Why is my baby all the sudden fighting sleep?

Question

It use to be so easy to put him to sleep. He is now 6 months old and every time he is tired it is obvious. I nurse him to sleep, and now he'll just rub his eyes so hard, and kick his legs and move around when he's eating. I've tried to rock him to sleep, but he cries, he sleeps with me, so that doesn't work. I've had it quiet and i've had dull lullaby's in the background. I don't know what to do, it takes almost an hour to calm him down to sleep. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

Do you have a swing? Whenever my son is overtired I will either push him in the stroller around the house until he falls asleep or put him in his swing.

Answer 2

Are you a first time Mom?  The reason I am asking because if you get in the habit of " nursing him to sleep , or rocking him to sleep", you will more then likely regret it later.  I wouldn't do that at all.  Let the baby learn to fall asleep on his own or he never will and you will be misserable.   Also the sleeping with you will be so hard to break the older he gets.  I would stop it all now and lay him down and let him fall asleep on his own.   He might be overtired or over stimulated by you.  He may need another nap somewhere or just quiet time alone.

Imagine the nightmares if you go out one night and have a sitter or Grandma sit for him if he is in the habit of being "put to sleep or use to sleeping with you" .  I would get him down and settled in his OWN crib and eventually he will be an independent sleeper and you can relax.

Answer 3

Your son is just too excited and curious to sleep.  He is now at the age that he is alert and has figured out how to do things and sleeping is the last thing he wants to do.  He has a big world he wants to explore.  I moved my son to his own room and gave him what he needed and then just let him cry.  He eventually learned that he isnt getting his way and he might as well take a nap.  It still is hard but he will fall asleep.  

Good luck!!

Answer 4

totally normal, if you know he's tired then take him for a stroller ride, or let him cry for a couple minutes in his bed until he figures out that all he needs to do is calm down and fall asleep.  

Answer 5

most babys when they get to that age deffinely start fighting sleep...

They hate it more than anything...Either let him cry for a couple of minutes til he falls asleep..or take him on a quick car ride or.... wait in there and calm him down til he falls asleep  

Answer 6

He now realizes that stuff happens while he's sleeping and he doesn't want to miss a thing.  Most kids go through this at this age and it will eventually pass but I would try to let him cry his self to sleep and see if that would work.  It sounds mean but sometimes that's what you have to do.