Self soothing

[Tal85]

We're having such a hard time with the four month sleep regression. I don't think it'll end until my boy can self soothe. He's five months old in a few days. When he starts to look sleepy I put him in his bed but he'll either start playing or crying. I can only get him to sleep by feeding him or, during the day, the cooker extractor fan works! How can I teach him this skill? Is he a bit young to learn still?

You will need to help him go to sleep in the cot.

How about patting him to sleep in the cot?

They don't "just go to sleep", they need comforting.

A dummy is a fantastic took for independant sleep without any crying.

You say the cooker extractor fan works - how about a white noise machine? My DD would fall asleep to the extractor fan too (only way she would) so I bought a white noise machine and started putting her down in her cot for naps with the machine on and a dummy. She was 4.5 months old at the time.

I bought a white noise machine yesterday, I had it in all last night but it didn't make a difference. I will try it out for daytime naps though, maybe i can create a positive association

You can try but some babies just not ready or neurological ready to sleep independently. Some babies get it right away some a few months and others it takes 1-2 years. Id you understand the science also that you baby is an individual snd not a text book then you can accept and have a bit of patience and mercy.

My son is 16 weeks old and he has "self soothed" 4 times in his life. I.e put down sleepy and just smiled and drifted off to sleep. Other then those times I always hqve to rock, bounce, sing to sleep. He is in the midst of sleep regression, growth spurt snd learning so much so at night time past 2 weeks he needs nursing to sleep to calm him down. And some naps in the day usually PM he needs nursing. I am being flexible and rolling with it.

Try look up Dr Sears and Dr Mckenna.

Sleep maturity starts early stages 3-6months but just pike any life skill amd development babies change at different times.
Me example my Mum said I self soothed and Slept through the night at 4months. No sleep training no fancy pancy things.
She didn't know about all that malarkey.

Some babies just get there sooner then others. Best thing you can do is try different things parent soothing techniques and have patience.