Don't believe in CIO but...

BoilerUp1

What do you do when your baby cries no matter what you do when it's time for sleep?  If I put him down in a deep sleep he immediately wakes up, drowsy but awake sends him into hysterics.  Even when I lie down with him he just screams.  He also won't let me rock him to sleep.  What do I do?

tarahnpaul

Will he not nurse to sleep?  Or sleep in the moby?

BoilerUp1

50% of the time he might nurse to sleep.  The other 50% he pops on and off crying because he is tired and (I believe) afraid to fall asleep.  Won't sleep more than 30 minutes in the Moby and I hHAVE to be moving.

tarahnpaul

Are we talking naps or nighttime or both?

BoilerUp1

Both...

BoilerUp1

He's perfect all day until it comes time for sleep.  It's like he's scared to fall asleep.  He WILL sleep in the swing and I'm ok with that for naps but don't really like it for night time.  His mattress is elevated...

tarahnpaul

If you have something that works like the swing, I'd go with it.  He's not going to sleep in a swing forever, eventually he will sleep on his back.

aliciaroset

tarahnpaul:

If you have something that works like the swing, I'd go with it.  He's not going to sleep in a swing forever, eventually he will sleep on his back.

This. At 3 months, I'd take what you can get for sleep.  DD had a REALLY tough time at that age, I think with overstimulation (thanks, Christmas) and it was something that she just needed grow out of. SHe became a much better sleeper around 5 months, so keep giving him chances but do what works for now! 

3003girl

sometimes they just cry. If you are with them, it's not CIO. 

LO went through some stages like that, and I just laid with her until she fell asleep. sometimes she would want me to nurse/rock her after she cried for a while. It sucks, but there isn't much you can do. If she would have slept in the swing, i would have done it in a heartbeat. 

Also, if this is sudden - could it be teething or an ear infection? My LO got 2 teeth at 4 months.  

webMistress0609

I would try for an earlier bedtime maybe - your LO could be overtired.

BoilerUp1

An earlier bedtime results in him waking up every 45 minutes after he is put down until about 9:30.  I feel like I've tried everything and am so lost.  I feel like at 3 months I should be able to read him better but I just can't.... feeling very defeated!

Temp123197812503460

Ditto the swing, if it works then use it. It's the only place my LO would sleep for the first 4 or 5ish months, I laid him in the crib and pop awake. I think he had a bit of reflux (totally normal for a baby) and it just didn't work for him.He eventually grew out if it. If your jotncomfortable with the swing we also sometimes used the bouncy chair since it had less padding. We would swaddle his upper body with one of the Velcro swaddle blankets and then buckle the straps so he couldn't go anywhere.

pottermommy

I don't post often but the Snuggabunny Rock N Play saved my life durring the first 3 months and honestly he sometimes ends up in still even though we are crib training since I get up for work at 4 am and have to be there at 5. 

 

nosoup4u

solidio:

sometimes they just cry. If you are with them, it's not CIO. 

Yeah, this. Both of mine would have times of wanting to nurse, then freak out and cry, then nurse, then maybe cry some more and finally pass out (this is when they were newborns). Holding them and bouncing on a yoga ball worked, but they'd still just cry for a bit before calming down enough to nurse to sleep.

It's also really common for babies to get super-fussy at night. My mom dubbed it "the evening grouchies", ha ha ha. 

JKTTC1

pottermommy:

I don't post often but the Snuggabunny Rock N Play saved my life durring the first 3 months and honestly he sometimes ends up in still even though we are crib training since I get up for work at 4 am and have to be there at 5. 

 

This! We are using this for night sleep and naps during the day. LO doesn't ALWAYS sleep in it but its the only place he will sleep other than laying on me! LIFESAVER!!!!

terri_doula2010

Ditto the swing, but also consider putting your LO to sleep on belly. We finally gave in and tried it around 4 months (you could have described our life at that point) and it helped a good bit!

Part of it is also an age thing. It will get better. 

Haley.Beth

At 3 months dd also did this. She fought sleep, it was like she didn't want to miss anything so she threw a fit to keep herself awake. Nothing helped, she wouldn't sleep in the swing, only in my arms (after a good 15 minutes of rocking and singing sometimes), and as soon as I laid her down she woke up and started screaming again. It was miserable, but eventually I learned that all I could do was lay her in her crib, turn on the mobile, and sing to her while rubbing her chest so she knew I wasn't abandoning her. Usually within 10-15 minutes she would get her fingers in her mouth and sooth herself asleep. It took a while, but now she's a little over 4 months and sleeps so much deeper and can put herself to sleep. All I have to do now is lay her in her crib and she falls asleep alone with minimal fussing (not even any crying). I've also gotten much better at reading her cues that she's getting sleepy & I can catch it sooner. There's nothing I can think of to get you through this stage except be patient, and know that this will pass eventually. Good luck!