I'm mum of 4 lovely children, my youngest is 5 months old 
I thought as an 'experienced' mum, I would have her in a routine and be back to a full nights sleep in no time - how wrong I was 
My daughter isn't a good sleeper, she refuses day time naps and at night she typically wakens at least 4 times - sometimes less, typically more. I have bought the book 'No Cry Sleep Solution' by Elizabeth Pantley, as I don't want to go down the road of Controlled Crying or Cry It Out, nor do I want to spend the next 12 months wakening every couple of hours during the night - I'm mentally and physically exhausted by it.
May 2012
April 2012
OK, so we have had the odd night success with just 1 wakening at 5am - now those nights have been few (possibly 2) and far between (ie I can't remember the last one) but I'm starting to realise these have been a fluke, just when we have hit lucky rather than any kind of pattern or routine starting
We still haven't got to the point where I can start on Phase 1 - she opens those eyes as quick as lightning if I even attempt to put her in her cot before she is well and truly out for the count. Even then, its getting worse and worse so she goes anything from 10 minutes to an hour and a half before wakening practically every night. Throw in a bit of teething and you can guess how much sleep none of us are getting *sigh*
So I can't remember most nights - well, not enough to give you any detail, just the usual up, down, up, down scenario. Last night, well, that's in a league all of its own. In bed for 8.30pm, slept for 10 minutes, then that was it, up and down every 5 minutes until 11pm when she decided she was wide awake and wanted to dance. Roll on 3am and she was still dancing - no amount of feeding, cuddling, sssshhhhing, walking the floors, etc., etc., could get her over. 3.30am, daddy had been relegated to another bedroom, and she eventually closed her eyes, and I got her into her cot for the night. 6.30am my alarm went off and I hit the snooze button right through until 7.20am as my head couldn't get off the pillow.
She has just woke up - so that means she had a grand total of about 5 hours sleep all night, with her *long* stretch of 4 and a half hours and those few 10 minute cat naps. Thats just unreal - how can she cope with that - I can't cope with it, how the heck must she be feeling with so little sleep
I am snapping, yapping, whining at everyone whereas she is all smiles - she must have super powers 
and wish there was some magic way of fixing this! I hope you find a way of keeping yourself going (can you cat nap with her during the day) and can ride it out. Good luck. x