What tips do you have to help my 4 month old go to sleep during the day on his own?

[Chow44]

My 4 month old fights sleep during the day. He don't have the dummy. I'm not sure if there's any techniques that people have found helpful to get them to sleep without letting them cry it out. Please help?

[MrsHello Community Ambassador]

This is really hard if they struggle to settle. Are you trying to put him down at any specific time of day? It might be they are not tired or that they are over tired (babies are so complicated 🙃) I would have mine nap as part of a day routine, and try and stick to it roughly each day although some days were harder than others. Also for mine I found the best thing was to have them sleep in a quiet space away from the other house noises, so in their cot/ crib with the curtain part closed (depending how dark they need it). Like you I didn’t like mine crying it out but i would let them grizzle initially without always immediately responding just to see if they would go to sleep. Mine would always cry for a reason, but they’d also have a tired cry which I kind of worked out. For one of mine I played classical music, another one I tried a white noise app. I also would maybe give comfort and reassurance by stroking a hand and showing I was there but not picking up etc. Sometimes I think it’s just finding what works best for them. Good luck and Keep us posted on how you get on 😊 x

[Chow44 in reply to MrsHello]

Thanks for the advice. Since my 3 yr old has gone back to child minders today, it's alot quieter. However, I have managed to get him to go to sleep in the bouncer today without me having to hold or rock him. Do you think maybe if I keep up with not holding him and trying to bounce him to sleep, he may get use to not having me to hold, rock or pat him to sleep. That eventually he may just sleep on his own. Trying to lay him down without some sort of motion in the background, he won't go down. So the car seat, pushchair, bouncing, rocking etc helps. But I feel like I'm gonna make a rod for my back or however the saying goes lol.

[Abbeville in reply to Chow44]

It’s really difficult when you have a 3 year old too! At 4 months baby is likely to still want and need you to hold and rock him...we found a sling really helpful for carrying baby and still having hands free for the toddler. There’s so much pressure as parents to have a sleeping baby but you’re not going to spoil him by cuddling and rocking to sleep during the day at this age. As MrsHello says, a routine can be helpful where he knows that a story or song and a cuddle is the signal for a sleep. Good luck!

[Chow44 in reply to Abbeville]

Yeh I think I will just have to bare with it. I did have a sling but he don't enjoy being in that. Lol. He likes to snuggle in my shoulder mainly. Do you think maybe I should wait until I can do the cry it out method before stopping the rocking and patting to sleep. Just to get him asleep. I mean also waiting until he's 6 months old. Unless obviously he settles himself by then. Thomas is so different to my daughter. I could put my daughter down and she would fall asleep but then again she had a dummy. Thomas just spits it out so we haven't bothered with it. I'm not sure what other comforts I can give at his age.

[Abbeville in reply to Chow44]

You sound as if you’re doing a lovely job with him. They have such different personalities don’t they! I personally wouldn’t use the crying it out method but perhaps give Just One Number a call and talk it through with a practitioner? I’ve found them really helpful. It’s 0300 300 0123

[Chow44 in reply to Abbeville]

Yeh I think I may have to. Thanks