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How to Handle the Frustrating (and Exhausting) 4 Month Sleep Regression
The exhausting 4 month sleep regression is when your baby wakes very frequently at night and/or takes short naps. Regressions at other ages, including 8 months, 11 months, 18 months, and 2 years old, are temporary. The 4-month sleep regression is a permanent change to how your baby sleeps.
Learn more about this exhausting time period and how to manage it. If, after you read this, you need individual help, please consider contacting a baby sleep consultant.
When does the 4-month sleep regression start?
The 4-month sleep regression can start any time after 8 weeks old, though some babies don’t sleep well from birth. This regression can also start as late as 5 months. The most common age is 3 1/2 to 4 months old.
When does the 4-month sleep regression end?
The 4-month sleep regression doesn’t ever “end” in the strictest sense of the word. It is a permanent change to your baby’s sleep patterns. Some babies will begin (or go back) to sleeping well in 2-3 weeks while others have sleep habits that need to be actively changed in order to help them sleep well.
The 4 Month Sleep Regression at-a-glance:
- A permanent change in how a baby sleeps.
- Starts as early as 8 weeks and as late as 5 months. The most common age is 3 months old or 4 months old.
- Your baby now cycles in and out of sleep cycles more often, light and deep sleep, something he or she didn’t do as a newborn. Newborns spend more time in deep sleep.
- Your baby now wakes every 45 minutes to 2 hours.
- Babies never go back to what to sleeping as they once were, though some figure it out seamlessly.
- While some babies will learn to sleep well after this change, many need your help learning how to sleep through the night or take longer naps.
You probably just Googled 4 month sleep regression as thousands of people do each month. Working with parents every day, we know that many parents begin to have sleep problems when their baby is between 3 months and 5 months old. And, those sleep problems can last days, weeks, even months and years!
Why do our 4 month old babies sleep worse than ever before and why doesn’t it improve?
This guide will help you by explaining what the 4 month sleep regression is, why your baby’s sleep patterns changed, and the solution to the 4 month sleep regression.
4 Month Sleep Regression: Baby Sleep Patterns Change Permanently
The 4 month sleep regression marks a permanent change in your baby’s sleeping habits. Before your baby hit the 4 month mark, your baby’s sleeping patterns were very…well…babyish. What do I mean by that? Simply this – babies sleep deeply much of the time. (This explains why newborns and very young infants tend to sleep anywhere, through anything!)
After 4 months, though, all bets are off! As your baby’s brain matures, around the 4 month mark, her sleeping patterns change – they become more like yours. Now, she is cycling between light and deep sleep more often – just like you.
When you look at it this way, it’s clear that the 4 month sleep regression is a very normal, very healthy developmental milestone, just like learning to walk and talk. So if your baby is currently going through the 4 month sleep regression, congratulations – her growth and development are right on track! 🙂
But also, if your baby is currently going through the 4 month sleep regression – you have my deepest sympathies ;). That’s because (as many of you well know) your baby’s new ‘grown-up’ sleep patterns produce WAY more night waking and short naps. Every time your baby cycles out of deep sleep and into light sleep, there’s a good chance she will wake up – and once she’s up, she will more than likely need your help to fall back to sleep.
4 Month Sleep Regression: How To Manage It Right Now
Here’s the thing to remember about the 4 month sleep regression: it doesn’t go away. It’s different in that sense than the other sleep regressions that happen at 8, 9, or 10 months, and the toddler sleep regressions that happen at 18 months and 2 years old. Those sleep regressions ultimately pass in a few weeks, and your little one’s sleep returns to normal. Not so with this one. The changes that happen with the 4 month sleep regression are permanent.
But don’t let that thoroughly depress you! There are ways you can move past the 4 month sleep regression, and teach your baby a new way to sleep. We’ll get to those in a moment.
In the beginning, though, here’s our advice: cope as best you can. If you are in the early days of the regression, you are no doubt exhausted beyond all measure and feeling utterly frustrated. This is normal. Spend the next few days/weeks coping, while you formulate your sleep training plan.
Tips to Survive The 4 Month Sleep Regression
How can you cope? Here are a few strategies you can use to encourage your baby to sleep more during the 4 month sleep regression:
- Continue helping your baby fall asleep in the way he has been falling asleep up until now. If you’ve been nursing to sleep, keep doing it. Same with rocking or holding to sleep. Yes, these are sleep associations that will ultimately hinder your baby’s sleep, and that you’ll need to wean away from later. But don’t worry about that right now – for now, do what you need to do to help your baby fall asleep.
- Swaddle and/or offer a pacifier. If you’ve been doing this (and it’s been working), keep it up. If you haven’t, try these as techniques to help soothe your fussy baby, and to promote sleep.
- Offer a dream feed. This isn’t a fool-proof strategy, but it works well for some babies. Offer a dream feed and ‘top-off’ right before you go to bed, and it may help your baby sleep a bit longer at night.
- Use the swing, if you have one. The swing can be a great way to soothe your fussy baby, and to help induce a nap that wouldn’t otherwise happen ;). Just be sure to supervise your baby while he’s sleeping in the swing – you don’t want to let him sleep there for long periods of time.
- Ask for help! This is the time to lean hard on friends and family members. Let other people hang out with the baby while you take a nap.
These should all be viewed as short-term solutions to help you rest up in preparation for starting to work on teaching your 4 month old baby a new way to sleep.
