The 4 month sleep regression happens around 3 to 4 months old when your baby’s sleep patterns change to be more adult-like (going through sleep cycles). As a result, many 4 month old babies wake frequently at night and take short naps leaving themselves and their parents exhausted. Sleep regressions are exhausting but you can help your baby sleep better! As a sleep consultant for 15+ years, I have helped many 4 month olds sleep better and today I’m sharing tips for you to help your baby.
In This Article:
- What Is the 4 Month Sleep Regression?
- Signs of the 4 Month Sleep Regression
- How Long Does It Last, When Will It End, and Will Your Baby Outgrow It?
- Is the 3-Month Sleep Regression The Same?
- Is the 5-Month Sleep Regression the Same?
- How to Manage This Regression Short-Term
- Long-Term Regression Solutions
What is The 4 Month Sleep Regression?
The 4 month sleep regression is normal and means your baby is waking up excessively in the middle of the night and/or taking short naps. This regression can also be known as the “3-month sleep regression” or the “5-month sleep regression,” too since it starts any time after 12 weeks and usually before 20 weeks old. This is a completely normal time period in your baby’s life and even a good sign that they are developing appropriately!
Signs of the 4 Month Sleep Regression
Signs of the 4-month sleep regression usually include one or more of the following:
- Waking a lot at night (even when they used to sleep in long stretches) – waking every 1 to 2 hours at night is common.
- Taking short naps of 20-30 minutes, sometimes 30-45 minutes.
- Can’t be put down awake (or even asleep sometimes!). Baby wants to sleep only in your arms or a carrier/sling.
- Irritability and Fussiness (though that can be simply due to sleep deprivation!).
- Needing to be put back to sleep the same way each time (e.g. rocking or feeding back to sleep).
These are the most common signs of the 4 month sleep regression we hear from families who reach out to us.
How Long Does It Last, When Will It End, and Will Your Baby Outgrow It?
The exhausting 4 month sleep regression peaks for around 2-3 weeks. Some babies will begin (or go back) to sleeping well while others have sleep habits that need to be actively changed in order to help them sleep better. The regression doesn’t ever “end” in the strictest sense of the word. 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 simple and straightforward. Newborns sleep deeply much of the time. This explains why many (not all!) newborns and very young infants tend to sleep anywhere, through anything!
At about 4 months old, baby brains mature and change! Now, babies are cycling between light and deep sleep more often – just like we adults do. Some babies start this process early around 12 weeks old, making this the “3 month sleep regression” instead!
Is the 3 Month Sleep Regression the Same?
Yes, the 3-month sleep regression is the same as the 4-month sleep regression. 3 month olds sometimes stop sleeping through the night and fight sleep. You are simply a “lucky” parent who has a baby who is developing early in this area. Some babies are 2 months old, some are 3 months old, and most are nearly 4 months old.
Is the 5 Month Sleep Regression the Same?
Yes, again, all babies develop at their own rates. So, while 4 months is the most common age to start this regression, some babies will be 5 months old. This is actually favorable because babies who are a little older are usually more ready to be unswaddled and learn how to self-soothe. More on that below.
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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 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 depress you! There are ways you can move past the 4 month sleep regression, and teach your baby a new way to sleep.
In the beginning, 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.
10 Tips to Survive The 4 Month Sleep Regression Short-Term
(Keep scrolling for long-term solutions!)
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 until you’re ready to move past it for good.
1. Continue helping your baby fall asleep in the way he has been falling asleep up until now.
If you’ve been nursing or rocking your baby o sleep, keep doing it, for now. Same with co-sleeping 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.
2. Swaddle and/or offer a pacifier
If swaddling or offering a pacifier is working, keep it up. And, if you haven’t, try these as techniques to help soothe your fussy baby, and to temporarily promote more sleep until you begin to work on moving past this for good (see below). If you are experiencing the 3 month sleep regression, it’s even more likely you will need to keep swaddling for a few more weeks.
Is your baby breaking out of the swaddle? Is that why they are waking up at night? Start using a sleep sack. While sleepwear may not be a cure-all, it could improve sleep enough to allow you time to get a plan together as to how to move forward.
If you are experiencing the 5 month sleep regression, it’s more likely you can stop swaddling and transition to a sleep sack.
Looking for a sleep sack?
Check out our Top 10 Best Sleep Sacks
3. 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’ your baby right before you go to bed. This may help your baby sleep a bit longer at night.
4. 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 them sleep there for long periods of time or sleep there unattended.
5. Darken the Bedroom
If your baby is having trouble napping, consider darkening the room to encourage longer naps.
6. Set your baby up for success
If you’re putting your baby down at the “wrong” times for sleep, this can have disastrous results. Be sure to follow an appropriate 4 month old schedule. The right sleep schedule can do wonders!
