3.5 month old - fighting sleep

RufflesRambo

...and when I say fighting, I mean that we BRAWL. I do not know wth is going on. He kicks, arches his back, punches, SCREAMS! He's so tired, I can tell and yet none of my usual sleep "tricks" are working. He is just not having it anymore. I've tried catching him before he starts the eye rubbing and other tired signs too but it's like he's on to me.

Anyone else deal with something similar around this age? Oh, and he doesn't let me put him down while sleeping anymore - I used to be able to put him in his swing, PnP, crib, now he just wants to sleep on Mumma or nothing! I am tired of wrestling him and I feel so bad, please help...

Crazycrustacean

DD has been doing this lately. We just muscle through it. I hold her over my shoulder and let her whine while we rock, bounce, etc. Eventually she just surrenders and falls asleep.?

She has also started to not want me to put her down. As soon as I do, she wakes up. Last night I held one hand on her back (belly sleeper) & cupped her head with the other while she was in her crib. She settled & slept for almost 5 hours.?

papagena

DS started that somewhere in his 3rd month.  We just keep going - it comes and goes.  Before we went on vacation last week, there were a few nights where he was perfect - had his normal bedtime routine and went in the crib awake and was out in a matter of minutes.  Other nights, it's still the non-stop crying and screaming and kicking, etc.  It seems like we'll find something different each night that finally turns him off.  One night, DH put him on our bed for a moment and it was lights out.  Sometimes the bathroom sink will knock him out, and (my favorite) one time I gave him a little kiss on the cheek and he just passed out.  It has gotten better, but we're still dealing with it a bit.  Good luck - you're not alone!

hazelhickory

our ds used to have to sleep on us, and then only could be rocked to sleep and placed in the crib in deep sleep (and then woke up after only 10-15 minutes!). 

we started doing the drowsy but awake thing at 3.5 months when i realized that after 40 minutes of rocking/bouncing and he still couldn't fall asleep.  i didn't believe it would work, but apparently he prefers to fall asleep on his own.  now i just hold and pat him for 3 minutes and place him down.  he will babble for about 10 minutes and then fall asleep (usually!).  if not, i try again in another 15 minutes.  i have to say tho, i have to put him down still every 1.5-2 hours otherwise he gets overtired and has a very hard time falling asleep.

 i would try letting him work it out on his own (not crying, but giving him his own space to relax, babble, play) and see if that helps.   

seanswife

OMG....DD is doing this and it is making me crazy.  She is just 3 months as of yesterday.

 

NOTHING, and I do mean NOTHING relaxes her so she can sleep.  Lately she hasn't even fallen asleep when I keep her in bed with us.  She has never been a great napper, but now she is just so overtired that I have no clue when she is ready to go down so I can at least try.

 

The worst is that she is so overtired that she has these screaming fits....I just can't stand them and get so stressed out....I'm not really sure what to do anymore.  I just keep trying different things....massage, etc.  Tonight I am going to try a quiet bath and massage afterwards.

 

Singing and rocking just seem to agitate her....she just doesn't want to do down.  We end up resorting to DH holding her on the couch while she screams herself to sleep.  Then when we are ready for bed I take her and try to get her to her bassinette still asleep.  For whatever reason DH can soothe her better than I can.  Makes me sad.:(

 

I don't know what to tell you but you're definitely not alone.  I hate to say it but I AM sort of glad I'm not the only one.

 

Good luck, and if you come up with any good tricks, let me know!

mollyrow

We have sleep fights every day.  It is so annoying!  The only thing that seems to work is when I bounce, and I mean I practically jog in place!  This at least calms her down and then she'll let me put the paci in her mouth and may fall asleep.  It's quite the workout!

brandonswife07

yes we are going through the same thing.  i still swaddle, and put him to bed with a lovey.  he has music in his crib, and sometimes if he's really upset, a bring the hand vac in his room and turn it on while i stand there & rub his belly.  usually he is out in a couple minutes with that.

if i try to pick him while he's whining, it just makes it worse.