4.5 months sleep refusal

[alltalknobaby]

Just posting for a bit of moral support. At the end of my tether a bit here.

DD is 4.5 months and for the past month has been refusing naps and bedtime. She does sleep all night when she's down (please don't flame me, I know this is amazing, it's the days I am struggling with) but it can take hours to get her down for naps and bedtime. She has about 3-4 naps a day lasting between 45 minutes and 2 hours, sometimes (rarely) she will have a 3 hour nap. If it takes me an hour to get her down each time, that's 4-5+ hours a day that I am spending attempting to get her to sleep and I am struggling to see light at the end of the tunnel.

Yesterday was particularly bad - it took me 4.5 hours to get her to sleep. Started at 7.30 and she finally dropped off at midnight. She is tired - she's grizzling, crying, staring into space, rubbing her face - but she just WILL NOT SLEEP.

Just wondering if anyone can give me any hope or words of support please.

Anyone?

Hi there, my DD is about the same age. What strategies are you using? Early on I found my DD wouldn't go down for naps so now I just accept she naps on me or when out for a walk or drive somewhere instead. That way no actual effort on my part is needed and she's a happy baby. Where does your DD sleep at night and what time do you start bedtime routine? What does your routine involve? I've recently moved my routine to start earlier when she first shows signs of crankiness and that's stopped all grumbles now.

Thanks for your reply Lucky. Bedtime routine involves putting on her little musical star, change into pyjamas and bottle in the nursery. All lovely and quiet with lots of gentle singing and cuddling. Strategies I use to get her to sleep involve cuddling, rocking, putting her on my bed, cuddling her on my bed, going downstairs and letting her snap out of it and trying again half an hour later. Also tried car and buggy - both of these work eventually. But I don't want to have to resort to them every night. She used to be so good at going to sleep. I have read up on the 4 month sleep "regression" and it seems that she may be struggling with dropping off and the light sleep phase.

I think I might start trying to initiate the bedtime routine a bit earlier. Have you had any success with that?

Sorry, she sleeps in her crib by my bed for all naps and at night. Bedtime can be anywhere between 6 and 7.30, depending on when I start seeing tired cues.

She won't sleep on me, so that's not an option.