u/frenchtoast2go

I guess I need to rant…I wish this didn’t get to me the way it does but here we are…

FTM to a 5month old..,.it’s been 3 weeks now of him refusing to nap in his crib.

It’s so defeating that he won’t nap anymore. Spending 3+hours in a dark room is really starting to mess with me.

I spend more time trying to get him to nap than he actually naps.

I have tried everything. I just let him cry for 3 minutes over and over and over again. I hate letting him cry and have avoided this until this week…I contact nap and feed him before and have a nap routine.

I really don’t know what to do and need help.

Then I spend my entire time w him doing laundry, walking the dog, cooking, putting groceries away, cleaning that he doesn’t actually have any activity time.

From having him in the carrier and him getting heavier my right knee is starting to feel like it’s going to give out.

I’m honestly feeling really overwhelmed and confused and could use some advice or reassurance.

My EB 5-month-old was previously sleeping really well. He could fall asleep independently at bedtime and was even sleeping through the night. I felt like I finally had a rhythm and kind of knew what I was doing. Was even thinking about picking up some shifts at work.

Recently, everything has changed.

He’s been waking up every 2 hours and won’t go back down unless I feed him. I attempted to move his feeds around so he wouldn’t associate sleep with feeding—it worked for two nights, but now we’re back to waking every two hours.

Daytime is also a mess. He fights naps unless I hold him, and even contact naps are sometimes a struggle. He seems overtired most of the day. He used to tolerate the stroller, but now he hates it. He’s fussier during the day, gets bored quickly, and wants constant engagement, which makes it hard to get anything done.

For context, our schedule is roughly:

•	Wake: \~7 AM

•	Bedtime: \~7:30 PM

•	Wake windows: \~2 hours

•	Naps: inconsistent and always a fight

We have a thorough bedtime and nap routine, but it hasn’t been helping lately.

Other things I’ve noticed:

•	He’s only rolled a couple of times

•	Seems happiest right after waking

•	Enjoys nursery rhymes and being outside for short periods

•	Otherwise gets frustrated quickly

He goes down for bedtime okay but wakes shortly after. Everyone keeps saying it’s teething, but his gums don’t look red, and I’m not convinced.

I feel like he’s probably confused because I keep switching things up and honestly, so am I.

Some questions I have:

•	Should I just go back to feeding before naps?

•	Should I co-sleep for a season to get through this?

•	Should I sleep train or is he too young?

•	How long do I let him fuss while putting him down for nap?

I feel like I went from “I got this” to “I have no idea what I’m doing” overnight.

Any advice, reassurance, or personal experiences would be really appreciated