HELP!!!
He's never been great at napping during the day and going down at night but he's recently had a cold/ chest infection and things have now gone from bad to worse.
The usual routine is that he will go down for about 30-45 minutes at bedtime and then wake up and unable to get back to sleep. Last night rewoke at 8 and was still awake after 9.30. The same thing happens at nap times - sleeping for 10-30 mins then waking still tired. Have tried everything I can think of - blackout blinds, swaddling, shushing, lullabys, music, white noise, crying it out (was sick one time when left for >15minutes). Someone told me that this is due to waking from first sleep cycle and that I should try stirring him about 30mins into his sleep (if he reaches that far) but this doesn't seem to work either! He will settle/sleep with a dummy but as soon as it hits the cot he wakes and starts crying again. Would obviously prefer if he learnt to soothe himself!
This lack of sleep means that he's knackered by bedtime and really quite difficult to get him to stay awake for feeds often in the morning. He goes off to sleep quickly in car/pram/sling and same thing happens after 45 mins of sleep but he can usually go back off to sleep easily afterwards.
Should I just persevere with the cry it out technique or is this wildly inappropriate for his age? He has now been crying for more than half an hour at his afternoon nap and still not settling...
I know I shouldn't complain as was going thro the night (once we finally got him off to sleep after 9pm) until I woke him at 7am for a feed (often knackered and too tired to feed). Hasn't been going thro night for last week but this is likely due to having the cold.
HELP!