I think my 12 week old baby boy is going through the 4 months sleep regression a little early. He has never been a great sleeper and was in the sleepy newborn stage for about 1 week. After about 3/4 weeks we decided to put in his room for naps swaddled as if at nighttime and this improved things a little bit he often didn't get enough daytime sleep which led to a battle at bedtime trying to put him down and stay asleep in bed. However after a couple of hours picking up and putting down he would sleep for 4-5 hours.
We have recently stopped swaddling as he was getting very frustrated by it and escaping every night and he doesn't seem to be jumping awake as much anymore.
For the past 6 days/ nights things have got even more difficult. After huge battles he's sleeping an hour or 45 minutes and constantly wants sending to sleep by breast feeding. If me or my partner try cradling him, sometimes in the day but often at night, he gets agitated and moans until he turns into a huge cry and he will not calm down at all unless he is put back on the breast.
He's just slept 20 minutes and could not be cuddled and just wanted feeding back to sleep. I know it's not a growth spurt because we have had 6 nights of it now which is too long. It's just so difficult because I feel no-one can help even though my partner tries he just gets so upset.
I don't know what to do because I can't go anywhere because he won't sleep if it's noisy out even if I push him pram constantly. He cries to be fed and then wakes up when put down and the cycle starts all over again. It's the same when we have visitors and sometimes even if I'm just watching tv. Even now if I put him down in a dark room he wakes up very soon after. Holding for 20 minutes doesn't work anymore.
Please any advice? He's too young for sleep training and I wouldn't want to leave him to cry anyway but I feel like I can't keep going on like this. I feel like I have to feed him and hold him in a dark room by myself to get him to sleep!