Looking for Some Fresh Ideas for Tired Old Sleeping Problems

Sounds like he's in pain and not manipulating you.

Liquid calmag from Bluebonnett (blueberry flavor) for the baby. It works amazingly well. Sometimes we add a little Calms Forte 4 kids with it at night. Both of these help with pain and relaxing the central nervous system.

All 4 of my kids have slept like rocks and if they ever went through non-sleeping issues like this, I just increase the calcium until they sleep.

I am breastfeeding, so I increase my calmag (and NOT calcium carbonate, ever!) intake and my babies have all slept better, especially if they are teething. My calmag has vit C, fit D, zinc, boron, horsetail herb, manganese, and of course 7 different types of calcium and magnesium. It works like a charm.

We also get our kids adjusted by a chiropractor and that helps a ton, as well. Our 6 month old was fussy for 3 nights a few weeks ago and I was losing it. I went and got him adjusted the next am. Haven't had an issue since.

PS: If the kids have so much as a runny nose, or cough - ANY SIGN of being sick, the pediatricians are not suppose to give any shots, since their immune systems are already stressed. This can lead to a vaccine reaction. Liquid vitamin C helps decrease the reactions from the vaccines.

I really, really feel for you!
I can tell you what worked for me with my three kids, and you can decide to try it or not.
Baby always started the night in the crib. If baby woke up and clearly wasn't going to fall back to sleep I just brought baby into bed with me (I was nursing but I'm sure snuggling with a binky would work too.)
This was no grand parenting strategy, ideology or anything else. I NEEDED MY SLEEP, period! I could not function being up and down several times a night, nor could I (or the rest of the family) sleep with a wailing infant in the house.
And since they always started the night in their own bed there was never any "bad habit" to break later.
Good luck, I hope it gets better soon!

I have a couple of thoughts based on your explanations. You mention she coughs, some, not a lot, but in her sleep. Also history of acid reflux. In adults, acid reflux worsens when lying down, need to sit up after eating to wait til food is out of stomach. Sometimes the head of bed needs to be elevated as the acid comes up from stomach into the throat, causes a chronic cough. Maybe this is happening to your daughter since you are putting her down shortly after eaing her dinner. And you say that she goes to sleep when you pick her up and she will sleep "on you". Maybe when she is elevated with head higher than her stomach, she is getting some relief.
Does she take anything for the acid reflux? Maybe she is forming gas in her stomach as well, maybe not terribly painful, but uncomfortable, maybe enough that she just can't sleep. There is a possibility these are related. I wonder if trying her in a reclining position rather than lying down flat would make a difference. Just a thought.
Good luck, when my son was a baby, he had colic and he never slept through the night until he was almost a year old and I worked so much with no sleep, it is miserable.

Unfortunately, at six months old...there may be a variety of issues going on. She could be teething, going through a growth spurt, sick, etc.

I like what Mamazita said. I did that often with my daughter. My son would not sleep in the same bed with hubby and I very often. He liked his space. He did have a period of 2-3 months (around 6 months old) where he'd wake up a few times a week around 2am and would NOT go back to sleep until 4-5am. It was horrible but I was saved because at that time, hubby was working 2nd shift and was still up at that time so he took care of him, played with him, etc.

I think she is TOO young to expect him to sleep through the night or cry it out. Is she still eating at night? If not, and rubbing her back, singing to her, etc does not help, have you tried picking her up and rocking her for a bit? I realize you do not want to get into any habits that may be hard to break later, but bottom line you need your sleep!!

My daughter was a 50% of the time cosleeper (would go down in her bed and end up in ours anywhere from mightnight - 5am) but is now 4 years 2 months old and sleeps in her bed all night and hardly wakes up. So no matter what it WILL get better!!!

I'd recommend bringing her into your bed instead of sleeping with her on the couch. Not sure if you are doing that so you do not wake up your hubby or because it's more comfortable or safety reasons but I would think you would sleep better in your bed. If you are afraid you'll roll onto her, you can get one of those cosleeping wedges.

Good luck!

I wish I had a magic answer. My 17 month old still wakes numerous times in the night. He wakes up screaming hysterical if we try and put him in his crib. So we co sleep. He falls asleep in our bed, I have a pnp in our room that I can sometimes get him in after he falls asleep. Then generally he wakes 2 hours later and throughout the night. He's never been a good napper either. I wish I could get a full nights sleep out of him, for myself as well. But I keep telling myself that it will eventually get better. Sorry you have a demanding job and it's taking a toll on your family.
I think raising the bed as another pp suggested is a good idea.

I think you should google 'sleep regression.' Maybe she is not in the midst of a sleep regression, but it's good to know that they exist and there isn't much you can do about them.