8-month-old waking after early morning feed and struggling to settle getting distressed

[Jkp123456]

Hi just looking for some advice first time mum
my son 8 months has been a really good sleeper (wake at 12and 3 for a feed) but the last few weeks he’s been having his feed at 12 like normal and then waking for his feed around 4-4.45 and just not going back to sleep but not wide awake he’s completely restless with his eyes closed most of the time just tossing and turning his head and whining/getting distressed wether he’s on me , in his cot , he’s very good at going to bed 90% of the time I can put him down awake and he will settle himself sometimes he needs extra comfort but that’s ok of course and that has worked for us completely until a few weeks ago now I’m just not sure what I’m doing wrong
Just to add I’ve tried settling him without the feed to it doesent seem to work
thank you 🙏

Just thought I better add he’s has 2 naps a day last one probably 4 pm the other in the morning both about an hour ish long and then bedtime 7.30

A nap at 4pm and bed at 7:30 is quite a short amount of time for a nap and then to build up tiredness again so it could easily be that. If they aren’t tired enough by bedtime they then don’t sleep as long as they’ve caught up soon.

But honestly sometimes they just go through stages and there’s nothing necessarily wrong that you’re able to “fix”. Baby sleep isn’t linear and just because they’ve slept one way for however long doesn’t mean it won’t then change.

Do you mean finishing his 2nd nap at 4pm? If so that seems too late if you want a 7.30 bedtime. Either try and move the naps earlier or do a later bedtime. He is showing you he has simply run out of sleep pressure by the early hours so you need to make him tireder before bed.