5 month old baby girl. I just finished the book and made my sleep plan, first log, etc. I haven't seen much improvement yet but I'm still hopeful! My daughter is the happiest baby - she never fusses (which has it's downs too - I never know her diaper is dirty until I smell it and when she does fuss - it could be anything! But I know I can't really complain).

However, the 'issue' I have is that I work - while this is addressed in the book, I'm finding the sleep ritual hard to adhere. I pick up my daughter at 6pm - after an hour and a half commute - on a good day, I can get there by 5:30 but it's rare. Once I catch up with Annie (our in-home day care) about Alexandra's day and get home it's 6:15. Alex just started solid foods, so I prepare her dinner, feed her (which can be a lengthy time as we're both learning - I'm a new mom just as she's a new baby!) We finish about 6:45, I give her a bath and whisk her to the nursery. Everything up to this point is bright and highly active - she loves to kick and splash in the bath.

We start out quiet time about 7:00. We cuddle and read a book - usually in the middle of which, she starts making noises that she's ready for bed. I nurse and rock her to sleep. Once she's asleep, I replace my breast with a pacifier and gently lay her down about 7:15pm in her crib. We've been doing this pattern for about 6 weeks - when I made the mistake of nursing her to sleep because she was moving to her own room. (hindsight!) She was sleeping in a bassinet in our room.

I never have any trouble getting her to fall asleep despite the shortened bedtime ritual. (I do have trouble myself with that urge to keep her up so I can have more time - but I fight it) :o)

You may wonder, after that lengthy introduction, what could be wrong? My problem lies in that Alex wakes up every hour - except for one to two sessions in the night where she sleeps for 2-3 hours. My question relates to working moms and dads, who can't have a lengthy bedtime ritual with dinner, bath, three books, etc. And can't have an hour of quiet time before bed. Any advice?

The interesting part is that she falls asleep on her own with Annie during the day. So I know she associates cuddle, breastfeeding, pacifier, etc just at home! She sleeps fitfully and then wakes with the sun (I am not a fan of the summer months and the 4:45am sunrise! Blackout curtains are next - fingers crossed!)

I really enjoyed reading about the approach and was so happy (thrilled! exuberant!) to find someone who was offering solutions without suggesting we "Ferberize".

I also heard a theory about she might be waking because she doesn't get enough mommy time during the day - so at night, she needs her snuggle. A nice thought - one that I don't mind one or two times but the every hour is making me exhausted during the day and during the precious time I do have with her. Any thoughts?

Try dimming the lighting in the bathroom and see if that helps... as well try playing lullaby music in a neighbouring room to start the mellow feeling.

That is quite possible as well. If so, then she just may need the closeness. At that age, it can also just be how much she needs to eat at night. You can try to get her more food during the day to see if that helps...

By when do you need to get her to daycare? How many hours does she nap during the day? It's possible that because of how much she naps during the day that you could put her down a bit later if you want longer...

In terms of needing extra mommy time, she probably really benefits from the cuddly bedtime routine... keep at it! It can take a while to form lifetime sleep habits that this book provides...

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