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My 4 month old won't nap for longer than 45 minutes!
in Baby
And it's driving me insane!!!!!
This has been a problem consistently for a while now. I've tried all sorts - getting a proper routine established, not overstimulating, proper wind-down before nap time, holding him, not holdinghim, rocking him, heartbeat noises, music, shh-patting etc but 45 minutes after he falls asleep, bing he wakes up. It means I can't ever get anything done.
If i thought it was just how long he likes to nap for i wouldn't mind, but he is always so tired still, yawning, rubbing his eyes and if I get him up, he ends up VERY cranky and even harder to settle for a nap later on and then almost impossible to settle at night time because he's so very tired.
Please please has anybody got any advice??
This has been a problem consistently for a while now. I've tried all sorts - getting a proper routine established, not overstimulating, proper wind-down before nap time, holding him, not holdinghim, rocking him, heartbeat noises, music, shh-patting etc but 45 minutes after he falls asleep, bing he wakes up. It means I can't ever get anything done.
If i thought it was just how long he likes to nap for i wouldn't mind, but he is always so tired still, yawning, rubbing his eyes and if I get him up, he ends up VERY cranky and even harder to settle for a nap later on and then almost impossible to settle at night time because he's so very tired.
Please please has anybody got any advice??
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Replies
Apparently at around 4-5months they go through a stage of 45minute naps where they can't resettle themselves. I've started swaddling again and have made sure the room is really dark. Sometimes he will get through it and sleep for 1hr30, but if he wakes at 45mins I tend to go in and try and resettle first. If he's just stirring and his eyes are still closed I'll try and hold him down so he doesn't wake himself anymore and just shh a bit. This sometimes works. Think this way is called 'holding through the jolts'. Some people go in a it earlier and watch out for them so they can hold them down.
Something else some people do is waking to sleep. I've never done it as I dare't wake him once he's asleep! But you just go in about 10mins before I think and stir them a bit so they kind of wake, then re-settle. This starts the sleep cycle again so you get a bit longer out of them! I suppose it teaches them to re-settle themselves as well so they'll be able to do it themselves on day.
Good luck! x
Does he sleep longer if you are in car or out and about in the pram ?
Mine always slept longer in the pram so i knew he could.
It just took time. One day I left him for 5 mins of moaning(not crying) when he woke and lo and behold he went back to sleep for another hour.
Next day i had to resettle him but he went back to sleep.
A few months on and it's hit and miss. At nearly 12 months we're currently in a 45min nap phase but hopefully it will go back to normal soon.
I have friends who have used the wake to sleep techniqueand it worked for them,they used it for early waking rather than naps though. S x
Definitely give him 5-10mins to resettle himself, even if he cries a little, but you should find that as long as he is settling himself in the first place that he'll soon learn how to resettle himself and the problem will sort it self.
xx