Parent Story from Maggie Bales
“I am so happy with my experience with The Baby Sleep Site. My sleep consultant was phenomenal. I contacted the site after my little guy went through the 4 month sleep regression. He started to only sleep in 20 minute increments, so I resorted to co-sleeping out of necessity. They were able to help me to adjust his eating schedule and napping schedule, while educating me on the process along the way. She was always quick to respond to my emails, which were often several times a day – including weekends. While my son is not quite sleeping through the night yet, I am happy to say that he is in his own room and in his own bed! His sleep stretches are growing. He is also napping in his own bed now, which has freed up my day considerably! I couldn’t be happier with my experience with The Baby Sleep Site and will recommend your services to friends and family. I hope that I don’t need any more sleep help, but if I do, I am confident that The Baby Sleep Site will be able to guide me on the right path.”
-Maggie Bales, MI
“I am so happy with my experience with The Baby Sleep Site. My sleep consultant was phenomenal. I contacted the site after my little guy went through the 4 month sleep regression. He started to only sleep in 20 minute increments, so I resorted to co-sleeping out of necessity. They were able to help me to adjust his eating schedule and napping schedule, while educating me on the process along the way. She was always quick to respond to my emails, which were often several times a day – including weekends. While my son is not quite sleeping through the night yet, I am happy to say that he is in his own room and in his own bed! His sleep stretches are growing. He is also napping in his own bed now, which has freed up my day considerably! I couldn’t be happier with my experience with The Baby Sleep Site and will recommend your services to friends and family. I hope that I don’t need any more sleep help, but if I do, I am confident that The Baby Sleep Site will be able to guide me on the right path.”4 Month Sleep Regression: How To Move Past It For Good
Once you understand the what and why behind the 4 month sleep regression, and once you’ve taken steps to cope and stay rested in the short-term, it’s time to start teaching your baby a new way to sleep. This process is called sleep training, or sleep coaching.
How does this work? Well, for starters, you look at how your baby falls asleep – those are your baby’s sleep associations. Many babies depend on mom or dad to feed, or rock, or hold them to sleep, for example. Once you’ve identified your baby’s sleep associations, you begin to slowly wean your baby away from them, in an effort to help your baby learn to fall asleep alone. There are many techniques and methods to do this – the one that you choose will depend on your family’s unique circumstances, on your baby’s temperament, and on your own unique parenting philosophy.
Once you have begun weaning your baby away from her sleep associations, you will also want to work on teaching your baby to fall asleep alone. Typically, parents start working on this by putting their babies to bed drowsy but awake. Once your baby can fall sleep alone, without help from you, she will be able to put herself back to sleep at night when she wakes, and to eventually (when she is ready and is done with night feedings) sleep through the night.
Continued below…
4 Month Sleep Regression Case Study
Want more information about how to help your 4 month old sleep well? Check out our detailed case study about Nadia, Brad, and their 4 month old, Abigail.
Read how they helped Abigail learn to sleep longer stretches at night and take better naps – and how they helped to change those sleep associations that were keeping her awake! Just join our VIP Members Area, and access the case study instantly. And that’s not all – our VIP Members Area is packed with additional premium content and resources: e-Books, assessments, more case studies, live chat with a sleep consultant, and more. It actually costs less to join than buying products separately! And best of all, members receive 20% of all consultation services – that savings alone can actually pay for the cost of the membership!
Help For The 4 Month Sleep Regression
Now, trust me when I say that this process is much easier said than done! Actually teaching your baby a new way to sleep involves lots of work for many families, and can take weeks to accomplish. Some families can do this on their own, with the help of books and other resources. If you feel ready to tackle your baby’s sleep challenges on your own, but want to read up on sleep training first, you might consider taking a look at our e-Book, The 3-Step System To Help Your Baby Sleep.
But while some families can go it alone, other families find themselves needing additional help. That’s precisely why we are here – to offer that additional help! Nicole Johnson created The Baby Sleep Site® in 2008 with the goal of offering personalized, individualized sleep help to exhausted families, and she’s been doing it ever since.
So, how does this system of individualized help work? It’s simple – you purchase a consultation package and connect one-on-one with a trained sleep consultant. After learning more about your family’s unique situation and sleep struggles, your consultant creates a Personalized Sleep Plan® just for you, and then provides additional help and support along the way, as you implement the plan at home. Simple, and effective!
Ready for help?
If you are ready to move past the 4 month sleep regression, and you feel ready to teach your baby a new way to sleep, take the first step today! Browse our list of consultation packages, and choose one that looks best for your family.
Click here to view our consultation packages.
Once you purchase, you will receive an e-mail with instructions about how to log in to our Help Desk. Once logged in, you can create your account, fill out your family’s sleep history, connect with a sleep consultant, and get started! Then, in a matter of weeks, you will be able to add your name to our long list of well-rested parents :).
How are you coping with the 4 month sleep regression? Any tips for struggling, exhausted parents? Add your voice to the conversation!
Struggling with your baby’s sleep? We can help. Since 2008, we have helped thousands of families around the world with their babies' sleep problems, and we can help you, too! Tap into 10+ years of experience and take a look at our consultation packages to see which one looks like a good fit for you.
Click here to see all our personalized consultation packages.
Once you purchase, you will immediately receive access to the Helpdesk, and you can set up your account, fill out your family's sleep history survey, submit it to a sleep consultant, and get started on the journey to better sleep!
