The Four Month Sleep Regression is one of the most commonly talked about regressions. Why, you may ask? During this regression babies go through a huge neurological change, often referred to as a developmental leap. Unlike other developmental leaps, the four month sleep regression creates a permanent change in a baby’s sleep cycles because a baby is transitioning away from newborn sleep cycles. This will result in baby being much more aware of their surroundings during middle of the night wake ups. Very often, babies who were previously sleeping well will begin to have frequent night wake ups. This is also why sleep props can begin to become a struggle around this age. So how do we navigate this regression? Here are a 7 tips to help you navigate this regression.

1: Limit distractions while feeding.

Now that your baby is much more aware of what is happening around them, you may need to go into a quiet room or feed baby in a place without as many distractions. A baby who isn't getting enough calories during the day will often wake in the middle of the night to make up for lost calories.

2: Reduce sleep props and teach baby independent sleep.

After the four month sleep regression, babies are much more aware of what is happening around them. Every time they wake from a sleep cycle they will need their sleep prop in order to fall asleep again. This can lead to one very tired baby and an exhausted mama!

3: Baby should be fully awake when placed in their crib at nap and bed time.

A baby’s first stage of sleep is very light; so light, in fact, that a baby’s first stage of sleep can often be mistaken for drowsiness. If baby is zoning out, is opening and closing their eye lids very slowly, or if baby is resting their head on your shoulder, chances are they are already in their first stage of sleep. If baby is already in the first stage of sleep when put down in bed, they will often wake after one sleep cycle looking for you. Imagine how you would feel if you fell asleep in your bed and woke up on the living room couch!

4: Follow age appropriate wake windows.

A baby who is four months old should be getting around 2 hours of wake time. If baby has too much wake time they will end up with a build up of cortisol in their system which makes it very difficult for a baby to fall asleep and stay asleep. In contrast to this, if a baby is under tired they will also have trouble taking full naps or may wake shortly after they fall asleep at bedtime. They simply won’t be tired enough to stay asleep.

5: Implement a bedtime and naptime routine.

Having a bedtime and nap time routine signals to your baby that it’s time for sleep. A 20-30 minute routine usually works best at bedtime. I recommend the following schedule; feed, bath, PJs, book, place in crib. Did you notice how I separated the feed and when you lay baby in their crib by 15-20 minutes? This helps prevent the feed to sleep association. A 5-10 minute nap time routine usually works best. I recommend the following schedule; book, sleep sack, in crib. Keep all lights dim for nap and bedtime routines.

6: Sleep Environment.

Implement a dark - I mean VERY dark - sleep environment. Go into your baby’s room, place your hand in front of your face and wait 5 seconds. Can you see your hand? If yes, then the room isn’t dark enough. Even a small amount of light sneaking in can decrease melatonin in a baby’s system and wake baby fully when they transition between sleep cycles.

I also recommend using a white noise machine. Now baby is more aware of what is happening around them, using a white noise machine will also block out any outside noise that may wake baby while they are transitioning between sleep cycles.

7: Don't rush in.

Did you know that it can take a baby as long as 10 minutes to transition between sleep cycles? Did you know that babies will sometimes fuss or even cry while they are transitioning through sleep cycles, even if they’re still in a light sleep? By waiting 10 minutes to go into baby’s room you are giving baby the opportunity to sooth themselves and put themselves back to sleep. By going in right away you are potentially waking baby or not giving baby the opportunity to learn to put themselves back to sleep.

Although the four month sleep regression can be one of the most dreaded regressions, some babies hardly experience any changes. If you have implemented healthy sleep habits before the 4 month sleep regression starts, chances are you will glide through without too many interruptions to your baby’s sleep.

I hope these tips help your current sleep situation. If you’re in the heart of the 4 month sleep regression and would like additional support, I’m here to help. If you’re interested in working together, send me an email or book a free 15 minute consultation with me.

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