STTN + fighting naps

EmmyMommy123

Babe is 3 months tomorrow and for the past few days has suddenly started STTN (5 hours 45 mins - 6.5 hours yay!). He's always been a terrible sleeper and before this we were lucky to get a 4 hour stretch once in the night. No I didn't do anything different, it just happened!!

Now I hate to complain, but with this wonderful change has also come an awful one....the biggest fights for naps ever. He's always fought them a good bit - has major FOMO, and has always had crappy 45 minute naps except for usually one 2 hour nap a day, and naps are ALWAYS in my arms (I've tried all the things). With the STTN now he will scream in my arms for 20-30 minutes before passing out for a measly 30 minute nap!!! And he's only had one longer nap in days! I wouldn't think it's a problem except his wake times are also getting really fussy as he gets increasingly overtired, and the whole screaming himself to sleep in my arms thing is getting exhausting.

Anyone else gone through or are going through this?? Do I just let him fight me and keep holding him and hope this will pass and thank my lucky stars he's at least having great night sleep? Do I put him down and let him scream and figure it out on his own since he screams when I'm holding him anyways??

When I say I've tried all the things...

he is swaddled at night and for naps (but still manages to find his hands in the woombie lately, so he's in the miracle blanket at night)

white noise is always part of naps

I've held him for the entire nap, held him until sleeping and put him down, tried to let him fall asleep on his own (hour of screaming even when I go in to comfort), done carriers and wraps, he hates the car seat....nursed to sleep, rocked to sleep, bounced to sleep...every one of these scenarios only gets me short naps.

we have a bit of a routine for bedtime and nap time (bath every other night, diaper, pjs, white noise, Swaddle, recite words from a book, nurse, kiss and say I love you and goodnight for night routine, diaper, white noise, Swaddle for naps)

the soother only works if I hold it in for him the whole time and only after a decent amount of screaming will he actually start sucking (have tried different soothers).

he nurses often during the day and I have lots of milk so he is not hungry.

Sorry for the long post just want to see if anyone can figure out what I'm missing!

Becky012016

LO was fighting naps for the past week. It was TERRBILE but at least he was still sttn. However, today naps have been closer to normal with minimal screaming. I think it was a wonder week/mental leap 3. 

EmmyMommy123

012016 said:

LO was fighting naps for the past week. It was TERRBILE but at least he was still sttn. However, today naps have been closer to normal with minimal screaming. I think it was a wonder week/mental leap 3. 

Ok I'm glad there's hope it'll pass!

ctmamaoftwo

My LO, who will be 3 months Monday, has been sleeping through the night (around 10 hours) for the last two weeks and since naps have become much more of a process. Previously he would put himself to sleep in my arms or I would sooth a little and be able to put him down in either crib, bouncer wherever. Now it takes work to get him to sleep and he almost always wakes up whenever I set him down. Tried "drowsy but awake" and still no. Hoping it's just a phase that will pass for both of us!

TRA0816

I've read a lot about a 3 month growth spurt. I'm going through similar things now too!

ariasbabyblog

For mine when there is endless screaming for no apparent reason he ends up downstairs in a swing for a while. The screaming and crying will go through a shift from angry, to really pissed off, to general upset. By the time he gets to general upset he is good and tired, and at that point I am able to sooth him, swaddle, nurse, and get him to nap. Alex is also a terrible daytime napper, but using this horrible method that I wish I didn't need we can sometimes get an hour long nap. He is currently 3.5 months.

ekscopp

I can totally relate. Last night she only woke up once to eat and today she has been a terrible napper! Only 30 min at a time and a lot of screaming before that. I think it's a growth spurt bc she is just 3 months.

I don't know if this is the right answer for you, but have you ruled out a problem with something your eating? You said you are breastfeeding, my LO is EBF too. I find if I have a lot of caffeine or chocolate she is extra fussy and has a hard time naping. I am currently trying to go dairy free to see if that helps with the excessive vomiting and fussiness. Could be worth a try for you and your LO seeing as it sounds like this isn't a one time thing!

fishee333

How about trying to get LO to nap even earlier? 
I've had trouble with naps for a while - LO only sleeps for about 30 min if I'm lucky, so ive been reading a lot about this... Today I tried putting her down way earlier than I normally do (before she even acted sleepy), and she actually slept for an hour! Might have been a fluke but I'll take it. 
Mybabysleepguide.com has a ton of great info on sleep, I highly recommend reading some articles on there.

teachmegs817

DS is beginning to go through this.  He's 4 months this Sat. but will only be 11w adjusted age.  He's beginning to sleep 5-6 hour stretches at night and then will give us another 3-5 after he has his late night/early morning feeding.  

Naps have been really spotty lately.  He almost ALWAYS goes down for one between 8am-9am.  They only last about 35-50 minutes.  He then may sleep 2-3 more times for my mom, but his naps have pretty much been 20-30 minute long tops.  I will say though, that he does end up SO tired by 3-4 pm if he hasn't napped a whole lot that day, that he will go down around that time and often be out for the count for a good 2-3 hours.  

