This can't be normal, can it? (another nap/sleep issue)
ShadyKull
member
Naps (and bedtime) have become a nightmare around here. My little guy HATES going to sleep. . . or something. As soon as we enter his room, he figures out that it is nap time and starts crying. I swaddle and start rocking him. . . SCREAMING, tears and everything. Sometimes giving him a boob helps, sometimes not. I have started wearing ear plugs while getting him to sleep. He does this whether I start nap time early (an hour after he has woken) or late (two hours). He has been consistently fighting naps for a while now, maybe a month, but this is a whole new level of baby nap tantrum. I have tried just putting him down, he still screams and fusses. Sometimes the crying lasts only a few minutes, sometimes for roughly 20 minutes or more before he settles down and sleeps. Most of the time 30 minutes later he is awake again. He also sleeps badly at night.
I don't plan on doing CIO anytime soon, but really, what's the difference if he is crying in my face or in his bed while I am safely in the next room?
ETA I know he is probably going through the 4 month wakeful. . . but nothing I have read about it talks about this crying at nap time issue.
Re: This can't be normal, can it? (another nap/sleep issue)
Could be teething pain.
Did he get vaccinations lately? Some women swear it changes things up with their babies.
Or just a phase.
Whatever it is, it's so tough. So sorry mama.
I think around this time they can sort of recognize what certain things will "lead up too". For example-my LO, if shes hungry, start smiling and waving her arms/legs if I'm holding her while I make a bottle. If she's tired, then when I lay her down she'll start crying but once I start putting her sleep suit on her, she calms down.
So, what could be happening, is that your LO IS going through the wakefulness period AND because of this, doesn't want to sleep. This leads to a cranky, OT baby who doesn't nap well. Usually, 30 min nap=Over tired. Which usually leads to bad night time sleeping OR he's just so stimulated by what he's learning/doing that he can't sleep.
From what I know, it'll pass..give it 2-4 weeks. I will say if by 4 weeks this is still continuing, I would consider some form of sleep training, since most likely new habits that are preventing sleep have formed.
Yup! Normal. DD went from putting herself to nap (in swing, swaddled) to a screaming banshee at naptime. Don't you dare try to rock her to sleep because she knows what's up.
THey just recently starting figuring out patterns and at the same time don't want to sleep because they Miss Out on all the good stuff. So it can be a recipe for disaster. I am just now coming to terms that I still need to get her to nap Any Way I Possibly Can.
It is frustrating to have them crying while you hold them, but at this age they don't have object permanence and don't know that when you leave you're coming back. So even though they are screaming, you are dong the right thing by showing him you're around and will snuggle him even when he is being a punk.
great link on sleep:
https://www.thealphaparent.com/2013/01/timeline-of-baby-and-toddler-sleep.html?m=1
My LO is right now coming out of the 14 1/2-19 1/2 week Wonder Week, based on her EDD, not actual due date
Started fertility treatments 11/2010
Ovarian dysfunction, LPD, male factor
6 failed medicated IUI's
Pregnant 5/2011 - Miscarriage at 6 weeks due to triploidy
Decided to adopt - 6/2012
SURPRISE! Pregnant without intervention - 7/2012
Sweet Baby James Born 3/2013
Decided to be "One and Done"
....OR NOT.
Pregnant 12/2018 despite birth control pills
Here we go again...
Due 8/26/19!
Around the three month mark, DS started to really fight naps like your LO. He would arch his back and sob and cry himself to sleep while we walked him up and down the hallways bouncing him in the "sleep position", all while trying to get him to suck on a soother. And yes... All that work for a crummy 30 minute nap.
We chose to do Ferber. I know OP, you do not and are not ready for a CIO method. Ferber does say you can start his method at the 3-4 month mark and we employed it about a few days short of 4 months.
Here is what has happened since: DS goes to sleep faster. Not all naps does he go down easily (some are rather peaceful and some he fights), but the ones he does fight I may do one check on him, if ever that. At most bed times he actually talks himself to sleep. He also sleeps longer. He is getting more 1 hour naps in. The other day he napped for 3 hours!
If I am out somewhere and there is no place for him to sleep, he actually fights me if I try to rock him to sleep the way we used to. He really likes to go to sleep on his own now. I honestly believe all the fighting was him trying to tell us that he wanted to go into his bed to sleep. And if he does cry to sleep, it is usually because he is over tired and I missed his cues.
If you do decide to do some form of sleep training, there is nothing wrong with making the decision to do it now, or continue to hold off. Do what feels best. I just thought to share my experience so if you consider to do something sooner than later, you know of a similar experience.
Thanks everyone, it is just good to know that I am not the only one losing my sanity a bit every nap time
I feel like I am back in "survival mode" when it comes to naps and doing whatever it takes to get this kid to sleep. I held him for a 2.5 hour nap yesterday and popped my boob in his mouth every time he started to wake and cry. Gotta remember to get the ipad ready with some shows next time I do that.
I was looking at that wonder week chart thingy and yeah, looks like we are smack in the middle of fuss fest phase. I plan on waiting at least a month or so before getting serious about doing Ferber if needed. Little guy and I will both be happier and less crazy when he gets this sleep thing figured out!
It sucks but it is just a phase! Sometimes he fusses a little bit still at nap time but nothing like before. The only time he does the screaming thing is after his bath and im getting him dressed, but he stops when i pop a boob in his mouth.
This too shall pass :-)