4 Month Old Will Only Nap in the Swing.

My baby had every nap in a swing until he was 9 months old. Try not to stress about it. I think around 4 to 6 months he started having 2 naps a day and then about 16 months he went to 1 nap. They get up later the less naps they have. I would try to get him on a 10am and 2 pm nap schedule. I think my baby woke up at 6 am for a long time, but now he is 2 1/2 and gets up at 8:30 . Good Luck!

My son is 6 1/2 months old right now, but he was never a good sleeper. We had SO many problems with him and it was so hard. He sleeps really well now. This is our experience.

I didn't believe in letting him cry it out, so I would go to him every time he cried. Up until a certain age, that is fine, but I think I did it too long and he became reliant on that. He seemed to only sleep in our arms, in the swing, or in the bouncer. He would wake up the second we tried to lie him in his crib. If we did get him to lie down, he would wake up ever 45 minutes throughout the night and NEVER nap! He was exhausted and so was I.

So I decided that my only option was to let him cry it out and it was very difficult, but I became so fed up with him being so demanding that I became a little hardened.

What we started doing was to have him lie next to us in our bed at nap time or at nighttime. We weren't going to bed, but we wanted him to know that it was okay to lie there and he was okay because we were right there kissing him and telling him it was okay. Of course he still screamed because he wanted to be rocked or carried around the house which was exhausting. So after he would cry for about 30 - 45 minutes with us lying next to him, I would pick him up and let him recover a little, but not let him fall asleep in my arms. Then lie him back down. Then I would eventually feed him (I'm breastfeeding) and he would fall asleep. I would let him lie in the bed for a while sleeping and then try to transfer him to his own bed and he would wake up, But I just kept him in his bed and let him cry because he was just asleep. He would cry for 30 minutes (I would go in and pat his back, kiss him and tell him it was okay about every 5 min which normally made his crying worse, but I wanted him to know that I was there). Then I would pick him up, but not let him sleep in my arms.

Eventually after a few hours, I would let him fall asleep in my arms and then lie him in his crib. Sometimes he would stay asleep for an hour or two and other times he would wake up right away and we would start all over. It was very tiring, but over time it has worked.

When he would wake up during the night, I would let him cry for a little bit, maybe 5-10 minutes and then go in and pat his back. Eventually he became satisfied with me just being there and rubbing his back that he would fall back to sleep. So he was taking the second best thing (he would prefer me to hold him, but he knew I wasn't going to). If it was time to eat, I would feed him (if it had been 4 -6 hrs). Now when he wakes up at night, I don't even have to go in there, I just let him cry for a few minutes and he goes back to sleep.

Now getting him to nap was harder because he would cry and cry in his crib because I think it was harder for him to fall asleep since it was light out. So that has been a process too. But we're getting there. He gets better every day. I think the main thing is being consistent because they are smart and know what they want.

Some babies don't do well with crying it out and I know my little one didn't do well when we first started it (I think he was a little too young), so this experience is from the second time we tried it when he was about 4 1/2 months old.

Well hopefully my experience can help you a little bit. I hope sleep comes soon for you. My son still really doesn't nap. Maybe once or twice a day for MAYBE 30 minutes. He's just not much of a napper and some kids are just that way.

let me know if you have any more questions. Sorry my explanation was so long!! Good luck.

If you want an alternative to the "cry it out" method, I suggest you get the book "The No Cry Sleep Solution." It may take more time, but I believe it is worth it in the long run. We have not let any of our babies CIO, and I can't imagine doing so. Our kids learned how to fall asleep on their own when they were toddlers. Why are we in such a hurry to make our babies "independent" of us at a time when they need us the most?

My son is now 8 and has been identified with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)(formerly Sensory Integration Dysfunction). In hind sight, some of his behaviors as an infant fit the profile but I didn't have it identified in him until he was between 2 and 3 and had speech delays. He would only be soothed in the swing then it was the swing placed in front of the TV!---I hate to admit it but he craved the sensory input (vestibular and visual). He also didn't like laying down likely because of the way it affected his vestibular/balance system and the swing provided a slightly upright position. It is also reported that these kids are usually early to walk because their dislike for laying down motivates them to be upright and walking---my son climbed out of his crib at 9 months!

