Sleeping FAQ: 4-6 months – Daytime Sleep

My five-month-old gets tired in the afternoon despite sleeping well at naptimes

My five-month-old son sleeps really well between 9.00-9.30am and between 12.15-2.15pm, but gets really cross and tired every afternoon around 3.30-4.00pm. It is very difficult to do anything with him. Do you have any advice?

As your son is only sleeping 2.5 hours in the day and showing signs of tiredness in the afternoon, let him have a short catnap. Some babies of this age do still need 15 minutes to help them through bath and bedtime without becoming overtired. Use this time to take him for a walk and let him have a short sleep in his buggy. Providing he continues to settle well at 7pm and sleep through until 7am, then it would be better to let him sleep for a short while in the afternoon rather than trying to deal with a fussy and tired baby.