Screaming and Crying when tired

My son is 5 months and when he's very tired he just screams and cries. We can't seem to do anything to soothe him except hold him and rock him back and forth and pat his back.

He can't seem to fall asleep on his own.

He naps horrible during the day but sleeps from 9:30-7 at night.

I need some suggestions!

Re: Screaming and Crying when tired

This is an easy fix. He sounds overtired. You are probably missing his sleepy signs and keeping him awake too long. At his age the longest he should be awake is 2 hours max. You might need to sooth him to sleep at the hour an a half mark. The Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child book is a great reference.

Screaming and Crying when tired

My DD was like that too at that age. And it was because she was just too tired. I would wrap her tight in a swaddle. We used to bring those swaddle me's everywhere. She needed to be wrapped and held tight and rocked hard. White noise helped settle her too. That was the only way we could' get her to calm and finally get to sleep.

Screaming and Crying when tired

Try an earlier bedtime. Especially if he doesn't sleep during the day. But I agree he's awake to long during the day

ETA DD1 sign was putting her ear to her shoulder and rubbing it.

Message edited 7/21/2014 8:58:33 PM.

Screaming and Crying when tired

Try an earlier bedtime. Especially if he doesn't sleep during the day. But I agree he's awake to long during the day

Screaming and Crying when tired

When they get like that they are overtired. At that age dd would be up for 2 hours max. Naps are very important. When they get overtired they don't know how to get themselves to sleep. They're too far gone.

Screaming and Crying when tired

..and def an earlier bedtime. That would be really late for dd. We start her bedtime routine at 7, sleeping by 730. Sleeps to 7/8am.

Re: Screaming and Crying when tired

Agree with the PPs, that is way too late a bedtime for his age. He's crying because he is overtired. Try looking for his tired signs. Does he rub his ears or eyes? Shake his head back and forth? Stuff you might not normally associate with being tired... I think maybe you could start with a soothing bath around 7pm and watch to see how he reacts.

Screaming and Crying when tired

I put ds to sleep every 2 hrs sometimes he wilk sleep for 45 min and other times its 2 hrs. Its a routine that we try to stick to.

Screaming and Crying when tired

Earlier bed time isn't really possible right now because I work till six and barely get to see him during the week. The real trouble is naps. My mom watches him during the day and he just won't nap for her.

He naps when my husband comes home at 4 until about 530. But he's overtired at this point and screams and it makes my husband feel awful.

Night time isn't really the issue he goes down at night fine.

Screaming and Crying when tired

As other posters have stated, the 2 hour awake time during the day is so important at this age. Time it and stick to it and you will (hopefully) see a much happier baby!!

Screaming and Crying when tired

It's difficult because I'm not home with him during the day. If I am home (like on the weekends) he naps fine. But during the week He stays with my mom. It's so hard going to work as it is, and now I have to worry about him not napping during the day

Screaming and Crying when tired

If it's the same time everyday and not at every nap or bedtime then it's just their witching hour IMO. My ds would get that way around 7 every night no matter what.

Re: Screaming and Crying when tired

Posted by Pinkisles

It's difficult because I'm not home with him during the day. If I am home (like on the weekends) he naps fine. But during the week He stays with my mom. It's so hard going to work as it is, and now I have to worry about him not napping during the day

Re: Screaming and Crying when tired

Re: Screaming and Crying when tired

Posted by iluvmynutty

Posted by Pinkisles

It's difficult because I'm not home with him during the day. If I am home (like on the weekends) he naps fine. But during the week He stays with my mom. It's so hard going to work as it is, and now I have to worry about him not napping during the day

Can you instruct you mom very specifically how she she get him to nap and the max time he should be awake for. Explain that he is becoming overtired and then impossible to sooth. Do you and she write down/journal his day ie/

Wake Diaper Fed Sleep Comments

7:30. Wet/poop 7 oz 9:30
10:15. Wet 6 1/2 oz 12:15 Hit head on toy
1:15. Wet 7oz. 3:15
4:00. Wet/poop 6oz 6:00
6:40 Wet 7oz. 9:00

If you document everything you can see patterns and figure what is and isn't working regarding his schedule. It will also hold her accountable for maintaining his schedule because you can come home from work and see it in his "notebook". If you're not doing this already, start on the weekend so your mom can see what a couple good days look like and she can continue to mirror that schedule.

Re: Screaming and Crying when tired

Re: Screaming and Crying when tired

Re: Screaming and Crying when tired

Posted by Pinkisles

It's difficult because I'm not home with him during the day. If I am home (like on the weekends) he naps fine. But during the week He stays with my mom. It's so hard going to work as it is, and now I have to worry about him not napping during the day

Re: Screaming and Crying when tired

It really seems like he is overtired. Also, he may not be getting enough sleep at night if he isn't napping during the day. Being awake from 530 until 930 with little naps at 5 months old is way too long. He needs to go down sooner.

My DD is 6 months and is a terrible napper. She will sleep 3-4 times during the day at 20-30 minutes a pop. That's it.

By the time I get to my moms she is already showing signs of needing to go down for the night. So I only get a hour with her on most weeknights before she goes down for the night. She sleeps 7-730.

She can't go longer than 2 hours before she is starting to show signs of sleep.

I would show your mom how you get DS to go down on the weekends for his naps so she can do the same for him during the week.

Some ways my mom gets DD for her naps is talking her for walk in the stroller until she passes out. Then she relaxes outside in the yard while she naps.

She also lays DD in the pnp with her bottle propped up under a blanket so she can feed herself. DD will fall asleep while eating and then my mom removes the bottle and blanket. The pnp is in the dining room so she can see her from the kitchen. She puts on a noise machine as well and closes the blinds in the room.

She will also just feed her in the glider and than just put her down when she falls asleep. This method is hit or miss because DD doesn't transfer well. So its 50/50 that she wakes up when she puts her down.

The biggest thing is getting her to go down around a feeding since the bottle soothes her to sleep.

Message edited 7/22/2014 9:51:04 AM.

Screaming and Crying when tired

I asked my mom to write down when he eats and naps for the day and she gave me a hard time about it.

I really don't want to work and want to be home with him. This might be a big push into exploring that direction.

Re: Screaming and Crying when tired