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4 month old naps - FATEdestiny, are you around!?

32 replies

MinnieMouse92 · 17/05/2021 17:25

Just looking for a bit of advice/reassurance! My little boy is 4 months old and takes very short naps (20-30mins). He’s generally very happy however can get crabbier towards the end of the day, not sure if it’s because he’s tired!
He wakes around 7.00am-7.30am, feeds (he’s formula fed), dressed and then dragged round the house with me whilst I shower etc. His first nap is 9.00-9.30 depending on when he woke. I have no idea on wake windows as depending where I look, there are so many different suggestions for his age! So I just tend to try and get him down roughly 2hrs after he wakes from his last nap throughout the day, sometimes sooner if he gets crappy. Sometimes he goes down well, sometimes he fights me for a while. He mostly sleeps on the sofa so he is in the same room as me (as to keep with current SIDS guidelines). He has a dummy and tummy pats until he goes off. Unless we are in the car or walking, he will sleep in his car seat or pushchair, or my arms if we are out and about. Ends up being about 4 naps a day. I’m always worrying about where the last nap will fall incase it “interferes” with bedtime. He has a bath at 7pm and then a bottle (I don’t feed to sleep if I can help it, although sometimes he will fall asleep if he is really tired). He then goes down again on the sofa, with dummy and asleep by about 8ish. He then sleeps, occasionally stirring, til his dream feed at 10.30 and then up to bed with me and goes into his Next2Me. He doesn’t feed in the night generally and sleeps ok, but that has changed a bit and has been waking often for dummy and tummy pats, not sure if this is the regression, which I also have a question about... how true is it that the regression will only pass once baby has been “taught” to self settle? I’ve been fearing the regression since before I even had him! Am I instilling “bad habits” with the dummy and patting? He does sometimes come into bed with me about 5am if he doesn’t seem to be settling back down and goes straight back off, so he’s still tired. Is this creating an even worse “rod for my back”!?

Not really sure what I’m asking and reading back I am aware that I am SO lucky, I just can’t get past the idea that I can always “do better” by my gorgeous boy and his naps!

Sorry for the long post, just feel a bit lost with all the conflicting information I see and always trying to do the “right” thing!

Any suggestions for trying to get a longer nap in?

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
MinnieMouse92 · 24/09/2021 13:53

“Never sleeps longer than 1hr20 for naps” - She says as he fell asleep 2hrs ago and is still asleep Hmm

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Alexahelp · 24/09/2021 22:20

I’m not fatedestiny but from what you’ve said it sounds like he’s easily ready for 2 naps. Mine started magically napping longer (and sleeping longer at night) when she was down to less naps. It just takes a bit of time for them to adjust and you have to put them to bed a bit earlier.

MinnieMouse92 · 25/09/2021 07:15

Thank you @Alexahelp! I was wondering whether he was or not, I just find it so daunting changing things! I know they need to change as they grow and develop I just never know where to start Grin

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FATEdestiny · 25/09/2021 19:30

I agree with Alexa, I think it's time to stretch to 2 nap days. There will be a period of transition, so you might start off with 2 or 3 days in a week in 2 naps, with "catch up" days in between. Then have weeks where you have 3 or 4 days if 2 naps, until eventually all your days are 2 nap days.

MinnieMouse92 · 25/09/2021 19:44

Thank you! It’s all gone tits up today, he’s screamed for every nap, only slept 40mins at a time, just taken 40 mins to settle him for bed (very overtired). Where’s my happy, loves-his-cot, self settling baby gone Sad

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jupitermars1345 · 25/09/2021 19:52

They all have there off days/weeks but sounds like he is mostly doing great

MinnieMouse92 · 25/09/2021 20:11

Thank you @jupitermars1345 Flowers I know there are lots of times and reasons they are off and sleep is ever changing, I’m just not made of very tough stuff when he is upset, I’m a bit pathetic really Wink

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