Want to read about other family's experiences? Read parent stories and reviews here.
For those persistent nighttime struggles, check out The 3 Step System to Help Your Baby Sleep. Using the same unique approach and practical tools for success, this e-book helps you and your baby sleep through the night.
Or, join our Members Area packed with exclusive content and resources: e-Books, assessments, detailed case studies, expert advice, peer support, and more. It actually costs less to join than buying products separately! As a member, you’ll also enjoy a weekly chat with an expert sleep consultant. And the best part – members receive 20% off all sleep consultation services!
Click here to see all our personalized consultation packages.
Once you purchase, you will immediately receive access to the Helpdesk, and you can set up your account, fill out your family's sleep history survey, submit it to a sleep consultant, and get started on the journey to better sleep!
Want to read about other family's experiences? Read parent stories and reviews here.
Need Baby and Toddler Sleep Help? We Have the Resources You Need!
For those persistent nighttime struggles, check out The 3 Step System to Help Your Baby Sleep. Using the same unique approach and practical tools for success, this e-book helps you and your baby sleep through the night.
Or, join our Members Area packed with exclusive content and resources: e-Books, assessments, detailed case studies, expert advice, peer support, and more. It actually costs less to join than buying products separately! As a member, you’ll also enjoy a weekly chat with an expert sleep consultant. And the best part – members receive 20% off all sleep consultation services!
Is it normal for my 16 week old baby to have very light restless sleep throughout the night? Previously very peaceful deep sleep. She is now tired during the day and sleeping restlessly more than previously. She is also twitching and startles very easily.
@Clare – Thank you for reading and for sharing! Babies’ sleep transitions from more of that deep, wonderful pre-4 month old sleep to more of the light/deep sleep cycles we adults are more familiar with. With this transition comes more restless sleep for sure. We have tons of information about what to expect at this age with sleep and hope you find more useful information on our site or with one of our sleep consultants. Please also be sure to use your daughter’s healthcare provider as a resource if ever you’re concerned about anything to do with your daughter’s health. Hang in there, Clare!
My daughter is 4 months and 2 weeks old. When she was little little she slept SO good for a few weeks. Now I can get my daughter to go to down for bed while nursing, bedtime starting at 7:30, in her crib by 8:30-9pm but then she wakes up an hour (sometimes but rarely 2 hours) later. I try nursing her back to sleep every time she wakes up but she just will not stay down. After that she wakes up every 10 minutes for the rest of the night unless I put her in bed with me and hubby and my boobs constantly in her mouth. My body HURTS from being stuck in one position all night and I haven’t slept in weeks. I’m at a loss here i dont know what to do anymore. I don’t want her sleeping in bed with us because it scares the heck out of me but if i don’t she just will not stay asleep in her crib. Please help me I’m literally starting to go insane and I love my baby very very very much but I feel terrible because I start resenting her at night and I loathe when bed times approaching. I also can’t nap when she naps because she only naps 3-4 times a day for 10-20 minutes at a time (not enough fine for me to actually fall asleep, takes me a while when I try)
Hi @Cassidy – Thank you for writing to us and for using The Baby Sleep Site as a resource for sleep! I’m sorry to hear that sleep has SO been rough for your daughter lately. You’re not alone! We understand how tough this is!
This age can be a difficult one for many babies, since their sleep is permanently changing from a “newborn’s” sleep, and this often leads to more frequent wake ups at night and disrupted naps.
Since you’re feeling SO overwhelmed please consider one of our Personalized Sleep Consultation packages so that you can start getting some help and get on track right away! If you choose to purchase a consultation package, one of our trained expert sleep consultants will craft a Personalized Sleep Plan for you and your daughter, based on both your unique family history and on our own 10+ years of experience working with tens of thousands of parents from around the world. Then, your consultant will help you implement the plan via phone and/or email, and will answer any follow-up questions you may have. The consultant will also make changes to the plan as necessary. You can read about all of our sleep consultation packages and purchase directly online here:
https://www.babysleepsite.com/services
Hang in there Cassidy, and please let us know if we can be of any further support at any time!
Hello,
I don’t understand your claim that newborns/babies up until this point don’t have different sleep cycles and that they only have deep sleep. My baby is almost 3 months and we’ve observed for many, many weeks two different types of sleep. I have a book in French by two doctors who describe in detail these which they call “sommeil agité” (agited sleep) and “sommeil calm” (calm sleep). My baby has definitely not only had deep sleep–he has always had a phase that involved movement, noises, facial expressions, etc. contrary to his calm sleep. Also, I have the book Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker and he clearly discusses the importance of REM sleep in the newborn. So it’s not all deep sleep. I have read that their cycles indeed change to imitate ours, however.
I meant to say sleep phases, not cycles.
Hi @Casey – Thanks for writing and for sharing your resources with us! The “Why We Sleep” book is on my “read this” list, but I haven’t gotten there quite yet! Sleep changes a lot in these first few months of life, which is what we’re talking about in this article. We’ve gained a lot of the “on the job” experience in working with tens of thousands of families that struggle with the same sleep patterns/regressions, additionally the information in this article is from Dr. Richard Ferber. I;m happy to share a bit here. On pages 15-16 in “Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems” by Dr. Ferber, he writes… “After the first few months of life, non-REM sleep divides further into four distinct stages.” In addition, on page 22, he goes on to say “During the first month of life, the non-REM brain waves become continuous and startles disappear. By the time a baby is a month old, sleep spindles begin to appear and over the next month or two we can begin to separate non-REM sleep into lighter and deeper stages. K-complex waves, characteristic of mature non-REM sleep, do not appear until a baby is about six months old, although precursors appear earlier.” This development of sleep over the newborn to 6-month period is when we start to see impacts of the “4-month-sleep regression” which usually starts anywhere from 3 to 5 months old. There is lots more info in the book if you’re interested. It can be purchased here: https://amzn.to/2PMSsQx
I hope that this helps, and thanks again for writing and sharing!!
