Baby cries before every nap

[murphy36]

14week old cries before every single nap. He's clearly very tired, but just cries. We put him down at the first signs of being tired. Sometimes he's awake and 'plays' for a bit, then cries. Often he cries so much we never get the nap, then gets over tired often leading to being up all night. Is that normal?

He doesn't sleep better with more food, more comforting it seems. Only time he goes down without complaint is after swimming.

It's leading to pretty traumatic days.

Will he feed to sleep? Or be rocked? Have you tried taking him out for a walk in the pram/sling to get him to sleep?

All of them can (sometimes) send him off, but he still cries before falling asleep

How long is he awake for before you start trying to get him to nap?

1.5 - 2 hrs

Have you tried getting him to sleep earlier? The first awake period of the day is usually shortest, so maybe start feeding/rocking etc after an hour awake.

I agree try putting him down sooner...

My 12 week old can't go even 1.5 hrs before getting crabby and needing to nap. She can only last an hour, one hour 10 sometimes.

She then has bedtime at 6.30 to 7 and gets up at 8 ish. She ends so much sleep or she melts down, but when she is awake she is very alert.

I have periods like this where it seems like the only time DD will fall asleep is after crying.
We've tried routines, putting her down early before overtiredness sets in, rocking to sleep in arms, leaving her to settle herself etc. and sometimes she falls asleep easily and sometimes it feels like a fight.
I think its more to do with her stages of development and that she just goes through fussy phases.
Even though she cries I would always cuddle - to help her feel secure. (We've only stopped this recently as she has a new cry that me and DP can recognise isn't her usual tiredness but is for attention, so in that scenario we shush and pat her but don't pick her up)
She's now 7 months and its much better than when she was 12 weeks. I have found the pram and regular fresh air a godsend for daytime naps - so if at home at the first sign of tiredness its coat on and out for a walk. Usually do this twice a day and although she might grumble it does stop relatively quickly, nights have got better and the added bonus is that this 1-2 hours of walking is doing wonders for both my mental and physical health.

Thanks StuckOn...

His first sleep of the day is short one.

Not sure how other people workout how long their babies last. Ours doesn't 'self settle' yet and his sleeping cues are rare. He yawns when he wakes up more than before. If we ever see one he goes down.

White noise did work for a bit to help him settle without crying - doesn't anymore lol.