Any tips to get he baby to nap in his cot?

[Pyjamaramadrama]

Ds is 4 months just about, he's not a terrible sleeper but probably not a great sleeper.

He will go to sleep beautifully in his cot at around 7.30pm then wakes anytime between 12am and 2.30am for a feed, then back off to sleep until 6-7am. Sometimes after the first feed he will wake again at maybe 4am and then we co-sleep instead of a feed which I'm fine with.

In the day however he hates his cot, he will go to sleep there but will only stay asleep for 20 minutes. He ends up really miserable and overtired.

I've taken to napping with him in our bed where he will sleep for 2-3 hours. Trouble is, and I already know I shouldn't be leaving him there, but he can roll over so it's absolutely no longer safe.

He can't stay asleep in the swing, on his mat, he's outgrown the lie flat pram.

[FATEdestiny]

Does he have a sleep trigger? Like a dummy or comforter he in bonded to? Or are you just putting into the cot and hoping baby goes to sleep?

4 months is about usual timing for you have to start working at getting a baby to sleep that had previously been going to sleep easily. It's from now you need some sleep triggers.

Also have you increased daytime feeding? Because significant developmental leaps happen around this age which mean baby needs more calories over the course of 24 hours.

Once these are done, I'd try lying on your bed next to the cot, with the cot mattress height same as yours - so that you are eye to eye with baby. Lean close in, hang an arm over the cot side and offer some reassuring pats/tickles (and reinsert dummy as required) until baby is asleep.