Thank you for the helpful article! My 11 week old started sleeping poorly around 7 weeks – catnapping (20-40 mins) and sometimes waking up 3 times per night instead of 1-2. He is finally SLOWLY adapting and napping for longer stretches, Hooray! I’m a bit confused though about whether this was an early 4 month sleep regression as you mentioned it can start as early as 8 weeks, or if this is something else and I still have the 4 month regression to look forward to. I have noticed some sources say there is a 6 week regression that can last 2-6 weeks but the info available is all a bit inconsistent. I am very hopeful my husband and I will get a long break of good sleep after this, rather than only about a month or less before the 4 month regression starts! What is likely to be the case?
@Cathryn – Thank you for your reply! Many babies hit a pretty major growth spurt around 6 weeks old which (unfortunately) disrupts sleep and leads to more night wakings and feedings to keep up with the growth. This could have been what you’ve seen as we generally don’t see a 4 month regression before 8 weeks of age. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that you don’t hit a major regression in a few weeks but, if you do, we’re here to help! Hang in there, Cathryn!
Hello,
Thank you for the reply, though–I’m sorry to be frank–it’s not really on the point I was trying to get across.
I’m trying to tell you that your article contains blatantly false or misleading information about newborn sleep. It states:
“[B]abies don’t have distinct sleep stages like we adults do. While we cycle between deep and light sleep, our babies don’t – they sleep deeply pretty much all the time… [Already this sounds very unscientific, lacking precision–“pretty much all the time”? What does even mean? Once in a blue moon they don’t sleep deeply? There is a design to the universe; it’s not run by chance.]
As your baby’s brain matures, around the 4 month mark, her sleeping patterns change – they become more like yours. Now, she is cycling between light and deep sleep – just like you.”
Babies have from birth two sleep phases. Normally, they do not go straight into deep sleep. They go into REM sleep. This is characterized by fluttering eyes, irregular breathing, some movement, and even a couple funny hiccup noises.
Then they go into deep sleep which lasts 20 minutes. An extremely sleep deprived or stressed baby will go straight into deep sleep from exhaustion.
I carried my son for about half of his naps from 7 weeks to 3.5 months old. He was certainly not in a deep sleep all the time. His deep sleep was characterized by regular, quiet breathing, and he made sucking movements every minute or so.
After the “four month sleep regression” babies indeed develop sleep cycles like adults, which have more than two phases. However, as I’ve said, they already had light and deep sleep.
Please correct this information. It is a rather shocking error coming from a baby sleep website. You can read about newborn REM (or active) sleep on tons of websites. People even post YouTube videos of it.
Hi @Casey –
Thank you for your feedback! I’ve passed this along to Nicole Johnson – our founder and lead sleep consultant – for a content review that we do periodically. We encourage our readers to seek out medical professionals for any scientific questions they may have about their baby’s sleep. We are not medical professionals and focus most on babies’ behavioral sleep problems. Thanks again for taking the time to write to us. : )
My daughter is 4 months and 1 week old, and up until a few days ago, when she started showing sleepy cues (for naps and bedtime) she would fall asleep easily. Now when she shows cues she refuses to sleep. We have a routine that we do before naps and bedtime and nothing is making her drowsy or sleepy. I took your regression quiz and it seems like this is what she’s going through, but I’m not sure what to do if she won’t sleep at all. She won’t even get sleepy during nursing! Will this pass? Should I let her skip her naps? I’m worried it will affect her nighttime sleep.
@Sara – thank you for writing to us. I’m so sorry to hear that your daughter is fighting you so hard through this 4 month sleep regression. Hang in there, and hopefully things will pass soon. I would strongly recommend to do your best (you don’t have the ultimate control of course) to not let her sleep naps. This would result in her getting over tired and then fighting you even more. Here is a link to a free guide with tips to help you with naps (I found when my boys hit this age they suddenly got really distracted and I had to change a few things in their room and routine to make it more suitable to sleep): https://www.babysleepsite.com/free-baby-nap-guide/
Hopefully she will begin to self settle again and things will get back to normal. If she was falling asleep independently before, you may just have a couple rough weeks before she catches on to all the changes that she’s going through. If you need more help, let us know and hang in there!
Hi, my babys is almost 4 months now and she was a great sleeper. I trained her without crying. But then because od regresion she couldnt go to sleep easly. At first ? stayed with her and kind a help her with closing her eyes but then she wanted to sleep while breat feeding. I never let her fully sleep while feeding but now she is crying screaming day and night to sleep while feeding. I start training again but its really hard cause ? dont want her to cry. What should ? do? Should ? help her or push her? And how will ? know regresion is ending?
