8 Tips for the 4 Month Sleep Regression

Tips to Survive

Baby has hit the 4 month mark…congrats!Your baby is past the newborn “4th trimester” and is moving into a whole new stage of development. This is an exciting time!Baby is awake more and has a more defined nap schedule.They are learning and practicing all kinds of new things- from trying to roll over to grabbing toys to really taking in language and faces. 

During this time, babies are also developing a more adult sleep pattern. They will spend more time in a lighter non-REM sleep, which means they will wake more frequently and easily as they go through their new sleep cycle.

As baby starts to transition to their more mature sleep pattern, we enter the infamous “4 Month Sleep Regression”. This period tends to last anywhere from a few days up to six weeks.It’s marked by baby waking up more frequently and refusing to go back to sleep, where previously, they were sleeping well for naps and night time. There will be a handful of these “sleep regressions” over time, but the 4 month sleep regression seems to be the most difficult one for most parents.

As adults, we are used to cycling through the 4 stages of sleep. We sometimes have our moments of briefly opening our eyes between sleep cycles at night and generally fall right back to sleep.We might shift positions during this time, but we all do it whether we remember or not. It is normal sleep behavior.However, this part of the sleep cycle is new for the baby and they are awakened easily.They are not used to it and will look for a way to get back to sleep. If they are used to being fed or rocked at sleep times, they will look for that to help get them back into their sleep cycle. Some babies awaken and since they are already in a big developmental stage, may start working on those new motor skills at 2 AM and find it hard to get back to sleep.

The good news is that baby is right on target when they hit the 4 month sleep regression.The bad news is this can be a difficult time for baby as well as parents.Like all phases, this too will pass.Here are eight tips to help you with the transition and hopefully get things back on track sooner rather than later.

Routine:

You hear this frequently. Routines, in general, are essential for infants and children. Let’s face it: As adults, we like our routines, too.Having some predictability in a life with many unpredictable events is comforting!

If you haven’t started a bedtime routine, now is the time to begin. Whatever you decide to incorporate, keeping it under an hour would be best. Many parents do a bath, bottle/breastfeed, a book, and/or maybe a song or two. Whatever you choose to do, keep it quiet and relaxing to start signaling to the baby that it’s time to settle for sleep.

Consistent Sleep Space:

Another thing to remember is where you put the baby for naps or nighttime sleep. It would be best if you initially put them down where you decide they will nap or sleep for the night. Since their sleep cycle shifts, they do not sleep as deeply for as long as the newborn phase. Transitioning a baby from one place to another will not go as smoothly, and you may find it wakes up more quickly. The last thing you want to do is wake the baby before they sleep well.

Earlier Bedtime:

As the baby works on new skills and sleeps less during the day than in previous months, you will find that bedtime needs to happen earlier than in previous months. Less daytime sleep + more developmental growth = a need for more sleep at night. If babies sleep later than they need, they become overstimulated. Overstimulated babies have a difficult time falling and staying asleep. The 4th month is the time to start implementing an earlier bedtime if one hasn’t already been implemented. Generally, bedtime will be closer to 6:30-7:30p at this age. At 4 months, babies need an average of 15 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period.

To bump down a bedtime, it is recommended to move it down in 15-minute increments over a period of a few days until you reach a point where it works best for the baby.

Dark Room:

As the baby’s sleep cycles change and the circadian rhythm becomes stronger, the baby will become more and more sensitive to light as adults do. Having blackout shades in the baby’s room for naps and nighttime will be very helpful to signal to their body that it is sleep time. Since bedtime becomes earlier, the black-out shades making the room very dark will help tremendously with bedtime- especially in the summer months when the sun isn’t setting until much later.

Quiet Environment:

Baby will also have a lighter sleep that will be disturbed by noises that previously didn’t seem to bother them.A white noise machine can help drown out outside noises by providing a constant background sound that can promote sleep. Use during naps and night sleep will allow the baby to have an environment that promotes sound sleep while allowing you and your family to carry on with your activities.

Eating More:

As previously discussed, the fourth month is a big month for baby.Not only are their sleep cycles maturing but they are also working on developmental milestones.They will be trying to roll over. Reaching for, and playing more with toys, focusing more on language, and staying awake more through out the day.New skills and more awake time will produce a hungrier baby. If baby would like to eat more frequently and more during the day, it is encouraged to feed them more.If you don’t feed baby enough during the day, you will find that baby will wake up more frequently at night to get those extra calories.

A good rule of thumb is baby (4- 6 months of age) gets 2.0 oz* for every pound they weigh in a 24 hour period. So a 15 lb baby x 2.0 = 30 ounces on average.(Average means that baby could take a more or less.) Making sure baby gets the bulk of those calories during the day will help alleviate the need to eat larger/more frequently at night. A hungry baby who is awake more frequently combined with the four month sleep regression is a recipe for disaster!

Break Habits/Sleep Crutches:

If you have been rocking/feeding baby to sleep or using pacifiers, this is the time to break those habits (if you desire).Sleep associations/crutches are things we do or provide for baby to get them to sleep.Around four months, these start to become habits as babies begin to have strong associations.If your goal was to get baby to sleep without sleep associations/crutch now is the time to stop. 

Going Down Drowsy But Awake:

You've probably heard it said from day one…”put baby down drowsy, but awake”.This truly is the time to work on this.As sleep cycles are changing and development leaps are happening, baby is becoming more able to self regulate and soothe.

Around this four-month sleep regression is when many start sleep training/coaching. This does not mean that you must put the baby down and let them cry until they sleep. This is when you can put babies down drowsy but awake and see if they can sleep. They may fuss, and that’s normal. You may find that they fuss but can calm down and fall asleep. This is the time that it is recommended that you try it.

There are many schools of thought on helping babies fall asleep, from continuing to rock/feed to sleep to allowing them to cry till they do. Each parent must decide the best method based on their philosophy and goal.

There are many schools of thought on helping babies fall asleep, from continuing to rock/feed to sleep to allowing them to cry till they do. Each parent must decide the best method based on their philosophy and goal.

Most babies will have a 4-month sleep regression. While this is a hard time for everyone, it does fade. These eight tips will help you navigate the regression and find everyone sleeping better at the end. If you need more sleep advice or sleep training services, our certified pediatric sleep consultant at Nurtured Foundation is available to help!

*32oz per day is the maximum recommendation.  The introduction of solids and other factors will affect that number.  Please consult your provider or a registered dietitian for more information.