Refusing to Nap

keyshafoster

My son will be 4 months on Wednesday and for the past week/2 weeks he has refused to nap. Most naps are 20 min. Hour if I'm lucky but definitely not the 2-3 hour naps he was taking twice a day before.
As a result he has been so grouchy and just seems to hate everything. (His swing, being rocked, his toys) he's normally such a happy baby I'm not sure what's going on or how to fix it.
Is this normal?
Help!!!!

Melis222

My LO is 4 months and basically the same as you described for the past few weeks now not sure if it's a phase?? I'm hoping so.

jmucc421

4 month sleep regression? Idk I keep reading about it but sounds like it could be

n3na94

Yes it might be sleep regression and most likely it is just a phase! Don't worry mama you're doing great!

LCretaro

My little guy has been doing this too so we started sleep training. After a week it's finally paying off.

sdevinci

Hi @LCretaro i would love to know which method you used for sleep training? DD has been up every two hours the past couple of nights and also fights naps now. I feel somewhat guilty for wanting to "train" her cause I know it's not her fault. I created all her sleep associations (nursing to sleep and/or bouncing to sleep) but it's getting exhausting. Any tips would be a great help!

mamacarter15

@LCretaro I am super interested in your sleep training method as well! My DS has not slept or napped for almost three weeks now! @sdevinci I could have literally written this post myself. This is us exactly!!

keyshafoster

I read about sleep training and have been attempting the two hours awake- then nap method but he fights it so hard and then wakes up still mad as heck.
I let him sleep in the same place he sleeps at night and make the room dark but not so dark he's scared. Turn everything off. I sit next to him the whole time.
Nothing is working.

sdevinci

@mamacarter15 it's pretty frustrating we have 4 month check up Friday thank goodness. I have a whole sheet of questions for dr. haha

jmucc421

@keyshafoster 2 hours might be too long for your Lo yet to be awake. I notice if I try between 1 hr 15 min and an hour and a half that my Lo goes down much easier than if I wait longer. Granted, she only sleeps 45 minutes, but getting her to sleep is a lot less stressful lol just a thought!

LCretaro

@sdevinci @mamacarter15 I'm not quite sure which method it technically is...but we put him down (and he does cry - it's heartbreaking) and then I go in in increments. So, the first time after 5 minutes, I go in. And rub his back and say "momma is here" And then 10 min, 15, 20, etc. I really wondered if it was going to work after the first few days, but we're finally seeing him nap more after about a week. He's not napping the 3 2-hour naps that he used to, but he's also getting older so now he takes a 1-hour nap in the morning, 2-hour nap mid-day and then 1-hour and cat nap in the evening and he's back to sleeping through the night 9pm-5ish am

LCretaro

Oh and we do "eat, play, sleep" so I don't nurse him to sleep. I rock him for a minute and sing and then he puts himself to sleep. That's from Baby Wise. That's really the only thing I take from that book. I know the book is controversial, but that was something good that came out of it.

astraealynn

my LO doesn't nap. ever. he basically stopped after 5 weeks during his first growth spurt. he only will take 20 minute cat naps throughout the day and because of it, he's CRANKY! don't know how to get him to nap for longer than 20 mins! also, he just started his 4 month sleep regression EXACTLY when the time changed so that's been loads of fun. before then, he'd been sleeping 8-10 hours/night straight through since 2 months! I've read and read about naps but I guess he just wants to be up for the party he thinks is going to happen! trying a different technique tomorrow!