4 month old won't connect sleep cycles - is this normal?

[regina1987m]

Hey!

I was wondering if you could help me find out what is going on with my baby. She has always woken up at the 30-40min mark but manages to go back to sleep independently almost every time up to her next EASY. I've read in the past that babies may not be developmentally mature to transition from one sleep cycle to the next so I didn't worry a lot the first months, also because she stays in her crib chatting and talking and then falls back to sleep, no assistance, but yesterday, I went to the pediatrician and he told me that maybe my daughter will always be like that and that maybe she will not be a great napper after all.

I WAS IN SHOCK!!! Could this be true? My first daughter napped incredibly so I never worried about this. I really don't know how to make her nap longer without waking herself up!

Is there something I am doing wrong?

She usually wakes up at 7:45 but stays in bed until 8:00, I feed her and she plays until 9:40 that's when I start the winding down and she goes to sleep. She wakes up 30-40 minutes after, chats and giggles, sometimes fusses, and then she falls right back to sleep after 10-40 minutes, for like an hour more. Is this normal for a baby her age? Will she be able to connect cycles without waking all the way up? Is she too young to do that?

Please help!!!

[Silvasmile]

Hi, I don't think I be able to help you much since I'm kinda in the same boat here. I tried wake to sleep approach which seems to work for me. It took at least 4 days but today my cat napper had one 50 min nap, 2 over an hour and 1 40 minute nap which is better than 6 naps of 30 min.

It takes time as you need to experiment with the timing what works for you. My LO woke himself once at 27 min and I kept trying to assist him at the same time but it didn't work so i have reduced to 23 min which worked remarkably.

I would definitely recommend especially if your DD settles on her own.

[regina1987m]

Thanks for your reply! How exactly do you W2S? I'm scared she'll fully wake up, see me and wont resettle!!!

[*Ali*]

Wake to sleep is defo worth a try.

Or maybe he's a tad undertired and needs a touch more A time.

[Silvasmile]

To be honest, I'm still working on it. I mark his time when he goes to sleep and at 23 to 25 min mark I go to the room and put his blankie on his face since that's how he falls asleep he either jolts or signs. And then really wait because he still jolts at 30 min or 40 min mark from his sleep sometimes he opens his eyes and goes back to sleep sometimes looks for paci, in this case I give him the paci without saying anything and move back again. Wait another 20 min to see if he settles into deep sleep. 70% of time he does if not I take him out once he is no longer happy to lay. Otherwise I leave the room and let him sleep.

Once he learns to connect his sleep cycles I'm sure it's gonna get easier, at the moment I'm not bothered. Anything at this point is better than 30 min cat nap.