4 month old will self settle at bedtime but not for naps

[bozemum]

I have a 4 month old baby boy. And for the past couple of weeks we have been managing to put him in his cot awake and he has been self settling and sleeping well at night. Prior to this we were rocking or breastfeeding him to sleep. We didn't even have to do cio for him to learn to self settle. So I am super pleased about this.

But I can't seem to get him to do the same during the day. I have to take him for a walk in baby bjorn. Or rock him or breast feed him. And once he is asleep he only sleeps for 30 minutes. So I have to do this about 5 times a day. Cos he needs lots of these cat naps - otherwise he gets tired and grumpy. Ideally I would like him to be able to settle himself and sleep for at least an hour at a time. But just don't know how to convince him to do this.

Maybe I should just accept this is the way he is and be grateful he sleeps well at night (generally wakes for one feed).

Or maybe I should do some sleep training with him during the day? I really don't want to do anything that involves crying though. Cos we managed without crying at night time. And I would feel like I was being really mean - especially as he is so good at night just now. I don't want him to start to associate his cot with crying. And then have him start crying at night!

Has anyone else had experience with a cat napper? Do they grow out of it eventually? And what did you do to get them to self settle during the day? Or am I just destined to walking round the streets every time he needs a nap?

My dd was similar - it would take me ages to get her to sleep in the day and then she would wake up after 45 mins without fail. No advice I'm afraid - she did just grow out of it eventually.

I know some people use the "wake to sleep" method which works on the natural sleep patterns. I don't know enough about it, but might be worth googling or doing a thread ....

Thanks for the reply. This is the first thread I have done and its nice to get such a quick response!

Can you remember when she grew out of it? And did she eventually learn to fall asleep by herself during the day?
I know someone who used pupd to extend naps with her dd. But I am not sure that will work for us. As he wakes up happy and ready to start playing. Not crying and tired. Also - it apparently involves quite a lot of crying which I'd rather not do.

Might try wake to sleep, but am sceptical it will work for him.

Just off out for a walk in the snow now, as its time for another nap!

I honestly can not remember when it was. I think she settled herself first (probably about 6 or 7 months) but still woke after 45 mins and then eventually went to an hour, then hour and half, then a couple of hours plus. I reckon by 12 months she was regularly doing 2 hours but they're all different so your DS won't necessarily take that long.