This sleep regression is the first your baby will go through - the dreaded 4 month sleep regression. You might be wondering how long it will last, if it’s actually as bad as it sounds, and how to survive it. If so - you’ve come to the right place. Here’s everything you need to know about the dreaded 4 month sleep regression.

Essential sections:

• What is the 4 month sleep regression?
• What are signs of 4 month sleep regression?
• How long does 4 month sleep regression last?
• How do I fix my 4 month sleep regression?

What is the 4 month sleep regression?

If you already know, you can skip this part. But for those of you who are wondering “what the heck is this four month sleep regression?!” - a sleep regression is when your baby’s sleep gets temporarily worse because of massive development.

At 4 months old, your baby is going through a huge growth spurt, their sleep patterns are maturing, and they’re learning like crazy. Because of this massive development happening - your baby’s sleep temporarily gets worse. 

This is because the brian is focused on growing these new skills, and sleep temporarily takes a hit.

What are signs of 4 month sleep regression? 

• Resisting bedtime
• Resisting naps
• Waking early from naps
• Waking more frequently at night
• Increased early wakings (4-6 am)

How long does 4 month sleep regression last? 

The 4 month sleep regression lasts around 2 weeks. If the signs go on for longer, know that this is due to habit and no longer due to brain development. 

How do I fix the 4 month sleep regression? 

Here’s how to survive the 4 month sleep regression in the smoothest way possible:

Do whatever you can to get by.

Whether that’s rocking your baby back to sleep when they wake at night, feeding them to sleep, or starting your bedtime routine earlier - give them all the love and cuddles they need to ride through it. Just count the 2 weeks, and once the 2 weeks are over, start working on more long-term solutions.

Set up a bedtime routine if you don’t already have one.

A bedtime routine is a way to calm your baby and prepare them for sleep each night. Start it 45 minutes before your child is supposed to be asleep for the night. Give them a feed, a bath, diaper change, pajamas, top-up feed, read a book, and put them in the crib 15-20 minutes before they’re supposed to be asleep. This can help them calm down and sleep better.

Do not sleep train.

Sleep training during a sleep regression is like throwing gasoline on a fire. Do not sleep train using ANY kind of method during this time, whether it’s CIO (Cry-It-Out) or a gentle method.

Instead, keep everything else - a steady schedule, frequent naps, early bedtime, and a bedtime routine. 

But sleep training during all the development and growth they’re going through is not going to help. Instead, focus on surviving the 2 weeks of the regression, and THEN sleep train. That way, the next regression will be smooth sailing. 

To sum up

The 4 month sleep regression can be tough, I’m not going to lie to you. But with these tips and this knowledge you can get through it more easily. My BEST tip is to sleep train once the regression has passed, so that the next regressions are easy to get through. 

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