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Hi Yana,
From what you’ve mentioned, it sounds like he isn’t always fussy or upset throughout the day. Does that sound correct? If he’s unsettled even when he’s sleeping, though, it could suggest there might be something causing him discomfort.
Is he continuing to gain weight and staying on track with his growth curve?
It seems like he gets fussy when you enter the bedroom, which can sometimes happen if they start associating the bedroom with sleep time. One thing that might help is slightly changing the nap and bedtime routine so that most of it happens in the living room, with just the final part in the bedroom.
Would you be open to tweaking the routine a bit to see if it helps him cry less? Here’s what it could look like:
Nap Routine:
- Before nap time, turn off the bedroom light and switch on the white noise machine.
- Put his Love to Dream Swaddle on in the living room.
- Then walk into the bedroom, singing a lullaby.
- Once you’re in the room, continue singing and do a lap around the room.
- Stand still, keep singing, and gently pat his bottom.
- Gradually stop singing and continue patting his bottom.
- Finally, stop patting and let him fall asleep in your arms.
Bedtime Routine:
- Before getting him ready for bed, turn off the bedroom light and turn on the white noise machine.
- Change his diaper in the living room or a brighter room.
- Put on his Love to Dream Swaddle.
- Feed him in the living room or a bright room.
- Then walk into the bedroom, singing the lullaby.
- Once you’re in the room, continue singing and do a lap of the room.
- Stand still, singing, and patting his bottom.
- Gradually stop singing and keep patting his bottom.
- Finally, stop patting and let him fall asleep in your arms.
Once he gets familiar with this routine and starts falling asleep without movement, you can then transition to using the settling pyramid after you do a lap around the room singing the lullaby.
Also, you mentioned that he prefers to be held upright, so you might want to consider holding him in that position while you sing the lullaby and pace the room. That could help him feel more comfortable and calm.
It’s great to hear that he has a consistent wake-up time already. On the nights when he goes to bed at 6:30 pm, I would expect him to wake up around 6-6:30 am at the latest, as that’s a full 12 hours of sleep. On nights he goes to bed at 8 pm, a 7-7:30 am wake-up would be more typical.
I noticed that his bedtime seems to vary quite a bit—does it usually shift that much, or is it more commonly around 8 pm with occasional earlier bedtimes?
Also, I was wondering if you’ve tried using a swaddle sleeping bag where his arms are down by his sides? Swaddling can sometimes have an instant calming effect, so it might be worth trying if you have one on hand. However, if he’s showing early signs of learning to roll over, it’s best to skip this and start transitioning to a sleeping bag where his arms are free.
Does any of this sound doable?
Emma