Hi Willow

I agree with the others. I think this is perfectly normal. One sleep cycle is 40 mins so If your little one is sleeping 3 or 4 hourly stretches at night, he DOES know how to self-settle and if he is happy during the day then he is getting enough sleep. Enough sleep for him. Not enough sleep for you obviously but the little guy doesn't know this.

I think they reckon they're doing pretty well if they're sleeping in a 5 hour block overnight by 4 months of age so I wouldn't expect miracles yet.

I had a catnapper too but I tried not to stress. Jeez, it was frustrating but I figured that if she wasn't crying then her being awake wasn't a huge deal. What WAS exhausting was constantly trying to put her down again and going in and out four or five times. So I didn't bother - if she didn't go to sleep after about two decent attempts ie. some rocking to a relaxed state or light sleep, I'd get her up again. No point me wearing myself out if I'd just misread her signs and she wasn't sleepy afterall.

And guess what - she did change from only wanting a few 40 minute naps during the day to now USUALLY having a big, big sleep either in the morning or afternoon.

It's the unpredictability that gets us every time! Just when I think "oh good, she's down for her big morning nap so I might make myself a lovely, lavish breakfast but oooh, perhaps I'll check Bellybelly first" lo and behold she decides that she's not going to have her long nap and I've not got around to cooking that breakfast and she's hungry and it's another hour till I eat etc. etc. So now I try to work out what's the number one thing I want to do while she's asleep and do that first incase she wakes up before I think she 'should'.