Wind down for touchy 7mo

[scruffymax]

DS is 7mo and has always been touchy. For the first few months nothing really helped calm down - I'd have to put him in the cot screaming, leave him a few mins, and if he didn't fall asleep then I'd have to pat his bum hard and fast for 10-15 mins - same for resettling for short naps or overnight. Around 5 months I found he'd go to sleep peacefully with a dummy - so much so that he'd start closing his eyes on the change table while I was wrapping him. But, with the dummy came the multiple repluggings overnight and sometimes during naps - and it wouldn't always work to resettle him during naps.

I tried not swaddling him a few times but he didn't cope well, so over the last week I've been swaddling him with one arm out which has been ok. He's not able to replug when needed though (even though he can usually do it while awake.

Yesterday morning I decided on a bit of a whim to put him down without the dummy as he was shutting eyes etc while wrapping him even without the dummy. He cried for about one minute then went to sleep. For the afternoon nap he got upset while I was wrapping him but still only cried max 2 mins before falling asleep. He was really happy last night and went down without a peep. I heard a few little tiny cries a few times overnight but they were very short, not even 5 seconds. He woke around 520am and kind of whinged on and off for about 20 mins then slept til 620am. This was a great night for him.

I think he was OT by the time I put him down for his afternoon nap today and he screamed the house down - first when I was changing his nappy, then I took him for a short walk outside but he screamed again when I warped him and put him down.  He fell asleep in 2 mins again though.

My presence doesn't calm him so I'm reluctant to try shush pat or pupd - he really is better left to his own devices. I hate to put him to bed in such a state though - any suggestions from other mums of touchies? Obviously getting a times right is a huge part of it but it's inevitable this isn't going to happen every time. He hated the car seat from birth and still often cries when we walk towards the car - I don't want him having that kind of association with his room/change table/cot.  He's happy to play in the cot when he wakes in the morning and from naps.

Rough easy (good day!!!) in case it helps is
6-630am wu
9-1030am nap
130-3pm nap
630pm bed

[nevinsmama]

Well, heck. You are doing everything I would recommend as my DD is part Touchy and seemed to need to scream before every sleep for the early bits of her life. I would just be sure that he is not being left, even if, as you say, your presence doesn't calm him, that he knows you are still there, incase he DOES need you. Does just sitting in the room with him repeating sleepy phrase do anything? Your routine looks good, and honestly, if he is going out that quickly and getting through the night OK, then I would just keep letting him know you are there and hope he settles out of some of the screaming. It can get old I know! I am trying to remember when DD stopped this and it may have been around 8 months or so.

[scruffymax]

Thanks. Today has been better - got him before OT set in and he went down for both naps without any fuss. I appreciate what you're saying about staying with him if he's upset, but it really does make him worse. This has been hard for me to accept but unfortunately it's true and at the end of the day I have to listen to what he's telling me. Thanks again :-)