8 week old will not be put down

[citymonkey]

last week my then 7 week old slept for longer stretches at night for the first time (from 7:30/8 to 12/1am, then 3ish and 6/7ish). He was settling quickly after night feeds and going back in his basket. This was while we were away at my parents. Back yesterday and last night it took two hours to settle him at bedtime, dummy ineffective (had started using a dummy at my parents for first time to settle at bedtime), he then slept for 3.5hrs before waking to be fed, then awoke a couple times before feed at 3:30. He didn't really settle after this at all and hasn't slept for any time really since then. He will fall asleep on me but wake as soon as he is put down and really scream. Not sure what is going on or what I have done wrong. He seems exhausted but I can't have him on me all the time (moving house so need to pack). I assume he is too young to be left to cry for any length of time?? It is so odd how sudden this is.

Yes it's too young for any sleep training. I found with both my children the more over tired they were, the worse they slept and the more they woke actually tbh.

Growth spurts can also foul things up and they wake more for feeds. My suggestion would simply be to shelve any packing for a few days and help your baby catch up on sleep with co sleeping and other gentle methods and then return to the routine you had before that was working well once they're settling again and sleeping well. My children needed a nap every 90 mins to 2 hrs in the day at this age.

If you have someone who can come and help you pack a bit, then take them up on their offer. Babies do have these hiccups with sleep unfortunately. You haven't done anything wrong. Hth

Thanks. Am hoping it is just unrest as result of being at my parents for a week and coming back. He was the same most if the day today (unsettled, crying out when not held, waking as soon as put down) but managed to get him to sleep for 90 mins from 1pm and another hour at 4pm, though that doesn't seem like enough for such a small person! Seemed bit more relaxed towards end of day and I took him in the bath with me / fed plenty. I write this in the dark from next to his Moses basket where he has been relatively quietly for the last 20 mins with a dummy which he seems to be barely tolerating as a substitute for boob... Here's hoping.

Has he pooed yet?

Yep earlier today. Doesn't seem to have made any difference though - asleep by 8 tonight but awake by half 10 for food, asleep by 11 but awake again at half 12. Seemed hungry (wouldn't tKe dummy) so I fed him but am not sure was for food more for comfort. Asleep on my chest now, about to try and put him down.

He just seemed so much more content last week when having longer sleeps - he is generally quite angsty today

Maybe he's sensitive to the change of environment. Was there a background sound at your parents he could have got used to? Was it a different temperature? Any other change?

I went to MIL's to stay when my DD was 4 months, she slept horrendously and fed on and off every night whilst there, when I returned home it took about 3 days for her to settle back to her usual self. So I really feel for you. You must be exhausted.