Help! My 6 Month Old Baby's Sleep Habits Are a Mess!

I'm thinking you didn't stick with the CIO approach long enough....your daughter is WAY overtired and this can lead to shortened sleep periods and difficulty falling/staying asleep. Sometimes it can take up to a week for the process to click and it's not unusual for children to relapse during their sleep training. Please read The Sleepeasy Solution by Jennifer Waldburger...I think it can help answer all your sleep questions and help your sleep situation. Good Luck!

6 months is a growth spurt period. They need more intake and more frequently. They are growing. When hungry, day or night, nurse her. On demand. They need to feed.
If not, they are always hungry and will not sleep.
A pacifier, will not soothe a hungry baby.

They do not know how, to control their body's coordination nor how to think 3 steps ahead, to plan for it or get their body position back to how it was. Normal.
It is a stage of development.

And, teething also occurs at this age too. That wakes them as well.
And "separation anxiety" also starts to occur at this age as well.

Have you tried bathing her in a warm bath? When my daughter was born, my son's sleep patterns got messed up. To help him get back to a nap schedule (after 6 months, he only napped in the afternoon) I would bathe him right after lunch in warm water. Sometimes he didn't actually need a full bath. I would just put him in the warm water and let it relax him. After that I would give him a little milk and it usually made him sleepy enough to take a good nap. Also, we took car rides to help encourage sleep. Do you have a swing or rocking chair? Those are always good things to try as well if you haven't already. Good luck! I hope this helps.
A.

So far, with the exception of one or two people, you have had all CIO Mammas respond. I want to just suggest Co-Sleeping. I know there are distinctly two camps on this - those that do and those that don't. Just TRY it, is all I am asking. It makes for a much happier baby and you are not jumping out of bed every time. You can sooth when she is first half-awake and she will go right back to sleep. I especially recommend it because I know what you are going through with the husband deployed and another toddler. I have the same situation - my husband works in Alaska and I have a 2.5 yr old. I Co-Slept with the older one and now the younger one. He is only 4 months, but is almost ready to transition to his own room since he has been soothed since birth. I know it isn't for everyone, but it sure beats hearing them cry or jumping out of bed 3-4 times a night like you have been doing....

I wonder about your one statement that you have to fight to keep her awake. Why are you doing that? Let her sleep any time she wants to sleep so that she can work out a sleep pattern.

Hello,
I can relate with you. We had a colicky little one, she never slept. I have to tell you our saving grace was "The baby whisper" book, it really works. You must follow the book perfectly but the reward at the end is worth it all. I had to do it all on my own as well. I do not have family around and my husband works away from the home 5 days a week and was only home for two. I went from being exhausted all the time and sleep deprived to a happy Mommy who was able to finally sleep and truly enjoy being a new Mommy. I hope you take this wonderful advice..
Best wishes to you and congratulations.

I agree with Robin.
You didn't stick wtih CIO enough, and she doens't know how to self soothe. She sounds massively overtired, and as a result, she can't get herself to sleep effectively. You need to let her set her own pattern and learn how to get herself back to sleep. Once the night time sleep is on track, the naps will even out and lengthen naturally.
Robin recommended a good book, and I also recommend Healthy Sleep Habits, so you can understand why she's in the pattern she's in, and how you get out of it.
Good luck!

Read Richard Ferber's book "How to Solve your Child's Sleep Problem". It changed our life forever. CIO is NOT the Ferber method. You don't just drop your baby in the crib & walk away until they exhaust themselves. Ferber focuses on sleep association. Establish a routine that can be repeated every day, or even at both night time and nap time. Our routine at night is after dinner, our baby has a bath, then we have a bottle, brush teeth, read a book, and then she goes in her crib (awake), and falls asleep. Nap time is after lunch, we wash her hands & face, have a bottle, read a book, and then she goes in her crib (awake), and falls asleep. The idea is to get baby to associate that routine with going to sleep. And to get them to self soothe & fall asleep on their own.
Ferber will recommend sleep training. You let her cry for increasing intervals. In between the intervals, go in, pat her on the back, say "it's time for sleeping, I love you. I'll see you after naptime (or in the morning)". And LEAVE. So the first night, do 5 min, 10 min, 15 min, 20 min, 25 min, etc. intervals with the quick pat in between the intervals. Don't pick her up, and don't give her a bottle, etc.
2 months ago, we sleep trained our 1 year old. The first night, we did about an hour & a half of intervals. 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and she fell asleep. The next night was 45 minutes, the next 15 mins, the next 2 mins. Now, if she cries at all, it's like 30 seconds. And from that very first night, she's slept from bedtime at 7:30 through the night until 6:45. BLISS!
I highly recommend this book. It's saved us with both of our kids!
Good luck!