Surviving the 4-month Regression
The four-month sleep regression: maybe you’ve heard of it, maybe you’ve lived through it, maybe you’re looking for ways to AVOID it. Although this regression gets a BAD reputation, it’s actually a healthy part of your baby’s development.
During this regression, your baby’s sleep cycles mature and transition to adult-like sleep cycles. This means they move through lighter phases of sleep throughout the night, which can result in them startling awake more easily. If they don’t have the skills to put themself back to sleep yet, then it leads to us, as parents, stepping in to help. This might look like picking them up and rocking them to sleep, feeding to sleep, or bringing baby into bed with you because you are desperate to get some shut-eye. These methods may successfully lull baby back to sleep and you’re able to transition baby back into ther crib or bassinet (ninja style) but they still aren’t learning the skills to fall back to sleep on their own – which means they will need your assistance for each waking. For some families, this may not be an issue and they are completely fine with feeding baby to sleep each time, great! For others, they may be wanting to get those longer stretches of sleep back.
You see, sleep is biological – but the ABILITY to sleep is a learned skill. This is why I put such an emphasis on setting a healthy sleep foundation early on so you and your baby can move through this regression with ease.
Wondering what I mean by that? Then hop on over to this blog post.
So, what exactly is happening during this major developmental leap?
Your baby has begun to produce their own melatonin, the hormone that helps to regulate our sleep-wake cycle.
Your baby has begun rolling (which means we say goodbye to that cozy sleep sack which helps them sleep so soundly)
Sleep begins to mature, and your baby starts sleeping in more stages and cycles, similar to the sleep patterns of an adult.
They may begin teething which can lead to discomfort and sleep disruption for a few days
In addition, here are some signs to look out for to know whether baby is moving through this regression:
Sudden night wakings or decline in overall sleep
Increased crying or fussiness during sleep times and difficulty settling
Disrupted naps and less total daytime sleep
Distracted daytime eating
Okay, now let me give a play-by-play here:
Your baby falls asleep in your arms while nursing or feeding, then is moved to the crib. Later, when they wake up in between sleep cycles and their environment is different from the way they fell asleep, this causes them to wake fully (rather than fall back to sleep on their own and shift onto the next sleep cycle). They will cry out looking for that same environment they fell asleep in. Does this sound familiar? It makes sense if you think about it. Imagine if you fell asleep on the couch watching a movie, then woke up sleeping in your bed. WHAT? That would freak me out too.
The good news is the four-month sleep regression is only temporary, usually lasting between 1-3 weeks. However, the pace at which your baby moves though depends on the plan you have in place. Babies thrive off of routine and consistency, which is why it’s so important to handle wakings in a consistent way so they know what to expect.
Psssst: learn more about specific sleep strategies here.
Please know that you can continue to feed your baby throughout the night as needed. I always recommend going off their longest typical stretch of sleep. For example, if your baby usually goes to bed at 7:30 PM then wakes up between 11-midnight for a feed, then stick with that! It’s the wakings in-between that you will respond with the sleep strategy you align with.
Feel like you need more support to get through this regression, or help putting a proactive plan in place? I get that! Sleep is a journey and unique to each individual baby. I would love to be your guide. Schedule a 30-minute phone chat so we can put a plan in place, together.
