Last week I wrapped up working with a family who had a sweet 4 month old little boy. They reached out to me because he used to be a great napper as a newborn. His parents were able to put him down for a nap and he would sleep a good hour or two for each nap. But when he turned 4 months old, those long naps were a thing of the past. Almost every time they put him down for a nap, he was up half an hour later. His mom was almost in tears when she asked me “why does my 4 month old only nap for 30 minutes?” She told me it was like he had the curse of the 4 month old short nap. But within a few weeks, we were able to get him napping well again!
Believe it or not, there’s a biological reason why 4 month olds begin taking short naps. But the good news is that there are strategies that you can use to help your 4 month old get much longer naps. Here is your guide to my top 4 secrets to solve 4 month old short nap.
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How Long Should a 4 Month Old Nap?
First, let’s address how long a 4 month old’s naps should be. In a perfect world, a 4 month old should be napping between an hour and a half to 2 hours for each nap. Imagine how rested your baby would feel getting all that wonderful sleep during the day. And imagine how wonderful that would feel to be able to get a few things done during the day yourself (or maybe catch up on a little shut eye too). It’s a pretty amazing feeling! If you’re wanting to get your baby sleeping 90 minutes to 2 hours for each nap, you may want to check out my Short Naps Master Class for a detailed video guide and eBook to fix those cat naps once and for all.
But how much total daytime sleep should a 4 month old get during the day? A 4 month old baby should be getting around 4 – 5 hours of daytime sleep for their naps.
You can see how if your baby is only taking 3 or 4 30-minute catnaps during the day, they’re not getting nearly enough of that important daytime sleep.
Why Does My 4 Month Old Take Short Naps?
So now that you know how long your 4 month old should be napping during the day, let’s talk about why your 4 month old is only taking those 30-minute naps. Now that your baby is coming out of the newborns stage, the way they organize their sleep cycles is completely rearranging.
When your baby was a newborn, they sleep cycles were only made up of two stages of sleep. They entered a light stage of sleep (non-REM). Then went into the deeper sleep, also known as REM sleep. Newborns spend about 50% of their sleep time in REM sleep.
But then around 4 months of age, your baby goes those a big biological change. Your baby’s sleep cycles change to be more like ours as adults. They now need to pass through 3 stages of non-REM sleep to get to REM.
Ever heard of the 4 month sleep regression? This is exactly why some babies experience that regression. It’s not as easy for them to transition from one sleep cycle into the next one anymore as a result of this change in their sleep cycles.
They may also be taking short naps because they’re overtired or don’t know that it’s time to go down for a nap.
So let’s take a look at 4 ways that you can break the 4 month old short nap habit.
How to Make My 4 Month Old Nap Longer
Now that you know WHY your 4 month old could be taking short naps, let’s talk about HOW to get your baby napping longer.
I’m going to share my 4 secrets for how to eliminate the 4 month old short nap once and for all and get your baby taking those long, restful naps during the day.
First, you can help your 4 month old nap longer by teaching them how to fall asleep independently. Second, follow the appropriate awake times for their age. And lastly, you can try a no-cry method to extend that short nap.
4 Month Old 30 Minute Naps
A 4 month old baby’s sleep cycle typically lasts around 30 minutes. And since a baby now needs to go through the first 3 stages of sleep to get to REM sleep, it can make it more challenging to connect sleep cycles if they need your help to fall asleep.
What do I mean by this? Well I’d like for you to think about HOW you get your baby to sleep for a nap. Does your baby need you to do anything to get them to sleep? Do they require you to bounce them to sleep, rock or pat them to sleep? Do they fall asleep at the breast or the bottle? Maybe they even need to lay with you to fall asleep for their nap.
If you’re nodding your head “yes” to any of those, then your baby has developed a sleep association. And what’s happening now that they’re 4 months old, is that they fall asleep using that sleep crutch. They’re completing a 30 minute sleep cycle and when they come out of that first sleep cycle. They’re now more alert and they realize that they didn’t have what they fell asleep with. Maybe you’re not patting or rocking them anymore.
Why Does My 4 Month Old Only Nap for 30 Minutes?
Now that they are more fully wake up because they’re looking for that help from you to get back to sleep for another sleep cycle. You might be able to rock them back to sleep in your arms for another 30 minutes. But sometimes, even with your help, they’re not able to fall back to sleep with your help.
