The Dreaded 4 Month Regression (but why you shouldn’t dread it!)

- Laura Thompson | 26th February 2021 -

Is it all just a myth?

The four month regression is probably the most talked about and feared regression of them all!  Is it all just scare tactics? As if parents don’t have enough to worry about without a sleep regression looming over them!

Ok …. I have to tell you something - it’s a real thing but don’t panic just yet!

Let’s think of this a PROgression!

So there are real biological changes happening in our babies sleep at around 4 months (actually anywhere between 3-6 months!) Things are changing massively, their sleep patterns are maturing and developing … they are PROgressing!

New-borns go through just 2 sleep cycles REM and Non REM … basically deep and not deep sleep! As they reach about 4 months of age these sleep cycles start to become far more complex and resemble something closer to adult sleep which looks more like this:

NREM1 – NREM2 – NREM3/4 – NREM2 – NREM1 – REM  

Climbing down and back up through the various different stages of sleep, cycling in and out of lighter phases of sleep.

This is all new!

Remember this is all totally new to your baby. They have never experienced these lighter phases of sleep and so they may well be much more easily woken from them until they learn how to cycle through them. You may have had a baby who was capable of sleeping 4-6 hours overnight who is now only sleeping 2-4 hours. If your 3-6 month old is suddenly waking every 2 hours overnight this is why and it’s normal!

Why is this a good thing?

So now we’ve established that this is all very real and normal you may be wondering why on earth this is a good thing!?

It’s a great thing because your baby is now capable of more mature sleep cycles and they are also ready for you to hand over the reins to them a little as they learn the valuable skill of self settling which leads to amazing sleepers!

It’s really common for parents to ask me if they should wait until the 4 month regression is over to start working on their babies sleep. The answer is no … the time is now, your baby is ready!

What can you do?

 Sleep environment

Your baby is no longer a sleepy new-born who can sleep anywhere! They are much more aware and so they need a sleep environment conducive to sleep!

•  Out of the swaddle – your baby needs to learn how to use their body now so they can get themselves comfortable for sleep. Moving to an arms out sleeping bag is ideal.

• Make sure the room is dark by using black out blinds – I’m talking at least an 8/10 on the darkness scale.

• Consider using white noise – use it for the duration of sleep.

• Create a calming and non-stimulating environment – get rid of the cot mobiles, light projectors etc …

Routine

Children thrive off routine so now is the time to start implanting consistent routines with your little one.

•  Make day sleep a priority - Aim for 50% or more of naps happening in the cot. It’s still OK to have some motion/contact naps still - you don’t want to feel chained to your house!

• Be aware of your baby’s wakeful window which is now around 2 hours. Allow for wind down and settling time so you are not putting baby into the cot right at the end of that wakeful window.

• Consistent bedtime / naptime routine – your baby is really going to start developing these positive sleep associations now!

• Look at bedtime – It’s pretty common for new-borns to go to bed quite late but now it’s time to make sure your baby has an age appropriate bedtime so they don’t become over tired.

Self-Settling

This is the biggie and I know is the one that will throw up the most questions for people. Your baby is ready to start learning this skill and it doesn’t have to be scary!

• Think about what you are doing now to put your baby to sleep and make a plan to gradually reduce your input. Download my free guide to self-settling here.

•   If you are currently feeding to sleep consider bringing the feed earlier in the bedtime routine and helping them fall asleep another way.

• If you are used to feeding your baby every time they wake in the night now is the time to start considering other ways to settle them. Some babies’ certainly still need night feeds but consider how long ago it was they had a feed and if you could perhaps offer reassurance through rocking, patting, shushing etc … instead of a feed.

Are you ready to make a change? I would love to talk to you about how I can support your family -

Book a free call to find out if working together is right for you.