Navigating the 4-Month Sleep Regression: Tips for New & Expecting Moms
Being a mom has its joys but also challenges, and one common challenge is the 4-month sleep regression. Just when you think you've started to have a bedtime routine, your little one starts waking up more and sleeping less.
Don't worry, it's normal, and there's a reason for it.
Why Does it Happen?
Brain Development:
Around the 4-month mark, a baby's sleep patterns undergo significant transformation due to their developing brains.
Development of the sleep cycles:
This is the major reason for the sleep regression at this point, and in some cases we may experience frequent wakings at night (after each cycle), or experience short naps (30 minutes).
What happens is the sleep cycle develops from 2 stages to be a complete 45 minutes cycle with 4 stages of sleep.
Development of the biological clock:
The brain is now more sensitive to timings, every baby will have his/her unique biological needs at this point and the body will need to sleep and wake through a fixed biological schedule.
New physical skills:
Some babies will start to learn rolling at this point and this is something that disrupts sleep by default. We may also need to transition from a swaddle to a sleeping bag for that reason, and this could make sleep more challenging.
How to Handle it?
Look at it as a temporary phase, and accept the change: see the sleep regression as a sign of your baby growing, and not a problem.
Have a calming routine to make your baby know that it is sleep time.
Keep the room dark and quiet for better sleep and use white noise.
Let your baby get natural light during the day and have more physical activities for a better sleep schedule.
Ensure that the baby is on a suitable healthy sleep schedule.
Start shifting from a wake-window schedule to a biological schedule.
Practice during the day any new skill the baby is learning (do more tummy time during the day to help the baby to roll over.)
If your baby was sleeping long stretches before that phase, try to be mindful about offering more feeds at night (if the baby is well-fed during the day and does not need a lot of night feeds).
In some cases, considering sleep coaching and helping the baby to connect cycles smoothly will help with long stretches after the development phase is over.
Remember, to be patient! These sleep changes won't last forever!
Understanding why these sleep changes happen and trying out these simple tips can help you and your baby through this period.
If you need help, know I’m here to support you and your little one to get sleep back on track and to ensure everyone at home is sleeping well.
You can start sleep coaching with me as early as 5 months old, because that is when your baby is developmentally ready.
BOOK A FREE ASSESSMENT CALL and let us discuss your needs.
For guidance, you can download the free ‘Sleep Needs Guide’ to know all you need when it comes to your baby's sleep.
I have an online workshop coming up, ‘Maternity leave is over: Now what? The Sleep Version!’.
Keep a lookout for all the details to register.
