Consolidating daytime naps (4.5 mo)

[Haworthiia]

Ds is almost five months and has had a lot of changes in his sleep over the last six weeks or so, which tally with what I've read about the 4 m regression. We're dealing with it by really working on the daytime naps and I think it's gradually getting better. He's still waking a lot at night though, and I'm very, very tired.

So recently he's been having very short naps in the day (45 mins/one sleep cycle) but over the last 2-3 days he's been very sleepy in the daytime. He seems to do this after a growth spurt. These last few days he's been able to have a much longer nap in the day, of 2.5 hours, but only if I'm laid next to him and resettle him before he truly wakes

My question is this: how can I encourage him to link his sleep cycles in order to have a consistent longer daytime nap? it would be so, so nice to be able to catch up on sleep/housework again!

He won't take a dummy, and is teething so probably not a good time to push a dummy. Any ideas, or is this something that just needs time to sort? Am I doing the right thing by resettling him before he truly wakes?

[CityDweller]

Resettling when he wakes after 1 sleep cycle should help. I had to do this with my dd for a long time before she started taking longer naps. With her I had to rock her back to sleep. With DS I can pop his dummy back in and he'll go back to sleep, usually...

Ive found whether or not they self-settle for naps makes no difference to whether they make it through a sleep cycle, btw.

[JuxtapositionRecords]

It's a developmental thing I'm afraid, you just have to wait it out and encourage resettling however possible

[Haworthiia]

Ok, add some essence of time then ... :)

I am absolutely on my knees with tiredness. I don't think I've slept more than 2-3 hours since he was born.

[Firstmum24]

Haworthiia I feel your pain, my 18week old DD fits your description word for word. I am missing a trick with the day time naps, i have just been assuming she needs shorter naps instead of pushing for the second cycle. I must try to resettle from now on!!

Sending hugs and thoughts of sleep, it will get better - i am counting on it !

[mrsmugoo]

In my experience you can do your own head in over this and become a bit obsessed with it.

The longer naps just come in their own time - mine had never slept longer than 45 minutes at a time since birth then at 6 months a drop from 3 to 2 naps coincided with them lengthening to 90 mins each.

I am pregnant with my second now and I have vowed I won't spend 6 months being consumed with trying to get her to sleep longer than 45 minutes!