Sleep - Rare privilege, Power Naps, Winding Down routine

Someone akin the sleeping pattern of early babycare to being in National Service where you are on call 24/7 and need to snap to attention at a moment's notice.
We are living on snatches of Power Naps and be satisfied that there were several in a day. There are now permanent eyebags for Lina and myself as badges of honour for weathering this.

Russell has now developed a routine of sleep where he must get his naps mid morning, post lunch and tea time. Then at 7pm , he wants to be cleaned up, changed into his jammies and wrapped up in a cool room with soft lighting for his 4-5 Power Nap. He has developed a very disconcerting wind down routine where he will talk to you for 15 mins, wail his lungs out for 30 mins and then goes onto a suckling motion on what surface he touches (shoulders, chest, biceps) and then falls asleep.
Lina is terribly affected by this 30 min wailing where you can see the roof of his mouth and his tongue vibrating, sort like those in the simpsons cartoon. Guess you would feel helpless when you can't pacify a wailing baby for 30 mins.
We are now experimenting how to change this pattern as it is painful to hear and there must be a better way to expend the last bout of energy to wind down.
Tried classical music and it didn't do much. Tried walking him at 6.30pm and that seems to work. He likes constant change in scenery especially walks outside. A friend suggested playing nursery ryhmes. Will be trying that.