My 4-week-old son has not taken naps in his cot for the past eight days. I am in need of a brighter future. When does this end, and is all you have to do is to place him in the cot again and over again until he gets used to it? Does it make sense to try it now? I am against sleep training. I have tried shushing, slow transfer, white noise, heating pads, swaddling, and putting my clothes in the cot.
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My 12-month-old son’s eyes ping open as I try to put him down. I’d like to know too. 
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I came to the realization that at 5 months old, my presence was actually causing more disruptions to his sleep rather than assisting him. At 6 months old, I stopped taking contact naps and rescuing naps. I remember doing a few carrier naps when we were sick with covid at 16 months old. It was a challenging time because my little one couldn’t nap properly, but thankfully he was able to sleep at night.
Napping and sleep patterns can vary greatly across individuals, cultures, and time periods. In general, the practice of infants and young children napping while physically close to or held by a caregiver has been common throughout human history. This type of “contact napping” can provide comfort, security, and bonding for the child. However, parenting trends and recommendations around infant sleep have evolved over time. Some modern sleep training methods may discourage prolonged contact napping in favor of independent sleep habits. But there is no definitive point in history where this practice suddenly ceased. The transition likely occurred gradually as societal norms and childcare approaches changed. Without more context about what is meant by “contact naps ending”, I cannot provide a specific factual answer. Infant sleep and caregiving practices continue to be a topic of ongoing research and discussion. The best I can say is that the prevalence and acceptance of contact napping has likely fluctuated over time rather than having a clear start or end date. Let me know if you have any other questions I could research further.