The best way to get your baby to consistently take those hour and a half to 2 hour long naps, is to teach them the skills needed to fall asleep independently, so that they don’t need any assistance to connect their sleep cycles.
There are several sleep training methods you can use to do this. If you’re looking for a gentle approach, you can check out our alternatives to the cry it out method. At Live Love Sleep, we generally keep parents in the room with their baby as they’re learning how to fall asleep without their assistance anymore. This way, you can still be comforting and supportive to your baby as they learn these new skills.
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4 Month Old Short Nap Schedule
The second secret to helping your baby take long daytime naps is to make sure that your baby isn’t getting overtired. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had clients share stories with me that they got advice from their mom or friends to keep their baby awake for as long as they can so that they tire them out. They think, well maybe my baby will get so exhausted, that surely they’ll take a great nap.
But that is far from the truth. In fact, overtiredness can make it a lot more challenging for a baby to fall asleep for a nap and can lead to those short naps.
At 4 months old, your baby can really only handle about 1.5 – 2 hours of being awake at one time before they do begin to get overtired. That’s really not very much time out of the crib.
And their day can be very unpredictable with these short naps because it is hard to follow a schedule when they’re only taking 30 minute naps.
You may want to check out my Short Naps Master Class below, that will walk you through everything you need to know to strengthen your 4 month old’s naps.
Naps Master Class
Naps can be so challenging, Especially when you don’t have the right tools and tips to implement along the way. This is exactly why I created my Naps Master Class. So you can get the tools to teach your baby how to sleep during naps!
But if this schedule isn’t realistic at this point because of those short naps, then just follow their awake window and know that you may have to throw in another nap or even move bedtime up earlier.
Here’s an example of a 4 month old short nap day. In this example, your baby may be taking 4 naps. And bedtime is pulled forward. But you can see how your baby isn’t out of the crib for any more then 2 hours at a time.
Create Ideal Napping Conditions
Just as important as your baby’s schedule, the right sleep environment is equally important. This is my third secret to solving the 4 month old short nap.
If your baby’s room is too light, the sunlight could be making it more challenging to connect sleep cycles. So if you don’t already have some, get some blackout window covers or blackout curtains to make your baby’s room nice and dark.
Set the temperature to somewhere between 68 – 72 degrees for the ideal sleep temperature. And keep your baby warm and safe by putting them in an arms free sleep sack to sleep. My favorite is the Snuggy Buddy because it has a little stuffed animal that your baby can hold onto to help them self soothe.
How to Extend 4 Month Old Short Nap
Ok, so you’re teaching your baby how to fall asleep without any sleep props. They are going into their crib wide awake and are sleeping independently. And you’re following their proper awake windows of the 1.5 – 2 hours, but you’re still seeing these short 30-minute naps.
It can take a few weeks for the nap length to naturally extend following these two strategies. But if you’re looking to get there even faster, you can try to help your baby extend their nap.
Here are three ways that you can help extend the 4 month old short nap:
First, you can try to give your baby a little more time on their own to see if they can settle themselves. They may be able to put themselves back to sleep on their own without needing any interference.
Second, you can try to coax your baby back to sleep with some gentle patting or jiggling. You can try using your voice to soothe them back to sleep as well. You can softly shush or hum to them.
Or you can try a no-cry nap extension method, called the Wake to Sleep Method. This method can work really well for babies who know how to self soothe and are taking consistently short naps.
The Solution to the 4 Month Old Short Nap
As a Certified Pediatric Sleep Coach, I was able to help the family with their little 4 month old baby boy. I was able to help him take much longer naps using all 3 of these strategies and more. My team and I work with families all over the world to teach their baby how to fall asleep quickly and peacefully at night, sleep through the night and take great naps during the day. And we do that without asking you to leave your baby alone to cry it out.
II hate to see parents silently struggle and feel like there is no help. That’s why I created my Short Naps Master Class, so that you can have a detailed guide to get your baby to take much longer, and more predictable naps during the day. You’ll get access to my exclusive Short Naps eBook and Video Guide to turn your baby into an awesome napper. I can’t wait to help you get your baby sleeping well!
If you’re struggling with your baby’s short naps, don’t hesitate to reach out. I work with families one-on-one to teach their baby how to fall asleep easily, sleep through the night, and take those awesome naps during the day. Let’s chat! Schedule your free Discovery Call with me today.
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About the Author
I’m Kaley Medina, the proud founder of Live Love Sleep®. I live in Texas with my husband and high school sweetheart, Zeke, along with our two wonderful children, Evalyn and Leo, and our furry companion, Louie.
