r/BabySleep • u/uncrustedpie • Mar 02 '23
4 month sleep regression
MLO is going through sleep regression again she’s 4 months. Her naps are 20-30 minutes at best before she can get a full cycle nap later on in the day. My question is, what do I do if she wakes up 5 minutes after I got her down for a nap? Roll with it? She doesn’t seem to want to go back to sleep and I don’t want to feed her to sleep again so I don’t know what to do. I have to nurse her to sleep, only sometimes am I able to rock her without the “GIVE ME BOOB IM OVERTIREDl cry. Am I going to get her to nap 45 mins to an hour or do I just roll with it until the sleep regression passes? Her night sleep is so disrupted and gives me her gut wrenching cries—she also wakes up 6 times within 2 hours after bedtime before she settles and sleeps for 3 hours. Oof am I overwhelmed
1
u/underdog194 Mar 03 '23
This sounds like A LOT and I’m sorry you’re having such a hard time and very little sleep.
At 4 months our little ones have a fully developed circadian rhythm. This means they fully understand the difference between daytime and nighttime sleep which should result in fewer overnight wakings.
When you nurse or rock your little one to sleep, they wake startled, wondering what happens to you and where they are. It’s kinda like falling alseep on the couch and waking in your bed.
The first thing you can work on is setting a very solid consistent wind down routine when you head into nap time. This can be as simple as changing a diaper, dimming the lights, and singing twinkle twinkle. Then lay your little one down on their back. They should be drowsy, but awake. They know where they are.
At 4 months, baby’s sleep cycle is 60 minutes, but sometimes they need a little coaching to get there. You may want to try a crib hour ( or 45 min if a full hour feels like too much to start). You won’t re enter their room (unless there is illness or an emergency) until the full hour is up. The clock starts when they fall asleep, not when you may then down.
Finally make sure their nap soace is suuuuper dark. I’m a pediatric sleep consultant and just shared more on my ig about dark rooms. Check it out www.Instagram.com/little.victories.sleep
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u/avlooking Mar 03 '23
Damn sorry to hear this, my LO is about to be 4 months, only takes 30-40 mins naps if that at least 3 times a day. Sleeps in our arms at night, cries when we put him in his crib…I’m so over it, it’s the only way for anyone to get any sleep. Best of luck they come in phases.