DS is becoming increasingly difficult to get to sleep/nap.
He fights his day time naps as though his life depends on it, despite yawning, rubbing his eyes etc. I can see his eyes going as though he’s about to drift off, and then he wakes himself up and pushes my face/thrashes around. This can happen 2 or 3 times before he finally sleeps. I’m increasingly having to try new ways to get him to sleep... like gently tapping my fingers on his arm, or tickling the palm of his hand... it’s like he needs to be distracted to fall asleep. He’s only once fallen asleep by himself, other than that he always has a cuddle and feed to sleep.
He’s also waking up for the day at around 4am, he’s always been an early riser but it’s just getting earlier and earlier.
His routine is:
4-4:30am - wake up. (I try to make this as boring as possible, minmal interaction. He’ll just play and chatter in his cot for around 20 mins or so then end up being grumpy as he wants someone to go and get him. He looks exhausted at this time, but just cannot seem to manage to go back to sleep)
7:30am - nap, sometimes 40 mins, sometimes up to 2 hours
12:45pm - nap, as above
4:30pm - dinner
5:30pm - bath
6:00pm - bottle, book, teeth, bed
11:00pm - wakes for bottle
2:30am - sometimes wakes for another bottle
Although his day time naps vary in length, he never has 2 long naps. The morning one is usually 1.5hrs and the afternoon one is usually 40 mins.
Anyone have any tips/advice? I hate battling with him to nap, but he always seems tired. I’m also worried I’m setting him up with bad sleep habits. Maybe something isn’t quite right in our routine? I’m so tired I can’t see the wood for the trees