Thank u,
Didem
@Didem – Thank you for reading and for sharing with us. This regression can be so hard, we know. You’re not alone during this confusing time – we’re right there with you! Balancing giving your baby what she needs during this regression along with not developing any long-term “bad” habits is definitely more of an art than a science – there’s no exact right or wrong answer. We strongly encourage that you do what you can to give your little girl the comfort she needs while working to keep her sleep healthy and whole – as close to how she used to fall asleep as possible. This particular regression doesn’t “end” so much as you move past it and teach your little girl a new way to sleep going forward. Please consider one of our sleep consultants if you find you’d like more support during this time. You can read more about our lovely ladies here:https://www.babysleepsite.com/about Hang in there, Didem!
Hello.
I have a baby who is almost 4 months, I’m not sure if he’s already been through a sleep regression but his pattern has changed over the last few weeks. He is also quite a big baby – 17 pounds, 98 percentile length and 75 weight. I’m not sure if this is relevant? He used to be fed to sleep (around 7-8 of formula) at 6pm then wake around midnight, 3 and 7am. We struggle to keep him up past 6pm and recently it’s been tricky keeping him awake at 530 – as a result he has become more distressed at bedtime and is still awake for 20 mins or so crying after his feed. He does then go down and we dream feed him around 10:30 but he then wakes around 2:30-3am and I feed him 4 ounces of his first morning 8 ounce feed. He then wakes at 5am but won’t settle but isn’t hungry, comes in with me until around 6am when I feed him his second 4 ounce bottle then goes to sleep for an hour or so. Is there anything we can do to stop his 5am and even 3am feed – he sometimes takes the 3am but often doesn’t take it all.
Thanks, Isobel.
Hi @Isobel – Thank you for writing to us. I am sorry to hear that your little one’s slep has regressed/changed, but you are not alone! We’d love to help!! For info regarding night feeds, This is a great article on our blog, along with a helpful video:
https://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-training/baby-night-feedings-when-necessary/
He may need some more help with learning how to fall to sleep on his own and back to sleep too! If you would like additional assistance with this, I do believe you will benefit from one of our Sleep Consultation packages, where we will work with you on a detailed plan you can commit to and feel good about.
You can read about all of our sleep consultation packages and purchase directly online here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/services
I hope that things smooth out soon Isobel! Please feel free to contact us if you need more help!
My baby will be 4 months old on Feb 26th but two weeks ago today she started the 4 month regression. She was sleeping 7-8 hours through the night from 6 weeks old. I have a routine of feeding her around 11:15 and she falls asleep while eating and I put her in bed asleep at 11:30 (she sleeps in a co-sleeping bed with my husband and I). Now instead of sleeping 7-8 hours she wakes up around 2 and then again at 5. I change her and feed her and she goes right back to sleep but it’s still broken sleep for me which leaves me pretty tired. I would say that the thing that she depends on right now for comfort to fall and stay asleep is just my presence. I’ll rest my hand on her chest if she’s a little restless and that usually soothes her to sleep. So, in our case is that what I need to wean her off of? Get her in her own crib and not need to put my hand on her chest for her to fall asleep? If so, how should I go about doing that? I should also mention that she has pretty much weaned herself off a pacifier and her naps are all over the place. One day she will take only a few naps and they will all be like a half hour and then we’ll have days like today where she only had two naps but one was and hour and the other one was two and a half hours.
Hi @Tamara Estes, thanks for writing to us. I’m sorry you are in the midst of experiencing the 4 month sleep regression! It is a challenge but it’s also an important one and the opportunity for you to help teach your daughter to go to sleep on her own without your help. Here is a link to a free guide that will give you some tips to help your daughter sleep through the night and wean from those sleep associations (if she is being fed all the way to sleep that is a big one for some babies): https://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-through-night-free-ebook/
I will mention that at this age a few wake ups are still ok, the big indicator of the regression/waking out of sleep association is if she starts waking every 1.5-2 hours, between her sleep cycles and needing the feeding/patting/rocking/etc to go back to sleep. If she’s waking after a longer stretch that may just because she needs the calories at that time. I hope that helps! If you need more information let us know! Feel free to contact us directly anytime at contact@babysleepsite.com
What if your baby is already falling asleep independently with no sleep associations and still wakes every 1-2 hours at night needing help to fall back asleep? We have a solid bedtime routine: nurse, bath, pjs, book, lay down fully awake, and he puts himself to sleep, no fussing in less than 5 minutes. But he’s 4 months old now and he’s started waking every 1-2 hours and can’t settle himself. I have to nurse or hold him until he falls back asleep and he usually wakes up as soon as I try to transfer him back to his crib. Then he fusses a little more but falls asleep for another hour or so. I would welcome any advice, I’m exhausted and I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.
Hi @Amanda – Thank you for writing! I am sorry that you guys are struggling with the night wakings! Every 1-2 hours is brutal! You are not alone, and it is quite common for a baby to be completely able to put themselves to sleep for bedtime, but then struggle and need help through the night, especially younger babies! You are not doing anything wrong, and are on a good trajectory because he already CAN fall asleep at bedtime! It sounds like he needs a bit more help with those night wakings, and you can teach him that he can fall back to sleep in the night too!
If you would like help creating a plan for those night wakings, and support along the way, you can read about all of our sleep consultation packages and purchase directly online here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/services
Hang in there Amanda, and let us know if you have any questions!
