I don't know what happened. His crying escalates very quickly until he is inconsolable and either falls asleep from overtiredness or l have to take him out.
Background: he is almost 10 months old and has always been a crier before falling asleep. He has typically two naps now - at 11 and at 3:30. When Dad puts him to bed, he sleeps smoothly and for an hour, but although l do same things, something has happened with us.
Our ritual in the good old days (a week ago or so): when he is getting sleepy, we pick him up and spend a quiet wind down time for 5 minutes, then dress him into his blanket, sing a lullaby, put him down and go sit in a chair out of his line of sight. He does his mantra cry, but soon falls asleep; if his crying escalates, we go to him, pick him up or soothe otherwise. When he sleeps, we sneak out. Sometimes he becomes mischevous and stands up a lot, then we put him down gently, saying it's nap time, and sit in the chair again. Sometimes we have to do it for a small number of times.
We have never done cry it out, we've had him on a schedule since 1 month-old, done everything according to the book (at first shushpat, then when he learned to fall asleep on his own at 5 months, started to do pu/pd) and it's been going smoothly until now. I feel like I am to blame, but however much l try, l can't seem to make him sleep. So far night bedtime has been as swell as before, the problem is napping. I thought perhaps he doesn't need 2 naps, but he gets cranky by the end of the day (as we speak!) and also, his Dad manages to put him down for 2 naps like the new baby whisperer. It's so freaking frustrating.
There are two things l've thought about that might affect this: he is teething (just started this last month, his first tooth is halfway out and the second is showing), and also, I lost my grandmother at Christmas, so l must admit l have been quite emotional/restless/sad. Maybe he can sense it?
Sorry for the long post, but l'm really at a loss here.
