3 Tips to Curb the 4 Month Sleep Regression
I’m no expert, but let’s talk sleep. You’ve had three beautiful, special and exhausting months with your newborn baby. Through all the ups and downs you’re starting to finally settle into a good and consistent routine with your baby and then, the 4 month sleep regression hits. As always, this looks different for everyone, but I can guarantee you it very much feels the same when you’re feeling hopeful and moving upwards, and then suddenly your nighttime sleep is totally compromised. This was a really big struggle for me until I made a few changes to my baby’s schedule, and I’m hoping these tips will help you when you reach this stage too.
- The first thing I did and totally recommend doing is cutting out your baby’s last nap of the day. A 4 month old usually takes four naps a day, and that fourth nap typically lasts anywhere between 25 minutes to an hour. When you cut out that last nap, it gives your baby a 3 hour wake window before his/her bedtime. When I cut that fourth nap and restructured our schedule to 3 naps, I started seeing a positive difference in my baby’s ability to stay asleep for longer periods of time.
- The second thing I did was make sure that my baby had a total of at least 2 hours of floor time every day in order for his body and brain to be active and stimulated. As a result, this led to my baby’s body feeling tired and therefore helped him want to sleep. Babies are just like us, they need to feel tired in order to want to go to sleep. If your baby is being carried all day long or isn’t getting much tummy time, chances are he/she will have a much more difficult time falling (and staying) asleep.
- The last thing I did, which is one of the most effective tips of them all, is that I put my baby to sleep at the same time every night and I wake him up at the same exact time every morning. Yes even if he was still sleeping, I would wake him up and this helped regulate his overall schedule. Being consistent with bedtime and awake time has a ripple effect all day long and will truly synchronize your baby’s internal clock. Good luck and hang in there! Like everything else with a baby, this is a temporary phase and will be over before you know it. I hope this helps you and your baby catch a little more shut eye during those precious nighttime hours.
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