Sleep Transition

My son is 4.5 months old now and deep in a sleep regression. He used to nap at least 40mins - sometimes 2 hours! Now he typically naps 24min, once in awhile a 40min nap (unless I lay in bed with him.) He was sleeping 5+ hours between feeds and now we are lucky to go 4, typically 3 at night. One time he went 7 hours at 3 months old (dreams of that one magic night I got more sleep.) I understand the short naps and regression are both age related and normal which is fine, we can handle it if that's what we gotta do.

But, he has started rolling belly to back and onto his side multiple times a day, I figure it's only a matter of time before he figures out back to belly. So we have started transitioning him out of the swaddle. We are doing one arm out during nap times and he does okay, he still has the startle reflex so the only way he will fall asleep is if he can hold onto a stuffed animal. If I remove said animal he will pull his paci out, startle, flail arm, rub eye, ect. So I have to leave it on his arm.

I have a video monitor and am a SAHM who constantly watches.. but this terrifies me, my cousin died of SIDS and I am so afraid he will suffocate on the animal, to the point where I barely do anything while he sleeps, not that 24mins is long anyways. It's just the only way it works. We have also switched the arm he has out and he sleeps about the same regardless.

Recently we tried both arms out, he was up so quick, the only way to keep him down is to put a stuffy or burpcloth on each arm so he has something to hold onto. Which is even more terrifying.

I have heard a zippadee-zip may be beneficial to our situation but he doesn't like sleep sacks as they feel too open, he likes the tightness around his chest and belly that the halo swaddle provides. He doesn't mind sleeping arms wrapped up with legs out so I feel that wont be an issue.

With the Zippadee-zip I am assuming I would still need to use the "stuffy method" to keep him from removing his paci. I can sometimes remove the paci once he is actually asleep but while rocking him it's an issue. He just want's his hands all over his face but cannot sleep with said hands on his face... Ah, babies.

Regardless he still naps for 24mins, we have tried to let him stay in the crib for 10-20 mins (unless he puts his stuffy on his face which he likes to do while awake) just to see if he goes back to no avail. He also will not be rocked back afterwards either so I am just assuming I have a little catnapper.

We did move his bedtime up to 7-7:30, it's as if the more sleep he gets at night the less he sleeps during the day? His bedtime used to be around 8 - 9 sleep till 6 - 7 but since we moved it up to 7 - 7:30 he hardly naps, not sure if it's related since everyone seems to say babies need 11+ hrs of sleep and he just likes 10 or if it's just because of the sleep regression.

Just a note: I am not doing CIO - I have sensory issues (specifically auditory) and have also read some research that makes me feel uncomfortable doing it, so that is 100% off the table. (Hopefully that doesn't come off rude, it's just our preference. ^_^)

Thoughts? Tips? Similar situations?

Anything would help.