My journey into the world of sleep consultancy began with the sleep struggles of my own daughter, Evalyn. From her early days, she proved to be a challenging sleeper, staying awake for waaaaaay too long and causing many sleepless nights. I tried everything I could think of, from feeding her to sleep to bouncing on a yoga ball until my legs ached to the delicate process of transitioning her to her crib without waking her. I even resorted to late-night vacuuming while wearing her in a baby carrier….needless to say, none of it work.
The constant sleep deprivation left me frazzled and unable to enjoy precious moments with my family. Desperate for a solution, I ventured into the world of sleep training when Evalyn turned six months. To my surprise,gentler methods yielded incredible results, transforming our lives. Fueled by this success, I became a Certified Sleep Consultant and founded Live Love Sleep®. As your Pediatric Sleep Consultant, I understand that a child’s sleep is influenced by various factors, including diet, sleep environment, routines, schedules, developmental milestones, and so much more.
I craft personalized sleep plans that consider the bigger picture to solve your child’s sleep challenges comprehensively. What sets my services apart is the ongoing support I provide, ensuring your family reaches its sleep goals within weeks.
A former client described the experience as “utterly LIFE CHANGING.” I’m committed to helping parents like you and your child get the rest you need and deserve. Let’s work together to achieve better sleep and a happier, healthier family life.
Features
Kaley has been featured on numerous podcasts, on NBC, CBS, Yahoo!, Forbes, Texas Today, MindBodyGreen, WonderBaby.org, Work & Mother, Homes and Gardens, TinyBeans, and more!
My son just turned 4 months today, he’s been sleeping 10-12hrs a night, but his naps are no longer than 30mins unless we hold him, yet he sleeps on his own, on his stomach when he sleeps at night.I’ve tried putting him on his stomach during the day but he always wakes up. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong & am hoping you could help me out with it.
Hi Emily, that’s great that your little guy is sleeping so long at night! Sometimes naps do just take a little longer to come once a baby has developed self soothing skills. Some babies can take up to 5 – 6 months of age to finally connect sleep cycles for naps once they are independent sleepers. But I’d be happy to hop on a free Sleep Evaluation call with you to learn more about his sleep struggles and see if we can help. You can email me at kaley@livelovesleep.com
How to teach baby to self sooth for sleeping
Hi Priyanka, the way to teach your little one how to self soothe is to sleep train them to learn how to fall asleep without the assistance of sleep props. I work with families to teach their baby how to do this using gentle sleep training methods. Here’s a link to my services if you feel like you need help: https://www.livelovesleep.com/services/sleep-training-baby-packages/
My baby is 5 months old , and only takes 30min naps ( sometimes even 20min) he can only sleep by rocking and shushing movements. He is very cranky throughout the day and seems overstimulated or overtired is this due to short naps? And his bedtime is around 8/9pm? At night he wakes up around 2 times and wants milk so haven’t had a night where he can sleep through yet 🙁 he’s had terrible colic from newborn stage and I haven’t had no time to myself whatsoever. Its been hard.
That does sound like it’s been really hard. Sorry to hear you’ve been struggling so much with his sleep. Yes, not getting the proper amount of daytime sleep with naps can be leading to him becoming overtired during the day. Stick with the shorter end of his awake windows for now until you can get those naps to be longer. The good news is that you can absolutely help him get those longer daytime naps and consolidate his nighttime sleep be teaching him how to self soothe. If you need any help doing that, feel free to email me at kaley@livelovesleep.com.
My daughter will be 4 months next week, she sleeps almost every night through the night and for the past week, puts herself to sleep for bedtime and naps. She will not nap longer than 30 minutes and use to nap more than 1 hour. When should I see an increase in naps?
That’s so great she’s sleeping through the night and putting herself to sleep. Congrats! The length of the nap is usually the last thing to come. It can take between 1 – 6 weeks to see the length of the nap improve once you’ve taught her how to self soothe.
My baby is 12 weeks old and started rolling around 10.5 weeks old. Ever since then he has had a very hard time during the day connecting sleep cycles and only taking 30 min naps. Last night he woke up 30 minutes into bed time but was able to put himself back to sleep. This happened a few times for about 2 hours or so. Normally during the day he will fall asleep independently for naps (unless overtired, then he needs rocked) but will wake up 30-45 minutes into the nap. I usually have to rock him back to sleep to help extend the nap. Am I creating any bad habits by doing this? Is this a sleep regression or just part of development? It is so hard to be stuck during every nap – I don’t have any time for myself during the day. I should add that he does sleep through the night. Thanks in advance!
