30 minute intruder

Caleb has this thing where he regularly takes 30 minute 'catnaps' in the am. Catnaps because his naps should be lasting at least one hour. Some of the time I can save these pathetic attmepts of a nap other times I can not. Sometimes he will sleep for 3 hours in afternoon if he only has had a 30 minute morning nap, other times he will not. Sometimes he will sleep for more than 30 minutes with no assistance from me, but unfortunately, more times than not, I am desperatly trying to SAVE his nap. This has been happening since the time he turned about 6 months. Day in, Day out. And. It. Is. EXHAUSTING. FRUSTRATING. ANNOYING. and all I feel is COMPLETLY helpless. I really have tried EVERYTHING> I have read books, I have tried every single thing they say to do to get Caleb over that brief awakening and back to sleep on his own. So if anyone has any ideas PLEASE send them my way.
There are days where I just surrender to the 30 minute nap intruder. I give up and go on. I try and let go of the obsession to get Caleb to take two naps that last at least one hour each instead of this strange combo of catnap in the morning and 3 hour marathon nap in the afternoon (that usually still requires an intervention on my part to keep it going after his 30 minute wake up to the world moments). Sigh. I don't think it is normal and I also know every baby is different. But sometimes I wish this baby could just follow all those baby books for once in the area of SLEEP. NIGHT SLEEP, NAP SLEEP. Sleep, Sleep, Sleep. Who would have thought something that seems as simple as sleep could be so complex! This mama certainly never did. So for now I will long for and rejoice greatly on those rare days where the 30 minute nap intruder has yet to make his appearance and in the mean time I will do everything possible to 'save' those naps any way I know how.