Hello
I have a 2.5 months old baby girl
She has a very missed up sleep schedule
She doesnt fall a sleep before12 a.m she wakes up multiple times during the night for feed plus sometimes she just stay awake for 2 hours crying
She wakes up between 2 and 4 p.m
Takes only one nap between 5 and 7 p.m for 30 min. To 2 hours
And she struggles to fall a sleep
We swaddle her, use a pacifier and i feed her to sleep but a lot of times non of these methods work
Please help!
Hi @Meyassara – Thanks for writing and so sorry to hear that your daughter’s sleep schedule is so mixed up right now! It is never too soon to start teaching good sleep habits! If you haven’t yet, you can sign up to receive our free guide written just for families with young babies, “15 Baby Sleep Facts New Parents Need to Know” here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/15-free-baby-sleep-facts-new-parents-must-know
Sleep can be tough at this age, and you may also want to work on slowly changing her schedule to reach one that will work better for her and for you!
Here is a link to our free sample schedules to make your own:
https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-sleep-feeding-schedules/
We definitely know how exhausting this can be, and please contact us if you find that you would like more help!
My daughter is just about to turn 5 months old. She started sleeping through the night around 2 months on her own. Right around the 4 month mark she started waking frequently at night, but just needed us to give her the pacifier and she would go right back to sleep. Then at about 4.5 months she got sick, and ever since, she now is waking every night a few times just needing the pacifier but also at 1AM and 4AM and will not go back to sleep withought being held/rocked (1AM) and nursed (4AM). We try to have her nap every 2 hours during the day and she will usually nap for at least an hour. She goes to bed between 7-8PM and after a quick bedtime routine of diaper change, get her in her sleep sack, read a book or 2, rock and sing a song for a minute she gets put into her crib sleepy but awake with her pacifier and she goes to sleep on her own. Is the pacifier a sleep association we should be trying to minimize? I can handle the wakeuos where she just needs us to give her the pacifier and she goes tight back to sleep (though it would be nice to not have to do this!) but the 1AM and 4AM wakeups needing rocking nursing are exhausting! What should we do?!
Hi @Christine H. Thanks for writing to us. I’m sorry to hear you’ve been struggling recently with multiple wake ups from your daughter. I know how hard that can be! The paci can be a sleep association, yes, but it’s up to you to decide if it’s bad or not, and since at this point you don’t mind replacing it, it sounds like it’s not an issue for you. (I also hope that doesn’t sound like I’m anti-paci either, I’m not! As a mother with a finger sucker, I sure wish my baby was addicted to a paci because I could take that away now that he’s 2!) As she gets older she’ll be able to replace it easier should you decide to stick with it. But here is a link to a free guide with tips on how to get your baby sleeping through the night (or only waking up an appropriate amount of times which at 5 months some babies need 1-2 feedings at night): https://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-through-night-free-ebook/
If you decide to ditch the paci, you can use the tips in there about sleep associations as well to break her of that habit.
I hope this helps! If you need more support, let us know! We have a ton of other resources we’d be happy to send your way that could help.
Both my kids are struggling with sleep now. My 4 months old will not stay asleep and has spent a whole 24 hours up with two 30-45mins naps. So of course my usually happy baby is completely fussy and wants to be held all the time. Something that is simply imoossible.
My 2 year old sleeps during the dag and stays up at night. Her circadian rhythm is completely reversed…
We are exhausted. Please Help.
@Melissa – Thank you for sharing with us – we’re so sorry to hear that your family is not sleeping well with 2 little ones having a tough time. From what you’ve described in dealing with multiple children’s sleep across ages and developmental needs, you may be best served connecting with one our consultants who can help you develop a sleep plan for your baby and toddler, both of whom could likely be in the midst of developmental or regressive sleep disruptions. Click here to learn more about our consultants and please consider one of our email consultations:https://www.babysleepsite.com/about Hang in there, Melissa.
Hello there. My daughter is 4 months old and after doing lots of research, including this website, I realized she is going through a sleep regression. I never really noticed them with my first son as he was good at taking naps and sleeping through the night.. maybe once in a while he will be fussing but it wasn’t as dramatic as my daughter right now. What has worked sometimes with her in the last couple of days is to let her cry for a bit and go back to hold her or put her pacifier back every 5 to 10 min. After 30 min of this she will be very tired and just put herself to sleep after 2 minutes of a last cry. It doesn’t seem to work as good at night and sometimes I think she might be in pain but as soon as I hold her she is fine and starts to fall asleep. I have continued the routine at night but it takes me 1.5 hours until she finally falls asleep for good. After that she sleeps throughout the night until a feeding at 4am and back to sleep until 8 or 9 am. Is there a different approach I should do at night? Thanks!
Hi Liliana,
Thank you for writing to us. I am sorry that sleep has become such a struggle! The 4 month sleep regression can be brutal. We’ve all been there, and 1.5 hours each night before she is asleep is likely exhausting for you! Keep up the hard work and hang in there! If you find that you would like more help, or perhaps to change the routine a bit, I would recommend that you consider our e-Book, The 3 Step System to Help Your Baby Sleep.
The 3-Step System e-Book is the most popular e-Book on our site. Written specifically for parents whose babies are under 12 months of age, this book is designed to give you the information you need to get your baby sleeping soundly. Written in a straightforward, easy-to-read format, this book will answer all of your baby sleep questions.
You can find and order the book directly online here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/3-step-system/
I hope you find this information helpful. Good luck and hang in there!