Hi Alli, I understand that feeling of not having any time to yourself during the day because you’re stuck trying to extend those short naps by rocking him back to sleep. That strategy does work well with newborns but at 4 months old, it does begin to create a dependency on needing that rocking in order to connect sleep cycles.
My almost 4 month old has been taking short naps for a couple of weeks now. I am working on getting her to sleep more independently because she is used to my rocking her. My concern is that when she takes these short naps, she seems to be tired or borderline over tired after only 20 minutes. Should I be keeping her awake for her full awake window or going off her sleepy cues instead? Thank you!
Hi Liz. It’s normal for babies to show tired cues before their full awake window after taking those short naps. I recommend following those tired cues and either having another nap that day or moving bedtime up a little that night to compensate for that short nap.
My 4 month old won’t nap longer than 30 mins😩 I try and put her in drowsy but awake and sometimes she will stay but most of the time she cries and doesn’t fall asleep until I pick her up and rock her. Help!!
Hi Gina. Sorry to hear you’re struggling with your daughter’s sleep. At this age, the drowsy but awake strategy doesn’t work anymore because she’s much more aware of her surroundings than she was as a newborn. You’ll see those naps get longer and have her falling asleep much easier after teaching her to fall asleep from that wide awake state rather than the drowsy state. Send me an email at kaley@livelovesleep.com if you need help.
My boy will be 4months old in a week and lately his naps are never longer than 20-40 min max. He used to take some up to 1.5 or 2hrs long. He falls asleep on his own in his crib, dark room, sound machine on. Recently have both arms out of swaddle bc he was starting to try and roll with one arm in. Ever since doing that he’ll keep himself awake with his arms or his startle reflex will wake him. Any tips?
Hi Julie, that’s wonderful that your little guy is falling asleep on his own. It sounds like he still has a little of the startle reflex. I like the Zippadee Zip sleep sack for babies who are having a hard time transitioning out of the swaddle. That could help with that startle reflex. If you’re still having issues after you’ve tried that, send me an email at kaley@livelovesleep.com and we’ll chat in more detail.
Thanks for your great article! My son will be 5 months next week. I am curious about his short cat naps (20-30 minutes). He sleeps really well most nights. Sometimes he sleeps 6-9+ hours, sometimes he sleeps shorter stints, but he’s definitely on the right trajectory. Why does it seem his startle reflex wakes him during his naps, but not at night? He naps really well in his car seat when we drive or walk, but he struggles to nap in a crib. I don’t swaddle him at night anymore because he is rolling and likes to have his hands free. At night he is in a sleep sack. Any ideas would be appreciated!
HI Carolyn, thanks for your comment. Consistency is crucial when it comes to a 4 month old’s sleep. You’ll want to put him in the crib in his sleep sack for naps during the day to be consistent at night so that he can develop a strategy to connect sleep cycles for naps too. If you haven’t already done so, I recommend trying the Wake to Sleep Method. Here’s a blog on that. https://www.livelovesleep.com/wake-to-sleep/
My little boy has been sleeping 12 hours of a night since he was 13 weeks old. He’s put down awake for naps and bedtime and puts himself asleep – he’s done this for 8 weeks now. He’s now 5 months and his naps are getting shorter and shorter! He’s put down of a morning 1.50 minutes after waking, some days he sleeps for 1hr15 mins some days he sleeps for 25 minutes. His two naps after this are mostly 30 minutes. Help! I can’t figure out where I’m going wrong!
Hi Rachel, that’s wonderful to hear your son is sleeping through the night. But those short naps are so frustrating. I would take a look at how you’re putting him down at both bedtime and naptime and make sure there’s no drowsiness at all. You can also try some nap extension methods. Feel free to shoot me an email at kaley@livelovesleep.com if you need help figuring out which ones to try with him.
My 17 week old suddenly changed her nap habits this week. Previously she would sleep for 1.5-2 hours a nap but this week can’t do more then 45 mins on her own. She will keep sleeping if I hold her. Is it creating bad sleep habits to extend her nap this way?
Hi Carissa, isn’t that so frustrating when your baby goes from being a great napper to now taking these much shorter naps. With newborns, holding her to extend her nap is a good strategy. But now that she’s older, it will begin to become a habit.
