3.5m cries for an hour at bedtime - why?

[McLondoner]

Our little boy, born full term, cries for one hour at bed time whatever we do. It had been going on for a whole month.

Through the day we do eat play sleep and he sleeps easily independently (often within 1 min) in his bedside crib or in the pram. He naps for ~40m 4/5x a day with 1 hour 30 wake windows. He cries to signal need for nap which aligns with huckleberry predictions very closely.

Implementing a routine is tricky as he often cries as soon as we go upstairs (not true for naps). But he does get changed have a story and go to a darker room for a while before we try and put him in bed.

He has no issues passing gas, and no medical issues except an umbilical hernia (which has been checked out).

Once he gets to sleep he's quite good. We do a dream feed at 10/11 then he sleeps until 4:30 ish. After a feed he sleeps again until 6/6:30 and we start the day.

I just want to know what upsets my boy every day!

could It be colic

Yes it could be colic. I bf my DCs and for middle DS had to drop dairy from my diet. That fixed the 5-7pm misery.

Or try an earlier bed time?

If he’s crying to signal he’s tired could it maybe be possible you’ve missed other sleep signs before this? Like rubbing face, yawning, eyes closing, red eyebrows etc. I have always out my baby down as soon as she shows me a sleep sign and she’s never cried to sleep. Maybe he’s crying because he’s overtired. Good luck x

Is he still hungry? At this age, I always think when in doubt-feed.

He goes to bed at some point between 6&8 depending on how his naps have added up during the day. He cries when we go upstairs. It's as if he knows what's coming and is scared or something...