How to survive the 4 month sleep regression

Like learning to read, self-settling is a skill that doesn't simply develop overnight. It is something completely new for babies and they need a process of coaching, consistency and the chance to learn to do it themselves. By giving in and continuing to settle our baby at the first grizzle, we’re denying them the chance to work on this new skill and not doing them any favours in the long run.

Here are the most important things to remember when it comes to self-settling:

• Babies under 3 months aren't capable of conscious self-settling - the best you can do is to encourage good sleep habits at this age. If everything is lined up, some younger babies may instinctively self-settle to sleep.
• From 4 months you can gently begin to guide your baby to self-settling, as this is when it becomes a learned skill rather than an instinctive behaviour. Our Little Ones App contains several gentle self-settling methods to choose from that are tailored to your baby's age and current sleep association.
• You might experience a bit of protesting as your little one gets used to this new way of going to sleep, particularly if you have an older baby or toddler.
• A baby who is over or under tired will find it really hard to self-settle. Our Little Ones App can help with this by making sure your baby is perfectly ready for sleep, which gives them the best chance at self-settling.
• Consistency is absolutely key - don't give your baby mixed messages by encouraging them to self-settle some of the time, then settling them all the way to sleep at other times.
• A dark room, white noise and a swaddle (for babies under 5 months who aren't rolling yet) or baby sleeping bag are positive sleep associations that can greatly help your baby learn to self-settle.
• A hungry baby won't settle no matter what you do, so make sure your little one is well-fed and burped before putting them down for sleep.
• Have high expectations of your little one and work hard to achieve them. They CAN do it - and so can you!

Do sleep regressions ‘ruin’ the sleep training you have already done or plan to do?

The answer is not at all! Now, just to clarify, by "sleep training" we mean establishing a consistent nap routine for your baby and guiding them towards the skill of self-settling when they are ready.

Establishing a consistent routine and positive sleep habits early on is well worth the effort because it will help you down the line. You'll be able to quickly identify when something like a sleep regression is occurring because you will easily recognise the changes in your baby’s sleeping habits.

Certainly, during a regression it makes it a little more tricky to follow a routine or schedule, but making sure your baby's awake windows and nap lengths are spot on for their age does help a lot when it comes to self-settling. And since self-settling is the only way through the big 4 month sleep regression, we would say the more you’re prepared and consistent you are, the better!

Is it the 4 month sleep regression or something else?

The main sign that your little one is going through a regression is that their sleeping pattern dramatically changes. They’ve suddenly gone from sleeping well to not being able to settle for naps and bedtime, or catnapping during the day, or waking more overnight.

But there are other factors that can cause this kind of sudden change in your baby's sleep too, including:

Over or under tiredness

Your baby may have simply outgrown their current nap pattern. Small tweaks to their awake windows or nap lengths may be all that's needed to get their sleep back on track again!

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Hunger

Between 4-6 months babies are getting ready to start solids and their milk feeds don't sustain them for as long anymore. This means they can start to wake for an extra feed overnight now, even if they were previously sleeping through without a feed.

NOTE: Waking for one extra feed at night is NOT the same as waking and feeding every 2 hours. If your baby is waking every 2 hours and just having a small feed each time, it's more likely that they are relying on feeding/sucking to get back to sleep in between sleep cycles, rather than waking genuinely hungry.

Teething

For the most part, teething is really only uncomfortable for your baby for a day or so right as the tooth is breaking through the surface of the gum - which you’ll definitely be able to see! If your baby's sleep has been disrupted for more than a week, it's not due to teething.

Sickness

A sudden change in your baby's sleep or settling can sometimes be an early sign of illness. THIS article shares some other signs to look out for but if you are at all concerned about your baby's health, please see your health practitioner.

If you can rule these factors out and your baby is catnapping during the day and waking every 2 hours at night (usually from midnight onwards), chances are you have hit the 4 month sleep regression.