Wide awake at 1 am help please Im desperate!

[sherilee]

HI
My LO is 5 and a half months old and we have not had one good nights sleep in his whole life! We had recently started only waking 3 times instead of the orginal hourly and I didnt mind that, he was obviously hungry as was wolfing down breastmilk like no tomorrow. Prob is now that we are getting over a cold and teething, he has started wanting to be in my bed and screaming the house down if I dont put him in and also between 11pm and 1am and again between 5am and 7am he is wide awake and wanting to play! Literally gigling and everything! I have tried putting him in the cot when he is like this but he starts crying and then when I try to settle him he starts laughing again! Im so tired and I really dont know what to do. Also will only fall asleep on breast or with pacifier and as soon as it falls out he is awake. He used to fall asleep on his own when smaller and swaddled but I have stopped swaddling  now as I thought he was too old. Could it be he still needs it? Im worried that he will roll over in the night and not be able to push himself up because of the swaddle but he seems to wake himself up with his arms!

Also has been hard to get to bed at night as my hubby used to do it and he now in the Falklands for four months with the RAF. LO will not let me out of his sight since he went.

All sugestions welcome!
Thanks!

[Glynis]

I haven't had the problem with the playing in the middle of the night (knock on wood) but I would just put him in his crib, cot, whereever & let him giggle.  If he fusses, maybe he'll put himself to sleep.  If he cries, use pu/pd.  To go to bed I would use pu/pd as well.  Good luck.