5 month old will not sleep

[NinjaTurtleMikey]

I really don’t know how he’s managing. Hes not even getting as much sleep as an adult needs never mind a baby!
We get up around 8-9 (now it’s the holidays, before was 7:30) and he’ll have a roll around and a shout and a play, then usually want a cuddle and feed and maybe a nap. He might sleep for 10 minutes 3 times a day. He always has his 8pm bath, feed and sleep. He’s started waking up at 10ish in full party mode. Rolling around, shouting, laughing, playing. This morning it was til 2:30am. He sleeps in bed with me in a bid to try and get some sleep but I just get attacked and screeched at instead. He’s just had a tooth come through and has been having teetha/bonjela but that in itself hasn’t really been affecting him as such.
His eyes are so red because he just won’t give in. The sling used to work every time but now it won’t and he’s bloody heavy. He hates the pram and the car so that won’t work. He will only fall asleep at the boob and will not take a dummy. All the on/off constantly is making my boobs feel like they’ve been sandpapered. He has to be in my arms all the time lately and is now such a light sleeper everything wakes him up and then he’s up for hours. He’s like a newborn again.
Sorry for rambling. So very tired. Any advice is very welcome please!

Have you tried putting him to bed earlier? 8pm to start the bedtime routine sounds quite late! DS is also 5 months old and goes to bed at 6.30. Admittedly he wakes a lot earlier than your 8am but it means his tummy clock is more aligned with daylight hours which helps with a natural circadian rhythm. DS wakes around 6, and so is tired enough for a first nap at 8.30, another at 11.30 and a catnap at 3.30. I put him to bed at 6.30, he conks out until around 10pm when I give him a dreamfeed and then he (usually) sleeps through.

Caveat: I'm not breastfeeding anymore so formula keeps him full for longer and he never wakes from hunger.

@MrcW I thought that putting him to bed later would make him more likely to sleep through, I’ll try it. He will sleep in his crib but keeps rolling onto his front, getting stuck and waking up with crying which is a big part of it I think. He’s got a hippo that plays rainforest noises which helps too. He’s had a new tooth Saturday, Monday and again today (Thursday)! No wonder he’s in a bad mood. He’s suckling for comfort for the most part because he either falls back to sleep relatively quickly on the breast or doesn’t want it at all. My first was the same even on formula til he took a dummy, but this one won’t entertain it. He does wake up anywhere between 5 and 7 am on and off but we just cuddle and I deal with the attacking/playing for a while before we start the day while I can

I had this- wondered how my baby survived on so little sleep. He’s better at the moment- getting loads more hours. Haven’t really changed anything- he goes to sleep 9/9.30 8 months old

It may just be developmental- learning to roll/crawl etc?

Sleep begets sleep, so the less they have, the less they seem to need!

I would start by earlier bedtime - dd at this age I would start the bedtime routine at about 5 with a view of getting her to sleep by 5:30/6pm at the latest. So bath, bottle/boob, book, bed. The earlier time made sure that even if she woke up and pratted around in the night she usually got a good chunk at the beginning of the night.

Then you need to crack naps, 10 mins three times a day is not enough. Does he sleep better being rocked in a pram? Or if white noise is playing? In the car? Work out which ones send him off and use them at nap time to try and gradually increase the time he spends asleep during the day. Once you've cracked that you'll find he should sleep more and for longer.

I do think so, he’s trying to learn how to do everything at the moment as well as getting more teeth. He’s really wanting to crawl and he’s almost got it, can almost sit unaided too. He slept in my arms and in the buggy for a bit today which is strange for him but he’s had some sleep at least!

Ha sorry missed the bit about car/pram! I would give (loud!) white noise a go, it worked like a sleeping tablet for dd.

He’s got a hippo that plays rainforest noises and that seems to help more than playing white noise. He’s only slept in my arms today other than 20 minutes in the pram with is still more than most days but I had to feed him to sleep first even still. Feeding or walking around with him always worked before what ctime was this is but he’s knackered poor thing. He’s also been fully clamping down on my nip whilst grunting/smiling last night and today 😩😩 will have to just see it through

*whatever this is

My autocorrect is going crazy for some reason