Tired Little Boy

I would try putting him to sleep earlier at night. Strangely, this may help him sleep longer and better, because he won't be so overtired. We started putting my DD to bed at 7pm at that age, and she began consistently sleeping through until her 5am feeding (I was still BF'ing), then she'd go back to sleep until 8 or so. It was very counterintuitive for me to put her to sleep earlier so she'd sleep later, but it worked. My husband and I even kept a chart for a couple of weeks, keeping track of when we put her down, when and how often she woke up, and when she was up for the day. Early to bed was clearly the answer, and helped her be happier and take better naps in the daytime, too!

The day time naps are really short - sounds like he is not making it thru more than one sleep cycle which would explain the grumpiness. We found amazing success using the Baby Whisperer book. Her bottom line is establishing a routine for your baby including sleep. I found it a much better fit for us than Baby Wise. The sleep/napping message board on the baby whisperer site is amazing! Lots of good advice :-)

Read the book, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child.

You won't know how you got by without it before!

Healthy Sleep Habits; Happy Child
Dr. Marc Weissbluth

I'm assuming you're breastfeeding given the frequency of nite-time feedings which is quite normal. There is likely something in your diet that is bothering him in that case. If you're BFing, then he likely is reacting to the formula. Dairy allergies are the most common culprit, so he's either reacting to the formula or your breastmilk if you consume dairy. After dairy, things like wheat/gluten can bother the baby. Also, things like broccoli or other cruciferous veggies. And, my youngest son was bothered if I had orange juice or any fruits with small seeds (like berries). Also, if you're consuming caffeine that could be what's bothering him and impacting his sleep.

I didn't learn until I had my second child that dairy and wheat were problems for my first son and he sounds like yours. So, the crankiness is very, very often a sign of issues, as my second son was never ever cranky during those early months and he slept fantastically. Also, you don't mention if your son was born early or if he was a small baby. My experience was that smaller, early babies often have a much tougher time in the early months.

Some babies need messsages to clam down their nervous system. Just take some baby lotion and message him and do this several time a day. Not saying this is the answer but it is worth a try!!

Hey W.,
I am a mother of 4 girls---age 18-12. I made all the mistakes with number one and with number two learned some incredible nuggets that allowed me to manage 4 all two years a part.
A fussy baby is a tired baby. The best thing you can do for him is lay him down and SHUT THE DOOR. Do not be afraid of a little crying. He will do best to zonk out without any external things like rocking or mama's breastmilk or bottle.
You need to run to WalMart right now and buy the book BABYWISE. In it it will explain all you need to understand about sleeping through the night, sleep cycles and how they relate to feeding schedules. I used these truths with my last three and YOU CAN have a happy baby! I promise!!!!!
Karen H.

I agree with those who have suggested Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby. It has worked great for all three of my children. The Baby Whisperer book is also a good resource. It sounds to me that he is cranky because he is overtired. A baby this age should be back in bed within 1 1/2 to 2 hours of waking during the day. If you miss that sleep windon, then you quickly get an overtired and increasingly cranky baby. The first book is great sleep info. and the second book give good structure and methods to help get baby sleep organized.

LOVE the book The Baby Wisperer. I started soing it around 3 months and she was sleeping through the night shortly after. Good Luck!!

The crankiness is just natures way of letting you know that he is tired. He is WAY to young to be able to consciously know that he is tired (let alone tell you in any way other than getting cranky) So, I think the cure fo the crabiness is to put him to sleep. I've never met a kid who wasn't cranky when tired (or a mommy!) Good luck!