Screaming every bedtime!

[a1l320n]

My 10 week old screams every bedtime! She used to scream from 6-8ish but we started a bedtime routine and made sure she was starting that routine more or less as soon as up from nap so not tired. Now the crying is less but once bottle comes At 7 she cries won’t have it wants to sleep. patting rocking pacing eventually one works after she’s screamed the house down and passed out. Im left upset every night from all the crying. She’s pretty happy baby apart from this time of day.

She drinks bottle normally in day and 60 percent of time will self settle for naps happily drifting off . Other times she does act similarly and cries and screams and I’ll have to rock and pat her to sleep as she gets too upset if I put her down. I’m fine with this as at least sometimes she’s sleeping alone and happily and the tears tend to be less for napping time

Any tips for bedtime!!! I want to be able to put her down awake her happy and she sleeps alone but i can’t even try this as she’s hysterical

Her naps roughly (no routine yet led by her)
Wake 7
815-9
1030-1
230/3-4 (some days this is half an hour some days an hour)
5-6 (some days this is half an hour )

In bed for 7. I dream feed her 730 coz she’s not had her bottle!

I’ve tried bottle at 6 but still screams at 7 before bed!

Ds always had a good cry before he slept, he seemed incapable of nodding off without emptying his lungs first. It didn't upset me as I knew it was just tiredness.

Ps on days she’s slept an hour or 2 in afternoon ie closet to bedtime instead of the earlier nap the crying is still as intense!

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor how long for? I mean mine cries for like 15 mins on and off while I’m trying to rock or pat her to sleep. And if I put her down it’s so intense and she’s so cross I pick her up and start trying to pat her and rock her

Oh yeah, a good 15/20 mins. It'll pass eventually.

This sounds like the Witching Hour.

Its usual that young babies want to just feed/cuddle/sleep in small spurts through the early evening. Its called thr witching hour because of all the screaming.

Best bet is to park your bum on the sofa and give an to giving baby all of your attention from 5pm through to bedtime.

I just wish I knew how to get her off to sleep without screaming! Holding her patting her walking feeding (won’t do this) all of it screaming till she passes out!

A dummy might help

She's just saying "I'm tired/ I don't feel right because I'm shattered/ I need sleep NOW, pat me more...no, not like that mum, arghhhhhhhhhhhh!!"

At 10 weeks old it would be unusual for her to tolerate a 7pm bedtime. Evening cluster feeding often goes on for months - I think you might be being a bit unrealistic. Just have her on the sofa with you, feed her on demand and put her down in her cot/basket when you go to bed. This will save her and you all the distress!

She’s bottle fed…I only did 7 as it suited her it began at 9/10pm / no real time! but as the weeks passed she seemed tired and once she’s asleep (after the crying) she sleeps till midnight then wakes again at 4 and then up for 7….so I think the bedTIME suits her. She won’t have a bottle even when she’s tired she just screams when it comes near her she’s like

I’m tired and won’t to sleep. Stop trying to feed me!

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor haha I think your right!!!!

Oh I remember this. Witching hour totally. I just layed in bed with my lo when she did this. Dummy after a full feed and hope I can move her to her bedside cot at some point.

Sounds normal. They don't know whats going on, but sort of do, they're tired and just don't know how to express it. I wouldn't worry. Continue what you're doing and they'll probably stop with the screaming.... until they genuinely are screaming because they hate bed time.

I agree she might not be ready for a 7pm bedtime yet. May be best to feed/nap/soothe until 9 or 10 before putting her to bed. It's hard because you'll want some time to yourself but the earlier bedtimes will soon come and you'll get your evenings back : )