Nap time

[Kerjohn]

Hi everyone! Just wanting some advice I'm sure there will be people on the same boat! My son is 3 and a half months old! He's always been a dream baby slept whenever, took him bottles well a good boy. We went on holiday last week for a week, he started teething on holiday and a bit fussy but nothing major, got home on Sunday and he's not been the same baby!
He fights his naps so much, won't go to sleep unless he's being rocked in the pram! He's only a cat Napper which is fine it works for him but now he even fights his little naps he won't sleep on me or in his chair/swing.
Last night before bed he screamed and cried for one whole hour as if he was over tired but this was only at 8 (his usual bed time)
Not sure where I've gone wrong this week but something has changed! I wondered if he was just getting back into rhythm after being away for a week? Who knows?
He also won't take a dummy. Is crying it out the best options?

I could have written some of this post OP. DS is 15 weeks and now fights every nap, cries and whines from being overtired, is a nightmare to get to sleep at night and is now refusing a dummy. No advice I’m afraid but hopefully someone else will.

Have a look at the four month sleep regression. It can be a killer! It's - I think - the only sleep regression (progression?!) where your baby's sleep changes permanently afterwards. For us, it meant that all the rocking etc stopped working 😱 because he started to fight input from us to sleep. but it also meant he became a much more independent sleeper, and with some very gentle sleep training, started sleeping through the night about 6 weeks later.

@sar302 do you know if this sleep regression can just affect daytime naps? His night sleep is pretty much the same (other than fighting getting himself off to sleep). I’m dreading him waking up in the night more and really hope we can somehow avoid it!

4 month regression... it often eases within a week or two

Hi. It did affect his naps too. He was a decent sleeper - naps and night - and it just seemed he got fussier, napped shorter, and got harder to put down for a while. That was when we noticed he wanted less input and just wanted to be left alone a bit more.

@sar302 thank you - sounds just like my DS right now!

@Sunflower160 you have my sympathies! It's shit! My DS couldn't resist a nap in the car though, so if it really wasn't working, occasionally just used to drive for miles - hideous for the environment and my car 🙈

He just had another sleep regression at 18 months which lasted for 6 weeks of 4.30am wake ups. After sleeping perfectly for a year...

They like to keep you on your toes... good luck!

@sar302 same - the car and the pushchair both work but not always ideal! Oh gosh, never a week the same! Thanks for your advice :)

It is a nightmare 🤦🏼‍♀️ did he cry it out sometimes is that what made him a bit more independent? I don't want to take DS out of the house without the pram right now incase he gets so tired and won't sleep😩 not great x

We didn't do cry it out. But that's not say he went down without a whimper. He used to get a bit cross, I would say, rather than upset - you could hear a difference in the sound. He would frequently mutter and shout for a good 5-15mins before settling.

On the occasions he properly cried, it was because he needed a bit more milk, or he'd pooed as soon as we'd left the room.

Ah okay! Thanks for that! Going to try putting him upstairs to his cot tomorrow for naps and let him fuss it out himself for a while! Wish me luck 🤣

🤞🏻 best of luck!! I'm sure you'll be able to tell the difference between pissed off and upset. Unfortunately I have no further advice for if it is actual upset 🙈