Help with tired 4mo please

[Flowergirl2023]

DD is 4 months old, always been a good night sleeper but terrible napper. Will only nap for 30 mins bang on (in cot or on me) unless I walk with her in the carrier in which case I’ll get an hour if I’m lucky. She naps 4 times a day, so often 3x30 and 1x60. I’ve tried squeezing a 5th nap in and it never works. Have had no luck extending naps.

Thing is she is always knackered at the end of the day, unhappy and has started to have loads of false starts. Her wake windows are about 90 mins but some need to be longer otherwise we can’t fill the hours! Last nap is 5-5:30 then bath at 7 mostly asleep by 7:30 but then false starts I'm presuming because she’s overtired!

How do I stop her being overtired if she won’t nap more? Help!

Hey, have you tried settling back to sleep when they wake from a nap? When they're not used to linking sleep cycles they tend to wake up after the first cycle (35-45 mins) I'm obviously not an expert but I've seen that if you rouse them just before the sleep cycle ends or if they are rousing themselves trying to pat/shush them back to sleep may help them learn this extended sleep time. Also play around with wake windows to optimise naps. I follow calm and bright sleep support on Instagram who we're always so helpful when I had my DS and post very helpful info.

Yes have tried resettling but she is just immediately wide awake post nap so resettling never seems to work. I’ve tried that wake to sleep as well but no luck! Feels like we’re at the absolute limit of her wake windows just to get through the day. The nap maths ain’t mathing!

Ahh I feel you, I remember them being the bane of my life 😩 also remember 4 months is still very young so maybe she just hasn't configured how to put 2 sleep cycles together just yet. Defo sorting the naps out will get the night sleep back on track which you already know and is easier said than done. Sorry feel like I've been minimal help 🙈 hope she finds her daytime routine soon!

I’m just desperately hoping she snaps into some longer naps soon!