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Baby Hints & Tips

Cat napping

Questions:

Is it likely that a 4 month old baby maybe just doesn’t need to sleep much? I have a catnapping baby.

How can I put my baby to sleep during the day and keep him asleep? He won’t sleep unless he is in my arms , and if he does, he won’t sleep for more than 20 mins. I have tried everything!

For parents of babies who catnap! Do you resettle, or just get them up?


Is it likely that a 4 month old baby maybe just doesn’t need to sleep much? My bub refuses to sleep in the day just a cat nap here and there.

  • If bub is happy with just little naps than that’s all he/she feels they need. If bub is sooking and not happy after waking it’s likely that he/she needs more sleep Briony
  • Does your bubs sleep all night? My 4 1/2 mnth old DS has always been a cat napper during day But since 2 months old has slept through the night. I have been told this is normal for some babies, they just have problems clocking over from their first 40 min block of sleep during day. I’m happy he sleeps at night lol Sarah
  • Mine were all catnappers around that age. Can you believe they slept more at 1 than at 4 months? Drove me bonkers! Jess
  • Yes, all bubs are different & have different sleep requirements at different ages but mine have all been like your little one. As long as he/she is sleeping at night then it’s all good 🙂 Peta
  • My dd is now 12.5 months and catnapped till she was 7.5 months. Drove me INSANE. She started getting a bit better then went backwards to just on an hour twice a day. My chn told me to keep her up longer but at 4 months it could be possibe you little one is up too long and is overtired???? Or not awake long enough so not sleepy enough??? Or just is a catnapper and will grow out of it (hopefully), they are just all so different. Lisa
  • My 19 week old only has 2 or 3 short naps during the day but sleeps from 9 to 6 during the night. Wakes for a feed then sleeps again til about 9. His only been doing this the last 2 weeks and i love it. Much better than waking every 3 hours during the night for a feed.  Amelia
  • My baby was a cat napper I tried to get him to sleep longer then worked out he wasn’t cranky all day due to lack of sleep so I didn’t worry about it! If bub isn’t a big sleeper then don’t stress some bubs rather cat nap I don’t see the problem xx   Tiff


How can I put my baby to sleep during the day and keep him asleep? He won’t sleep unless he is in my arms , and if he does, he won’t sleep for more than 20 mins. I have tried everything!

  • A radio in their room    Sarah
  • Babies tend to catnap when you put them down too early or late. Does he have all the warning signs? Jerky movements, yawning, red eyebrows etc?   Amanda
  • My LO was a catnapper. She fell asleep on her tummy one day and she slept for 2hr. She’s old enough now and has great neck control so I go with it   Jess
  • Would love the answer to this one….have a 4 month old to does this….driveing me crazy.   Elita
  • Slings and carriers.   Natalie
  • We found a radio really helps our little one during the day, but he needs complete silence at night . He is almost 8 months and has sorted his own routine out…FINALLY!! We didn’t try any particular method with his day naps, but if he only had a short sleep I’d get him up, let him play and once he was ready for a longer nap, he’d let me know. I just go by a general rule of- as long as he is sleeping roughly 3.5ish hrs through the day…that’s a good day . Good luck    Lauren


For parents of babies who catnap! Do you resettle, or just get them up?

  • Try persisting to get bubs back down…if its not working get him up cos you are right in that it will upset you more than him. My bubba was a cat napper from tge age of5months-it drove me insane as it was all of a sudden all through the night too, instead of the sleeping through we were uses to… after a few months of it he was vile, so cranky 24/7. He is now 11months old&its only been the last month that he’s day cat naps have turned into 2x2hr sleeps &only 1night time wake up…with my little darling though, it was directly related to teething &then just being over tired which makes them harder to handle&to fix. It does get better, hang in there cos it can take a while so bubs can work out he needs sleep but it does definately improve eventually.   Sami
  • I’ve been trying to break it for five months!!! I’ve tried EVERY thing even got a sleep specialist out and she had no luck ether. I try resettle every time but if after fifteen twenty minuets he doesn’t go back to sleep I’ve learnt it’s not going to happen so instead of driving both of us crazy, mainly me, I just get him up. I’m hopping he will grow out of it soon (his six months old) just wondering when other bubs finally grew out of it   Rita
  • I always try resettle, 9/10 he doesn’t go back to sleep! Just been at sleep school & even they couldn’t get him to sleep longer – I think some babies just catnap until they are a bit older. But it’s very frustrating!   Naomie
  • I re-settle. I don’t get him up because I know if I persist he’ll sleep another 1hr+ and I don’t wanna get back into that routine again of picking him up.   Kaitlyn
  • Get them up, praise them for going to sleep in the first place and take them for a walk in the pram or ride in the car if you know they are still tired. Eventually they will learn to resettle but you need to praise them for settling to sleep in the first place.   Samantha

 

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