4 month old won’t nap AT ALL

[ironic]

He is usually awake 6am - 8pm without a single nap. Have tried pram, car, carrier, bouncer, self settling with white noise etc. If he accidentally closes his eyes for 5 seconds, they snap open again indignantly like I’ve tried to trick him to sleep. The only thing that’s occasionally worked is aggressive dancing to loud music with him in the carrier so I’m currently prancing around like a mad thing to Rockabye by Clean Bandit ft Sean Paul and Anne Marie.

Help! My main question is whether it’s damaging for him to be awake so long. If not I can just hope this is a phase and relax a bit more. He sleeps ok at night - wakes briefly for quick feeds every 2-3 hours.

I don’t think I would go as far as to say damaging but it’s not ideal (esp not ideal for you with no break!!)
Have you tried doing one routine and set of sleep cues consistently day in day out for a
week or so?

I’m really struggling with my LO naps too sorry it’s so hard I was told babies sleep all the time!

Thanks Lapin. You might be right that I’m not being consistent enough. Going to stick one method and see how I get on.

I know, Allioli - I definitely don’t have a magic sleeping baby in the day!

I had the same problem with my now 10month old. I started taking her up to her cot at 9.30 and 2pm closing the curtains and putting a teddy in with her then closing the door. She played with her teddy for a bit then fell asleep. She still has this routine now. She struggles to sleep in any other environment

My baby will only fall asleep if Greensleeves is on repeat, random but she likes classical music. Maybe give it a go? Anything is worth a shot.

Has he always not napped in the day or is just recently? Is he grouchy and overtired or generally OK? If DD (5.5 months) gets overtired she is very whingey and won’t settle to anything. At that point I know she needs to nap. But if I tried to settle her too soon she will complain!

Seems some babies need to have stimulation removed to nap but I think others need stimulation to tire them out. DD’s worst nightmare would be being put down in her cot in the dark to self settle. But if I take her in the car and play the radio loud, or take her for a walk in the carrier in a busy place with lots of noise and activity it sends her off (provided she’s tired to start with).

We’re on holiday at the moment and when we’ve done exciting things like go on a steam train she’s slept really well. On the other hand I took her for a quiet country walk yesterday in the carrier and she cried until I stuck the sleep sounds on my phone and took her to see a goat and some chickens!

It could be the 4m regression if it’s recently started. DD’s naps didn’t change but she did wake every 1-2 hrs in the night which was a killer.

Also, not all babies need the 14-16 hrs sleep that the books tell you! It is tiring having an active baby. You have my sympathies.