Please understand I am not saying your son has SPD but I wish I had known about it. We didn't get him private therapy until last year and he still has struggles. The sooner it is identified and treated the less long term issues there are to deal with. If you want to learn more about it and know the signs to watch for you can visit kidfoundation.org.

Best wishes.

I have a 4 month old and the schedule is hard!! I also have a nap question out there, maybe some of the answers I've gotten will help you. Some of the resources have been good. (the question is my son will only sleep 30-45 minute naps) Here's what I've learned from reading and/or my own experience.

If you put your baby down at night earlier, they will still wake at the same time. I used to put my son down at 11pm and he'd wake at 7:30pm. Now he sleeps from 9pm to 7:30am. (still wakes up at 4:30am for food)

4 month olds still need to sleep about 5 hours during the day and about 10 hours at night. 2-3 naps is normal.

If you put your baby down in the crib and he cries and you get him out then every other time you put him down he'll just cry until you come. So when you go in comfort him, but don't get him out of bed so he knows you mean business. After a while he'll sleep faster because he knows it's pointless to cry.

It's more important to watch when your baby is tired than to stick to exact hours.

I put my baby down at 8pm. (I start his routine) He usually wakes up once or twice in the middle of the night, and then he's up at 7:30am. By 9:30am he's ready to go down. If I put him down early enough he'll sleep longer than a half hour. If I wait until he's falling asleep in my arms he only sleeps for a half hour. Once he's been up for another hour and a half I read stories to him, feed him, and put him back down around 2 hours later. If he wakes up too soon, (less than an hour nap) I go back in and comfort him, and tell him to go back to sleep.

I just moved my son to his crib for all of his sleep. He's starting to really wiggle, so that helped me get the motivation. It scares me when he's elsewhere and not buckled in well. Swaddling can help with the transition but my son is strong and he kicks off the blankets! If you can be really really consistent for a week it will make a big difference.

Good luck to both of us!

I really don't remember a 4 month old's schedule. Sorry. I do remember the video "The Happiest Baby on the Block" by Dr. Harvey Karp was a lifesaver for us. You might look into getting it either at the library or through the ob if they offer classes. It's well worth the half hour or so to watch it.

Definitely read in "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer" about schedules. It saved me and my son! Also, with my daughter, during the first months she also usually would only stay asleep in the swing. I would still try to put her down in her bed, depending on her mood, but if she'll only sleep in the swing and she's not sitting up, therefore safe sleeping in the swing, I just let her! It was way more important at that stage for her, and for my sanity, for her to get the sleep she needed.

K.

My daughter slept in a swing until she was 5 months old. I transitioned her to her crib because she could sit up and it was becoming unsafe. I think she liked to sleep sitting up. We have the Fisher Price Nature papesan swing and it is all too comfortable and they get used to it! Maybe it was gas or reflux too. I got one of those wedges that was elevated and tucked a pillow under her legs to simulated being cradled by the swing and put her in her crib. She cried a bit and it took 2-3 nights for her to get used to it. I napped her in her swing for a few days after that and then started putting her in her crib for naps. I nurse to sleep so that helped.
As far as his sleep schedule, most babies fall into a seep pattern between 4-5 months of age. They will take a morning nap around 9, an afternoon nap round 1, a cat nap in the late afternoon, and go to bed between 6:00 and 8:00. Some babies drop the cat nap pretty early. My 6 month old did so now she is ready for bed at 6:30. Since your baby gets up at 6, he may be ready for his morning nap closer to 8 than 9. Just watch your baby. If he is cranky and overtired, he will be harder to get down for a nap. Try to catch him before he is overtired. At 4 months old my kids could never stay awake longer than 3 hours at a time.
I highly recommend he book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. I saved me and helped me understand my child's need for sleep. His program involves crying but it works quickly. If you are uncomfortable with the cry-it-out method (I think we all are), I still recommend the book for understanding their sleep needs at all stages of childhood. It is one that I reference all the time.
Good luck and don't sweat the swing situation just yet. Get him well rested by protecting his sleep schedule and then try to transition him.