Hello, will babies who early sleep train regress also? We are a schedule house. Meals at 7am, 12pm, 6pm. Bedtime is 745pm and we wake him at 645am for breakfast. Hes 4mos now and this has been our schedule since 8 weeks. He goes in crib awake and falls right to sleep. But many are saying “watch out for regression…” Eek! If they already sleep 11 hours at night and take 2 scheduled naps a day (9-10 // 1-3) do they still regress? Thanks!
Hi @Annie, thanks for writing! All children’s sleep patterns go through at change around the 4 month mark where their sleep cycles change and become more like ours. The regression is simply that the baby does not know how to transition between the shorter sleep cycles so they often start waking you up every 2 hours or so and need your help to go back to sleep every.single.time. So all babies do go through that. It is however different how every child will respond. Even great sleepers will suddenly go from sleeping through the night since 10 weeks to waking up every two hours, while others transition smoothly and you don’t even know they went through a change. I had one of each. It’s important to be aware but it sounds like you’ve done a lot of research and have the tools ready in case your baby does react to the regression, you’ll know how to stay consistent and help him through. Hopefully he transitions smoothly though and you won’t have to change anything. 🙂 Good luck! If you think about it, let us know how it turns out!
We are definitely squarely in the 4MSR. Our son was sleeping great and now he hits all the symptoms – awake every couple of hours in the night, feeding a lot more, missing naps.
He’s been going to sleep without any sleep associations and by himself while awake up until now.
When he wakes in the night he is just all fuss and cry. He won’t put himself back to sleep the way he puts himself to sleep for a nap or at the start of the night.
Any advice given that the main points here are weaning from associations and putting them down awake, which we’ve got covered?
@Michael – Thank you for reading and for sharing with us. The 4 Month Sleep Regression is definitely a real doozy – we commend you for hanging in there! If your little guy didn’t have any of those associations before it hit, hang in there and ride it out – we rarely want to create a long-term habit to deal with a short-term problem. Good luck!
Hello my daughter is 18 weeks old. She has been a great sleeper. Bed time at 830/9pm and awake around 530am. Sleeping 9-10hrs a night straight. The last few days she has been waking every 2 hours after her first wake she never really gets back in to a deep sleep. I miss my good sleeper. Please help us get back to 9-10hrs a night.
Hang in there @Jessica! The 4 month sleep regression is definitely a rough one, and it will just take time and effort to teach her how to self soothe and fall back asleep on her own. Here is a link to download a free guide which will give tips on where to start: https://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-through-night-free-ebook/
Please note that at this age 1-3 feedings at night are still normal so if she doesn’t go back to her super long stretches, but has stopped with the every 2 hour thing, that may be what she needs right now since there’s lots of growth spurts happening! If you need more help, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We have a ton of other resources for you if you need!
How do you recommend teaching her how to self sooth herself back to sleep? Is crying it out something I should allow her to do? She is 4 months. She can put herself to sleep for nap time but at night is the problem. I keep finding my self picking her back up and not even two minutes of hold her and she is out.
Hi @Jessica, thanks for getting back to me. There are lots of different techniques to teach her to fall back asleep on her own (crying it out would be one of the options, but even within that there are tons of variations of what you can do) and many people begin this process between 4-6 months. Here is a link to an article on our site that goes over a few different sleep training techniques: https://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-training/5-baby-sleep-training-methods-explained/
Within this article there are lots of other links to give you more information on a specific technique. The important thing with sleep training is to definitely have a plan of action, and to give it some time for at least a week or so before changing the routine. Using the tips from the free guide I linked previously as well (establishing a bedtime routine, making sure the schedule is right, etc.) will all be keys in success.
If you need more help, please let us know! We have a ton of other resources (you will see as you begin to click around), many are free, and we also have more in-depth information in our Members Area that you can read more about here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/diy/ and we have personalized consulting as well.
Hopefully since your daughter was sleeping well for you before she will catch on quick and you’re able to get things on track very soon. Let us know how everything turns out or if you have any more questions!
My son is about to turn 5 months and we have been struggling with sleep training for the past few weeks. We never really slept during the day in the early months but always slept amazing at night..
Currently he needs to rocked or patted to drowsy then in the crib and then patted till asleep.. occasionlly he will roll onto his tummy then wakes up.. this morning he was wide awake at 3am..
the last two nights he’s suffered from congestion and prefers to be upright.. could this be hindering the training process? How long do we persist with the current method of training?
My wife has Post Partem Depression and is not copying with the exhaustion.. she’s weeping and is struggling to deal with the lack of progress even though I feel there is some..
Hi @Richard – Thank you for writing to us, and I am sorry that you are working hard but still struggling with sleep! Yes, certainly feeling ill/congested can be a hindrance to the sleep training process. Hang in there, and please support your spouse and help her do the same! It is great that you have noticed progress. That is a good thing! We recommend sticking with your “plan” for at least one to two weeks, before adjusting things. I am not sure how long it has been for you, or how consistent you have been able to be.
One of our expert sleep consultants would love to take an in depth look at his sleep history and details about his day and night sleep and would be happy to help support you and your family through this!
If you find that you would like more help, you can read about all of our sleep consultation packages here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/services/
Hang in there Richard, and if your wife has not already sought help for her PPD, please check out this site with her: http://www.postpartum.net/ or call this number for support: 1-800-944-4773
How am I coping? With coffee – I really just want to stab my eyes out I’m that tired. This is my second baby and I thought I would have it sussed being my second but nope – what worked for one definitely doesn’t work for the other. Ah well thank goodness for family and friends and awesome sites like this.
