16weeks aagh what do I do?!

[hairRaising]

My 16w baby suddenly cannot nap beyond the first nap of the day and even that is a struggle - what can I do??

We've tried sling/buggy/dummy/white noise/breastfeeding/rocking but eyes are wide open like a little maniac - then poor thing is screeching for up to 2hoyrs coz so overtired.

Baby used to do 4 x 45 min naps and maybe one longer nap if buggy was moving. Could nap anywhere. Now all gone to s**t , what to do?!

Forgot to say used to do 1h 15 wake time but now just incapable of sleeping

I am literally the last person to offer advice (my DS wont sleep longer than an hour at night for like ever) but I can sympathise. DS has got really hard to get to nap and thats with him sleeping on me. He will screech in my ear while i rock him back and forth (he decided a few weeks ago he doesnt want to be fed to sleep for naps ??) He will go to sleep but will often wake after 30min or 45min. I can shush him back to sleep maybe 50% of the time. He used to sleep 2hour stints on me. If i put him down he wakes instantly but thats not new.

Its developmental I am told so am hoping to wait it out . The four month regression sucks.

Hand hold

Does he have reflux?

And does he sleep OK at night?

4 month development leap and sleep regression. Nothing you can do but ride it out.

Yup. 4 month sleep regression.
My DD fought naps with a passion at 4 months, but now, at 6 months old, goes down in my arms with some singing without a problem (massive improvement).
So this too shall pass.

Thanks guys for your answers. It's good to know it will pass - how long does it take?

But bad news of nothing to do but ride it out - is there really nothing that will help the baby fall asleep for naps? ? Surely the lack of rest would make them ill?

Jelly babies sorry to hear you have a screecher too, why oh why do they fight the sleep when they need it so much?

No reflux here

Can last a couple of months. (Sorry.)

Rocking/bouncing/feeding to sleep, cosleeping, lots of cuddles, flexible approach all helped with DD.

(There’s another massive leap at 8 months, just to warn you!)

Will baby sleep in the buggy? My DD got bad at naps at 4 months and often I would abandon trying to put her to sleep at home (after maybe an hour of trying!!), put her in the buggy and march around the block until she finally gave in. I used a dummy which helped massively. Also it was summer so it was relatively easy to just go outside. It could still take her 45 mins to pass out. My Fitbit step counter was hitting daily goals like never before! It did pass after a few weeks. It sucked at the time. Also make sure baby definitely isn’t hungry. DD would resist naps for so long that feeding time (breastfed) would roll around again. Fill her up, get in that buggy! Good luck.

Oops sorry saw you’ve tried buggy. Will baby take a dummy?? Also don’t worry, it might not last a couple of months. It only lasted a few weeks for me and hasnt happened again. DD is 10 months now and no problems napping since the dreaded four months.

Ha thefitbit increase made me smile :) Yes we've tried buggy but baby not having it. Slightly better today coz adopted a new tactic of trying for a few mins then stopping & going to another room etc when baby got upset, leave it ten mins then try again etc. That seemed to have more success than trying for ages and baby getting more wound up

Thanks for helping

And yes takes a dummy and loves it but keeps falling out which prob isn't helping but can't bear idea of ditching the dummy now