Sleep issues with DS (4.5 months) long

[ArizonaGirl]

I am at my wits end. I just don't know what to do. I had been rocking him to sleep at night and for nap, but the ped said it was okay to start letting him fuss a bit, which I am fine with. This seems to work pretty well at night, he fusses (not cries) for 10-15 minutes and then falls asleep (we put him down awake at 9 pm), if he starts screaming I go and pick him up soothe rock him and then lay him down again, etc. He then sleeps until 5-6 am.

The real problem we have is with nap time. We don't have any real schedule (partially my fault and partially due to the naptime challenge). Even when I rock him to sleep and he is completely asleep he will sleep a maximum of 45 minutes and usually only about 20 minutes. And, we have tried letting him fuss himself to sleep and he will just work himself up to a red-faced scream that I don't see how he could ever fall asleep from. We have tried napping in the bassinet (PNP, which is where he currently sleeps, we're moving...another story), swing, bouncy, on the floor. He sleeps much better in my arms but still thrashes and startles himself awake (we have tried swaddling and he thrashes free in minutes).

I know he is not getting the recommended 14-16 hours of sleep and I can't get anything done, plus he is 15 lbs and getting too heavy to hold all of the time.

thanks for reading this far

[deannanb]

It does get better.
about that age - DS was sleeping most of the time in the swing. I knew it would not last forever - but if he would sleep - then that is where he stayed!

Napping was short at that age too - nothing routine for us - now that he is older things are much better routine wise.

Do you have a sling? those work great for babies who love to be held - love our wrap - it does take some getting used to
http://www.thebabywearer.com/ and http://wearyourbaby.com/ are two very good websites

[newg]

I would try to set up a routine that you use at naptime and bedtime......we do the same music and sleep sack at bedtime and naptime.........dd is a wiggle worm and we have been using a sleep sack from the beginning (used a sleep swaddle the first few months)....I feel it helps her keep her limbs and arms in check!
I started writing down dd's eat times and sleep times to help me figure out her patterns and routines.......she never slept at the same time each day....but I knew she was always ready for a nap after so many hrs. after eating.....
Getting a routine is never easy...but it makes things a little easier....don't give up!!!

[SnuggleBuggles]

With both of my boys, real naps didn't start till around 6 months Until then there were catnaps after nursing, in the bouncy seat, in the car...that sort of thing. I know I was so confused with ds1 b/c he just wasn't taking "crib naps"- defined by me as the kind of nap where you can put them in their crib and they'll sleep for an extended period. Then one day it just started happening. It was a great lesson to have learned so I was able to just roll with things for ds2. They were/are both great nappers!

Beth

[sste]

IPPs have offered great suggestions. My only other suggestion is that you should try to put him down for his nap sooner than you are and see if that helps. Babies that are over-tired can have a very hard time self-soothing and getting themselves to sleep . . . they just start to melt down and can't get it together to sleep. So to me, it sounds like he could be overtired. Maybe try his first nap 2-3 hours after he first gets up.

[ArizonaGirl]

sorry I am a newbie what does IPP mean

[sste]

Sorry, it means PPs (previous posters) and I was typing too quickly and made a typo with the "IPP."