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Have you finally hit the famous 4 month sleep regression? Unfortunately, the 4 month sleep regression is notorious for causing sleep disruptions in babies and you may have been dreading it for a while. This regression can actually happen anywhere from 4-6 months and is usually accompanied by an increase in night wakings (you may even notice your baby waking more than they did as a newborn), short cat naps that you can no longer help your baby extend, increased fussiness during the day (because of the disrupted night and nap sleep), and even more difficulty falling asleep.

These things can all sound scary and it can be extremely frustrating as a parent but I also want to point out the positives from this phase. The 4 month sleep regression is a beautiful sign that your baby is growing and developing. In fact, I think this regression should really be called a progression. So let’s dive in and answer your most common 4 month sleep progression questions.

What causes this 4 month sleep progression?

This progression marks the change in your baby’s sleep cycles. They are maturing away from their newborn sleep cycles that contained only 2 stages of sleep (quiet and active). Now, after going through this developmental change, their sleep is comprised of 4 stages (lightest, light, deep, and REM). These 4 stages are actually what our adult sleep cycles look like as well- although our sleep cycles are longer than babies.

These new sleep cycles can lead to more partial arousals between each sleep cycle. This may look like grunting, squirming, even some small cries while your baby is trying to transition from one sleep cycle to the next. If your baby gets “stuck” here, then they will fully wake up and need external help to fall back asleep.

In reality, what this can look like is full wakings every 1.5-2 hours overnight and 30-45 minutes during naps.

Other factors present in the 4 month sleep progression:

The 4 month sleep progression also tends to happen right around the time that other changes are happening with your baby. This can often be a multifaceted issue. Right around this time, many babies are newly unswaddled and starting to work on rolling. This can lead to lots of movement around the crib, bumping into the edges, and getting stuck on their side or tummy.

Not only can new mobility cause some disruptions but your 4 month old is much more alert now than they were as a newborn. This can make naps on the go more challenging. Also, if you were previously napping your baby in the living room or some other bright area, that can really start to hinder their ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. 

The last main factor present around this 4 month sleep progression is changing sleep needs. While newborns typically have 5+ naps a day and later bedtimes, 4 month olds can be ready for a 3-4 nap schedule and need an earlier bedtime than you are used to. 

What can I do to help my baby during this 4 month sleep progression?

While I know this phase can make parents feel helpless, there are things you can do to help support your baby as they go through this progression. These won’t be quick fixes but over time, your calm and steady support will help them navigate this big developmental change.

Have a solid bedtime routine: If you haven’t yet put together a predictable bedtime routine for your baby, now is the time. It doesn’t have to be fancy or take forever but it does need to be predictable. There should be an obvious flow and order to your bedtime routine that your baby can easily notice and start to anticipate. 

If you are currently ending your bedtime routine with a feed, now is a great time to switch that up. Feeding your baby to sleep at bedtime can cause your baby to feel like they need to feed in order to fall back asleep after each night waking. Instead, try moving the bedtime feed earlier in the routine and ensure that they stay awake and engaged during it. 

Make sleep environment adjustments: Your baby is much more alert and aware of the world around them now. Napping in bright rooms or on the go just won’t work as well as it used to. If you haven’t already, it’s time to use their designated sleep room as the spot where they take the majority of their daytime naps. This room should be very dark (even during the daytime), cool, and have white noise playing as they sleep. Naps on the go don’t have to disappear completely, but they will need to be used more sparingly so that a majority of your baby’s naps are in their sleep space that is conducive to sleep.

Consider your baby’s previous night stretches: Although your baby may be waking more frequently at night right now, think back to the stretches of night sleep they were doing right before you hit this 4 month progression. Were they sleeping 3 hours in between night feeds? 5 hours? Or maybe more? I want you to remember what they were capable of and try your best to hold them to their personal best moving forward. That means if they were sleeping 5 hours without a night feed and suddenly they are waking every 2 hours, you want to avoid adding extra feeds back into their night. Instead find a different way to help soothe and settle them back to sleep.

Build in a pause period of 5-10 minutes: When you hear your baby in the middle of the night or after a nap that you know is way too short for them, start building in a pause. If 5-10 minutes feels too long at first, then start smaller (1-2 minutes) and build from there. This pause is a great way for you to give them the opportunity to practice falling back asleep on their own before you come in to help. It also helps create a level of comfort between your baby and their sleep environment. It helps the experience of being alone in their sleep space feel more natural for them and that will translate into helping with extra wakings as well.

What if my baby seems stuck in the 4 month progression?

Every baby is unique and there’s no one size fits all but typically this progression will last a week or two. If you feel like this 4 month sleep progression is lasting longer than that, it could be a sign that your baby is feeling stuck.

This can happen when new habits are developed or solidified during the 4 month sleep progression. When the actual phase of progression is finished and done with, the habits still linger and sleep remains disrupted. If this feels like you, then it might be time to consider fostering independent sleep skills.

Having independent sleep skills means that your baby is able to regulate their own sleep instead of waiting for you to help them to sleep. Many babies are used to or prefer to be rocked, nursed, bottle-fed, bounced, laid with, etc. to sleep. There is nothing wrong with this, however, it can become an issue if that need for regulating sleep is outside of their control.

Remember how we talked about those partial and full arousals that can happen between sleep cycles? Those aren’t going to go away. As your baby gets older and becomes a toddler, preschooler, and big kid, their sleep cycles will lengthen, but they will always have that potential to wake up between sleep cycles. You and I do it every night too!

At each of those potential wakings, your baby will either need to have the tools to fall back asleep on their own, or they will call for you to come and help them. Fostering independent sleep skills can be a game changer for families who are dealing with frequent night wakings and short naps. It’s kind of like handing the sleep baton off to your baby so they can take it and run with it.

For more information on creating positive sleep habits, check out my Sleep Club specifically designed for parents who need sleep solutions to create harmony at home and have their family sleeping well sooner. During this process of teaching independent sleep, consistency is key, so it’s helpful to have support as you go through it.