He has always been good at going down drowsy and then falling asleep on his own, but like I said, somedays and it has been pretty frequent these last couple of weeks, no noise maker, soother, rocking, gets him back down.  If he wakes himself up, he isn't real good with self soothing as we still swaddle and he can't get his hands free to put in his mouth or grab his own soother yet, lol.  So DH or I will always have to get up and stick his paci. back into his mouth. 

EmmyMommy123

Ok, so I'm not alone!!! 

@ekscopp I haven't had caffeine for weeks as I suspected early on he was hyper sensitive. I try it every once in a while to see if it's still an issue but it's been a couple weeks since I last had any. However, I have been indulging in chocolate (I do realize it has caffeine but figured the minimal amount I was eating couldn't be an issue)! I don't think I was on the days he's been at his worst, but I'll try cutting that as well (can I live!?!?). Otherwise my diet hasn't changed at all recently, plus the perfect night sleeping makes me think he'd fuss at night too if it was dietary.

@fishee333 I've tried different wake times ranging from 45 minutes - 2 hours with varying success and settled on 45 minutes - 1 hour as the ideal time (least amount of fighting). I feel like I've read every friggen thing on the Internet and in books about sleep hence my posting here... I can't imagine him being ready in less than 45 minutes, but the times he's overtired he's fussy almost right away so maybe I could try at 30 minutes??? He's not big on sleep cues, he goes from happy to fussing without yawns, eye rubs or otherwise. 

Today he had another long nap (naps were 30 minutes of crying/screaming in my arms before 35 minutes of sleep; 1 hour of on and off screaming and crying in his bed with me checking on him before 20 minutes of sleep; 2 hours of sleep after a lonnnnng nurse to/during sleep and more nursing in his sleep mid nap; and 40 minutes after literally 10 seconds of dad bouncing him - of course dad gets it easy). The 2 hours and the 40 minute nap make me hope we're getting back to normal. Hopefully I haven't screwed up the night!

Cricket99

My LO is 14 weeks and recently started sttn (7pm-5am with a dream feed at 10 before I go to bed, then back down until 7:30) and I have definitely noticed that naps are fewer and farther between. He doesn't really have too many sleep cues either, but I know that if he gets up at 7:30 he needs to be asleep at 9 or life is going to get rough for me. Generally he naps in the bouncer in the living room with me. I have to put him in it as soon as he makes the first fuss noise and bounce him with my hand on his chest for 5-15 minutes until he is asleep. He really fights the sleep lately, but when he's finally out it's for at least an hour. Hopefully the nap fighting stops soon for all of our sakes! Good luck mama, hang in there!

ChrissyD1203

My baby hated naps (although always a good night sleeper) and would only nap being held.  One day I put her down drowsy with a binkie (no swaddle) in her crib and and she napped---and has continued to do so ever since for the past 3 weeks.  I didn't do anything different, one day she was just cool with it.  She only naps for 20-45 minutes each time but naps frequently.  

EmmyMommy123

ChrissyD1203 said:

My baby hated naps (although always a good night sleeper) and would only nap being held.  One day I put her down drowsy with a binkie (no swaddle) in her crib and and she napped---and has continued to do so ever since for the past 3 weeks.  I didn't do anything different, one day she was just cool with it.  She only naps for 20-45 minutes each time but naps frequently.  

That's great! I am convinced babe would nap way better/easier with a soother, but he won't keep it in his mouth!! The only time he ever takes it and keeps it is when he's very overtired and I'm holding it in his mouth for him. He's gotten a bit better with the fighting, but has replaced fighting with never wanting off the boob for the whole nap. Sigh! 

beccanforrest22

My baby is 12 weeks, will be 3 months on the 20th. He started STTN around 10 weeks and did the same thing. The first week or so he would fight it so hard during the day. 20-30 mins of me bouncing and rocking him around the house while he screamed, nap for 30 mins, wake up and repeat. He's gotten better about length of naps, but I still have to rock/bounce him to sleep during the day. Maybe it's just an adjustment! 

EmmyMommy123

beccanforrest22 said:

My baby is 12 weeks, will be 3 months on the 20th. He started STTN around 10 weeks and did the same thing. The first week or so he would fight it so hard during the day. 20-30 mins of me bouncing and rocking him around the house while he screamed, nap for 30 mins, wake up and repeat. He's gotten better about length of naps, but I still have to rock/bounce him to sleep during the day. Maybe it's just an adjustment! 

Sounds exactly the same! Hopefully he'll grow out of it but keep STTN!

ChrissyD1203

@EmmyMommy123It takes a few tries to get the binkie to stay in - usually 5 tries (about 5 minutes).  That was really the key to the nap for me.  I put it in, it falls out, she cries, I put it in again x repeat 5 times and then by the fifth time she is sleepy and sucks harder on it.  Oddly she doesn't use one to fall asleep at night.  

beccanforrest22

We tried a Wubbanub soothie for the first time last night. It doesn't seem to actually help keep the pacifier in his mouth, but I think the weight on his chest and having something like a finger-size to grab is comforting. He went to sleep a lot easier, and didn't fuss much during the night.