Hi there,

It sounds to me like a very early form of night terrors . . . I know this sounds really weird but i've just been talking to an old friend an she tells me that this is what her son was finally diagnosed with. He had been doing this same thing since he was 12months and is now 6.

Try changing your daughters routines and keeping her awake a little later at night. Also try using a soft light in her room . . .

I wish you all the luck as I know how frustrating this can be.

Cheers Kellz

My daughter used to do the same thing so I kept her up (not always easy, she loves baths so I'd bathe her then) until 8.15 and then put her to be with a bottle, if she woke up again I gave her another bottle and left.  That did turn into a hassel in the end though as I have only JUST this week weaned her back down to her one bottle, (she's 17 months now) but in the big scheme of things that was a me thing, i could have stopped it earlier if I'd really wanted to, I just wasn't up for it.  Try dropping sleeps to 45 minutes during  the day coz at 10 months i did that as well (thanks to suggestions from Minti ladies at the time). They can make a habit in 2 nights, it can take up to 7 nights to break it....bit like gaining and losing weight LOL.

My advice, take the road of least resistance unless you are happy, well rested, blah blah, in which case most of us now hate you through shear jellousy.  Do what makes life easiest for you.  habits can be broken and it doesn't have to be painful (I just didn't give my daughter her extra bottle any more and NOTHING....not a peep.  I know that 7 months with an extra bottle might not be the done thing, but so what.  She needed to be in bed and I needed her to be in bed so no harm no foul.  See what I mean, path of least resistance.  You can't rock her all night, you need you and hubby time.  Give her a bottle or a dummy or a night light (we have always had one) board books in the bed if she's sitting up, I often found &  find my daughter drooling asleep on top of a good book.

Find what works for you and do it until you think you're ready to do something else.

She could be teething or have an ear infection. If it is teething you can try a wet washcloth or a teething ring, some tylenol and  oragel for babies. If it isn't teething, I would see a doctor. The pressure builds after you lay down when you have an ear infection, which could explain why she goes to sleep, but wakes up crying. Good luck, I hope she feels better soon!

Have you tried giving her an earlier daytime nap or reducing the time she's asleep for through the day?  That might help as she may not be tired.  What time is she going down at night if she's waking up at 8? It might be worth putting her down a little later too.

try an old fashion wined up alarm clock near her cot (it kinda sounds like a heart beat) or put a radio in her room with a soft station playing, and maybe try a night light

hope that helps