My 7m was always a great sleeper…until he got sick.

Around 6 months old my LO got sick. He was sick for about a week before I noticed his eating was normal and symptoms had improved. While he was sick all he wanted was me, which I understood. He did sleep with me a few nights, but I never started the night out right in bed with me. I’d put him in his bed, and he’d wake up and only go back to sleep/stay asleep if he was with me in bed. Since then bedtime has been awful. I had a few nights where he’d sleep how he typically would before getting sick, but not many at all. We have a very strict bedtime routine, and I never break it. As soon as I lay him in his bed he wakes up, or he’ll stay asleep 30-60 mins tops and wake up crying. I try to not pick him up, but when I can’t console him and he keeps crying I pick him up. I hold him until he’s back asleep but after the first initial lay down, he only stays “asleep” 5-10 mins until he’s crying again.

I tried doing my own version of the Ferber method, but he was not having it. He wouldn’t just fuss, he would full blown cry. And cry hard. He’d cry so hard that he’d have a hard time catching his breath and that was only after leaving him for 3 mins. I couldn’t imagine doing any longer. I took his pacifier away around 5 months, because he’d wake himself up a lot in the night looking for it or trying to put it in his mouth and playing with it. It doesn’t seem like he does any type of self soothing yet.

He’ll be 7 months old next week, and I’m at a loss of what to do. I feel like I’ve tried just about everything and nothing is working. He’s still such a happy and sweet babe, and I do love cosleeping, but my anxiety makes it hard. I feel like we both slept so much better when we slept separately.

Any insight would be helpful/appreciated.