Experiencing the 3 month sleep regression? Use our 3 month schedule.
Experiencing the 5 month sleep regression? Use our 5 month schedule.
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7. Check your baby’s development
Before you consider moving forward to permanently change your baby’s sleep habits, you may want to double-check that their development is on track, you are feeding them the “right” amount, they aren’t going through a growth spurt, and they are growing well. Use our Ultimate Guide to Your 4 Month Old Baby to do a quick check.
Experiencing the 3 month sleep regression? Use our 2-3 Month Baby Sleep Guide.
Experiencing the 5 month sleep regression? Use our 5 Month Baby Sleep Guide.
8. Use white noise
If you aren’t already using white noise, definitely consider adding that to the bedroom. Learn how and why to use white noise here. Even babies going through the 5 month sleep regression can benefit from white noise.
9. Start researching
Now is the time to do more reading and research about baby sleep (if you haven’t already). Learning more about the 4 month sleep regression is a good first step, but learning more about your baby’s sleep needs is also crucial to being successful in moving past the sleep regression for good. Downloading our free e-Book, 5 Ways to Help Your Child Sleep Through the Night is a great next step. We break down 5 simple no-cry ways to help your baby sleep better. And, it’s completely FREE!
10. Ask for help!
This time period, especially if it’s the 5 month sleep regression, is very exhausting! This is the time to lean on friends and family members. Let other people hang out with the baby while you recharge or take a nap.
These 10 tips 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. Read below for 10 tips on how to move past the 4 month sleep regression for good.
10 More Tips to Move Past the 4 Month Sleep Regression For Good
Once you understand the 4 month sleep regression and catch up on a little sleep 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. But, opposite to what many believe, sleep coaching is about more than simply whether to let your baby cry it out or not.
We approach baby sleep from a holistic standpoint. We believe that sleep training without looking at “everything” is a bit like trying to get healthy by only looking at diet but without looking at exercise, sleep, water intake, other lifestyle choices, etc. It is the holistic combination of MANY things that makes us successful at meeting and exceeding sleep goals.
Here are 10 tips to move past the 3-4-5 month sleep regression for good:
11. Learn how much sleep your baby needs
Not knowing how much sleep your baby needs can set you on the wrong path right from the start. Not all babies sleep 12 hours at night and 4 hours during the day at this age. Similarly, if your baby is only sleeping 10 hours at night and 2 hours during the day, he isn’t getting enough sleep. Set realistic expectations upfront.
12. Figure out how many naps
Should you offer 2 naps, 3 naps, or 4 naps at this age? Check the baby nap chart to see if you’re offering enough sleep periods each day.
13. Don’t keep baby awake too long
Over-tiredness is one of the main reasons babies take short naps or wake up a lot at night. Having the right schedule is very important to success in sleep!
14. Avoid napping mistakes
The better a baby naps during the day, often the better they sleep at night. Be sure to avoid these 7 common napping mistakes.
15. Feed your baby more during the day
As babies get older and more active, they increase how much they need to eat during the day. And, the more they eat during the day, the less they need at night! Check this baby feeding chart to make sure you’re feeding your baby enough during the day.
16. Be cautious about solids
Some parents think starting solids might help their 4 month old sleep better. But, will starting solids really help sleep? Not always. Learn when to start solids and consider waiting a bit longer.
17. Don’t get up too early
Did you know that light stimulating our eyes is what signals our brains to wake or sleep? Be sure not to start the day too early even if your baby is waking up too early.
18. Put your baby down awake
Putting your baby down awake after a consistent bedtime routine allows your baby to learn the skill of going to sleep such that he or she will also learn to fall back to sleep. This means your baby can learn how to sleep through the night and take long naps. But, does your baby need to be drowsy? Learn what drowsy, but awake means and how hard you should work on it.
19. Change your baby’s sleep associations
If you downloaded our e-Book, 5 Ways to Help Your Child Sleep Through The Night, you have now learned what a “sleep association” is. Once you are ready and feel your baby is ready, you will want to start gradually changing these sleep associations so your baby can sleep more on their own. This is where more traditional sleep training comes in. 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. Read more about baby sleep training methods here and signs your baby is ready for night-weaning here.
20. Re-evaluate once in a while
Babies grow and change very quickly. Every so often, and especially if sleep begins to get worse again, you may need to re-evaluate your baby’s sleep. Do they need a new schedule? Are they developing new sleep habits that aren’t working? Are they going through another sleep regression? Be prepared for your baby to change and continue to keep learning about your baby’s sleep needs, so you’ll know what to do.
Following these tips for your 4-month-old should help you get back on track with sleep in no time!
