Has your baby been sleeping quite well, then reached age 4 months old and suddenly started waking a lot? This can be really frustrating and you may be wondering what has gone wrong… I can assure you that it’s nothing you have done and all babies go through this stage, although some babies seem unaffected.
You will often hear this stage called the 4 month sleep regression. So what is it all about? It can actually happen anytime between 3-5 months old. Basically it is a permanent change to the sleep cycles, where sleep cycles mature and become more like an adults. Babies will experience more light sleep and this can cause them to wake fully at the end of a sleep cycle (around 45 minutes). This can make babies feel very unsettled and cry for assistance. This age is also a huge developmental stage where your baby is learning so many new skills, such as rolling, hand eye coordination and babbling. Any development can also cause sleep disruptions.
What can you do to help?
1. Keep the room nice and dark at night
2. White/pink noise to create a calm environment
3. Good bedtime routine
4. Prevent overtiredness by having spaced out naps
5. Try to put your baby down awake and help them settle to sleep
6. Don't rush in when your baby stirs, incase they are in-between sleep cycles
7. Lots of floor play
8. Check your baby is not having too much day sleep
If you are finding this stage hard and it doesn’t get better after a couple of weeks, then please book a free sleep assessment call with me and I can let you know where changes can be made and how my 1:1 sleep packages can help guide you.
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