@Yunene, hang in there! It is crazy how different babies can be! I’m glad you’re finding the site helpful and that you have support around you. If you need anything, let us know, but for now, go enjoy a cup of coffee!
Good Morning,
My baby boy is 17 weeks today and up until a week and a half ago he was sleeping through the night. Now the sleep regression has hit hard. I bath him at 7 and he has a massage and gets dressed for bed and has his bottle around 7:45 and he’s notmally asleep by 8:30 the latest, I put him in his cot when he’s awake but drowsy and he goes off on his own with no fuss. He sleeps solidly until 12:30 every night and that’s when it starts, at least once an hour he’s awake, I’ve tried giving him a bottle and he’s not hungry so I resorted back to just giving his dummy and he does drift back off but then an hour later he’s awake again!
Any advice I would be hugely grateful!
Hannah x
@Hannah, thanks for writing to us. I am sorry you’re struggling with your son’s sleep! It sounds like he may be experiencing the 4 month regression so he’ll need to learn how to settle himself to sleep during those wake ups. Here is a link to a free guide with tips to help him sleep through the night: https://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-through-night-free-ebook/
Hopefully he gets back on track soon! Be sure to click the links in the guide that will take you to more resources and let us know if you need any more help.
My son is 3 months and is sleeping 7 hour stretches at night. I am terrified once the 4 month regression happens he will become a bad sleeper (my oldest child was a terrible sleeper).
We rock him and cuddle before he goes to sleep and he always cries for awhile and then eventually goes to sleep – sometimes in our arms, sometimes I put him down when he is very close to drifting off and then sssssh him to sleep. Would this be considered a wind down session or a sleep association?
Any specific advice about things we should be doing in the lead up to the regression to help or prevent it becoming terrible?
Hi @Lauren, thanks for writing to us! I am sorry your first child was a terrible sleeper and that you are now worried about your second. It sounds like you are doing all you know to do to establish good sleep habits from the beginning so hopefully things will continue! It truly depends on the child. I had one child that never showed signs of any sleep regression, while my other gave me trouble for far longer. Here is a link to free guide that you can keep as a reference if you do begin to experience trouble as the next month approaches: https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-sleep-through-night-free-ebook/
Hopefully you won’t need it! 😉 If you need any more help, please let us know, we are here!
My son is almost 4.5 months. He has always gone to sleep 15 to 20mins after putting him down and sometimes lesser than that.
Now the issue is, for the last 3 days or so, for his morning nap he has been playing and not going to sleep, he keeps practising his rolling technique and then eventually sleep. For his afternoon nap, he however won’t go to.sleep straight away, he will keep talking and cooing to himself, rolling and eventually crying, which I then go to him and carry him and gently but firmly tell him it’s his naptime and then leave the room. He cries for a minute or so and then he sleeps. (Or so) but then he wakes up after about 40minutes later he whines, but I don’t go to him, so I allow him fall back asleep again until it’s his wake up time. I have a toddler that I have to look after as well. How do I handle this phase, should I continue with what I am doing or allow him stay awake more, and then put him back to sleep
He wakes up 6/6:30 am
First nap: 8:/15 or 8: 20 am to wake up 10 am
Second nap 11:20 am to wake up 1: 30 pm
Third nap 3: 15 pm to wake up 4:15 pm.
The reason for this nap gap is because he starts getting a little cranky at that time, so I close the curtain and he still cries a bit, but then i calm him and then he gors quiet. However, he still wont go to sleep until alomost 45 minutes later. He wont cry straight away, he will keep cooing and turning or even laughing, until it’s about 40 minutes and then he starts crying. Before I go him to reassure him and then he sleeps.
Is this the real regression or it’s just him wanting more play time?
@Lola – Thank you for writing to us. I am sorry you’ve been struggling the past few days with your son’s naps. It sounds like he has an amazing routine that you are sticking to, so if it’s a regression or him just testing out his new skill of rolling (that can often mess with sleep too) hopefully he’ll be back on track soon with the help of your consistency. 🙂 If you need any nap tips in addition to what you are already doing, be sure to download our free guide for naps here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/free-baby-nap-guide/
Hope this helps!
I really appreciate this site and all the information. My baby is 4.5 months, and she’s definitely going through the sleep regression, but she already knows how to fall asleep on her own. When it’s naptime or bedtime I just go through the wind down routine and put her in bed, and she sometimes cries a bit but often falls asleep with no crying. However, she won’t sleep longer than 30-45 minutes during the day unless she’s in her swing, and she wakes up usually three times at night when she had previously been sleeping 6-9 hours in a stretch. Is this something we just have to wait out, or something we will need to work on?
Again, so grateful for your input!
Hi @Chelsea,
Thank you for writing to us! it sounds like you have been working hard to get your little one sleeping well! it is great that she can already fall asleep on her own! Those short naps are common, but feel free to try and encourage her to fall back to sleep if she can/will. That may take a little more time, so hang in there! Regarding her night wakings, I cannot say if she will outgrow that on your own, or if she will need help. Every baby is different, and some will drop those night wakings/feeds (if she is feeding at those times) on their own, and many will not. If you do find that you need to work on those night wakings or those short naps, we would love to help! Just contact us at any time if things do not smooth out! Good luck Chelsea, and thanks for reading!