Sleep Regressions. The two words that induce fear in parents of babies and young children. Seriously though, it’s no joke. One week your baby seems to be sleeping longer stretches at night and napping like a champ and then BAM! An explosion of waking every two hours at night and chronic cat naps. WHAT GIVES? If your baby is over 12 weeks of age, the most likely culprit is the dreaded “Four-Month Sleep Regression”.
What is a Regression?
A sleep regression in babies is just that when a baby’s sleep suddenly begins to decline. What causes sleep regressions? There are several main causes from a shift in a baby’s sleep schedule (including the need for nap transitions), a period of separation anxiety, or due to a new developmental milestone also referred to as a developmental leap. Medical News Today has a great post on this as well.
What Are the Signs of a Sleep Regression?
The most common signs of sleep regressions are (in no particular order); difficulty falling asleep at bedtime and naptime. This presents itself in several ways including fighting sleep or waking immediately after being put down to sleep, babies also begin taking shorter naps or refusing a nap altogether. And a favorite of parents everywhere increased frequency in the middle of the night wakings. The last is one of my personal favorites from when my girls were babies.
What Causes the Four-Month Sleep Regression?
The four-month sleep regression isn’t a regression in sleep at all, it’s a progression in sleep. From 3 – 4 months of age, babies transition from newborn sleep to infant sleep. As per the Sleep Foundation, the four-month regression “occurs because babies are in the midst of a major transition away from a newborn sleep pattern.” At this time an infant’s sleep patterns shift and change to become similar to the sleep cycles of their parents. The only difference is that their sleep cycles are shorter. Crazy right? During this time the transition or progression is not always smooth sailing and thus regressions occur. This is often where a lack of sleep skills becomes more apparent. And interestingly enough, not all babies have challenges during this sleep shift. There are unicorns out there who rarely show a struggle.
How Can Parents Survive the Four-Month Sleep Regression?
I wish I could wave my magic wand to magically improve an infant’s sleep during the four-month sleep regression. Believe it or not, there are quite a few causes for the amplified challenges around this shift in sleep. But I can offer you a few tips that I’ve picked up over the years.
The first is to be sure your baby is sleeping in a 100% safe sleep environment. I fully recommend following the safe sleep recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics. These recommendations include putting the baby to sleep on their backs in their own sleep space using a firm, flat mattress that is free of bumpers, blankets, and pillows. Do not put the baby to sleep on any surface that is not approved for sleep including couches, beds, boppy pillows or the Dock a tot). It is also recommended not to sleep with your baby and instead share a room with your baby. And finally, do not over bundle your baby as that might cause them to overheat. All of the above puts your baby at a higher SIDS risk.
Now is the perfect age to create a consistent bedtime routine for your baby. Routines are a great way to cue your little one that sleep is coming soon and to relax. If you have worked one on one with me previously you’ll know I am a huge fan of a 30-minute bedtime routine that includes a feed, bath (but not necessarily every night), overnight diaper, lotion (massage anyone?), and pajamas. And then finishing off the routine with a short storytime, a song with snuggles, and then into the crib to drift off to the sweetest of dreams.
And finally, try your best to move bedtime earlier and keep an eagle eye on tired signs to prevent your little one from going to sleep overtired. An overtired baby will fight sleep HARD and will also have the possibility of increased night wakings. Remember that this change is also affecting the sleep of your little one and I suspect they aren’t having much fun either.
If you are deep in the weeds and exhausted beyond comprehension, now might be the best time to help teach your little one some independent sleep skills. Sleep training doesn’t have to equal “Cry It Out” and it’s not something you need to do alone. If you’d like to chat about your current sleep struggles and discuss respectful ways you can support your baby in learning to sleep better, Reach out for your free consultation and let’s get everyone back to sleep.
Hi, I’m Jenn. Mom, Sleep Boss, and Finder of Lost Loveys. I have more than 10 years of experience in guiding families from sleep deprived to sleep-revived. I help exhausted families around the globe find the right sleep solutions for their children through one-on-one coaching. Read more about me and my philosophy.