Great article, especially as I start to navigate the 4 month regression! My daughter will be 4 months in a couple of weeks. Since she was 2 months old, she takes 25-40 minute naps and sleeps through the night (most of the time). She falls asleep on her own at night and for naps. For 1 nap per day, after she wakes from her cat nap, we pick her up and let her sleep for a contact nap for an additional hour. Will that 1 contact nap hurt her progress during the 4 month regression?
Hi anna, thank you! Yes, there’s nothing wrong with doing a contact nap at this age if it’s working for your family and she’s able to fall asleep on her own.
My youngest is 4 months old. As a newborn, napped for fairly long periods, but since the age of 2 months, he just will not sleep longer than 30 mins. 40-45 mins if I’m lucky, and on the very odd occasion, he’ll sleep maybe an hour to an hour and a half in the afternoon. I have a 2 year old so this is extremely taxing on me as I am also in the middle of potty training. He sleeps well at night and sometimes seems to settle himself if he stirs, or I just give him his dummy and he falls back asleep, but he will not settle/soothe himself during naps. I’ve only recently tried rocking him back to sleep to sometimes to extend those naps, but very rarely works (will be wide awake the moment I try and put him down again). He used to wake several times if I put him down in general, but that part has improved massively – very rarely have to to re-attempt in putting him to sleep once I lay him down. I’ve tried teaching him to sleep on his own such, but just does not work. If he sees me, it stimulates him, he just flaps and flails and thrashes about. I’ve tried patting, shushing, holding his hand, putting my palm on his chest, stroking his face etc…you name if I have TRIED, and he just will not settle. He’s only ever fallen asleep on his own maybe 3 times. I feel stuck as I can’t leave my eldest son unattended for lengthy amounts of time as I put my 4 month old in his crib in a dark room with white noise, so it’s essentially the same environment as bedtime. Doesn’t matter, doesn’t make a difference. My eldest was able to self-soothe around this age and he’s been able to go to bed on his own since a baby, but I can’t quite recall how I did it with him and, to be quite honest, I don’t know how I’m supposed to physically do it this time around. My youngest has a comforter that he likes, I’ve tried a material of clothing of mine so it has my scent and given it to him, he has a dummy, tried “drowsy but awake” and also putting him down wide awake. Nothing.works.whatsoever. I am at my wits end. Please help!
I can see how you’re at your wits end Vanita! That does sound really tough. Keep in mind it can take up to 6 months to see babies begin to consistently take those 1.5 – 2 hour long naps. I would really focus on teaching him how to self soothe, following his awake windows / tired cues, and trying some nap extension methods. Feel free to email me at kaley@livelovesleep.com if you’re feeling stuck and need help.
My 14 weeks old baby is self settling at bedtime and at nap time and he used to wake up for 2 feeds during the night. His bedtime is about 7 pm and we have a bedtime routine and also a short nap routine. He sleeps in a dark room with white noise every night and also every nap. But for 1-2 weeks now he started to wake up at about the same times in the night, midnight then 2 -2:30 am then 5 am . I assumed that the firsts 2 wakes are for hunger so I breastfeed him and he goes back to sleep, but the last one,even if I treat it like a night wake and feed,he will not go back to sleep. I usually live him in the crib until 6 am and then wake for the day. And also he takes a long morning nap ,about 1,5-2 hours, but then he only takes 25-35 minutes naps. Can this be 4 months sleep regression? He also has an awake window of just 70-80 minutes, I tried to extend it but he is then overtired. Any advice? And also,if I let him in the crib after the 25 minutes nap he tries to self settle back to sleep but with no succes so he starts crying after 20 minutes and then I go in the room and the nap is over. In this case,the awake window starts after those 25 minutes or after those extra 20 minutes?
That’s great your son is self soothing!
My baby sleep through the night and I put him down for nighttime and naps awake. He puts himself to sleep within 10 minutes (sometimes cries) but he will always go to sleep on his own. I have a nap time routine and bedtime routine. However, no matter what I do he naps 30 minutes or less. Sometimes I can nap save, other times I can’t. How do I get him to sleep longer during naps? This has been happening for almost two months. Baby is 4 months now.
That’s wonderful that your son sleeps through the night Julie! But I understand how frustrating those short naps can be. Sometimes it can take up to 6 months for babies to consistently take those longer naps. But in the meantime, I’d continue putting him down to sleep wide awake (not drowsy) and using some nap extension methods to try to get those naps to be a little longer.