4 month old only 20min nap

[bergeecook]

My LO just turned 4 mos and started taking naps for only 20 mins a few weeks ago and was eating every 2 hours,  so we realized we needed to adjust his schedule to a 4 hour routine.   We've been doing the schedule adjustment to a 4hr schedul, and doing pu/put down for 5 days for the naps, and he still sleeps for 20 min in the afternoon naps and then screams and cries while we do the pu/put down.  It's heart breaking to hear him scream and he never seems able to settle himself.  He seems over tired when we put him down for the naps, but according to the book we're supposed to keep him on the exact schedule while we're in training mode.  I just feel like he's not getting any better being that he screams constantly. We end up stopping the pu put down because it's been 45 mins and we can't keep him doing that for any longer.  Here's basically what he's been doing:

E 7am (super fast eater)
A 7:20
S 9-10:20 (decent nap, then we do pu put down 30 mins while he's screaming)

E 11am
A 11:20
S 1pm- 1:25 (pu put down 45mins screaming constantly)

E 3-3:15
A 3:20
S 5-5:35pm (pu put down for 45 mins screaming constantly)

E 7pm
A bath
S 7:30 (pu put down 2-3 times and he sleeps great)

E dream feed 11pm and he sleeps through the night until 7am

Basically he does great at night but these naps are over tiring him.  All the screaming is breaking my heart and I feel like it's not getting any better.  Is he okay with 20 min naps?  He seems overly tired afterwards, but with all the screaming I'd be exhausted too.  He's a really big boy- 20lbs, 28" and only 4 months

Please help me in knowing if I'm doing something wrong

[Florena49]

Hi and welcome!

Firstly 4 month is a pretty terrible time for naps, babies who slept well before often regress at this age and short naps pretty much visit every household. So i know that it is tough.

Ok so it looks like you are aiming for 2 hours A time, which in the morning gives you a decent nap? Is that right? If LO ha a nap like this i really wouldn't try pu/pd to extend because i reckon he had enough sleep and you are trying to get a well rested baby to sleep thats why he is screaming.
So after that first nap I would count 2 hours A time from 10.20, so your second nap will be due 12.20.

Generally pu/pd isnt great for extending naps, have you tried shush pat to try and settle or extend?

Have you done the baby quiz? Do you know what personality/ type you LO is?

[Mama2Athena]

I've heard over and over that between 3 and 4 months is an awful time for naps.  Although mine starting short napping around 2 months, when previously she had been napping for 2-3 hours at a time.  I felt like I've tried everything to extend those naps but nothing really worked with the exception of time and sometimes holding through the jolt (see below).  Some how by 5-6 months of age she started taking longer naps but only at home in a quiet environment.  At daycare, she continued take short 40 minute naps until she moved to one nap at 13 months. 

I know it's hard to see them so tired and try to keep them on a schedule.  I'm very much a schedule driven person, but honestly I had to let go of the perfect EASY when she was short napping.  When she was younger, on daycare days, she would sometimes have 4-5 short naps just to get through the day, but still ate every 3-4 hours.  But it did get better over time and now she is a pretty solid napper (even at daycare) and sleeps about 2 hours.

Does your baby jolt at the 20 minute mark?  Mine did that a lot.  If I got to her at the exact moment I would hold her jolt and she would resettle and sleep for a bit longer.