The Four Month Sleep Regression - 4 Tools In Your Baby Sleep Toolbox

Now that you’ve learned what the 4 month sleep regression is, let’s explore some tools that can help! Sometimes it feels as though you are just trying to SURVIVE this time.  But, you can THRIVE using these tips!

Tool #1 Pay Close Attention to Wake Windows

A wake window is the ideal amount of time from when baby wakes up, until she falls asleep again.  These change often throughout the first 18 months of life.  A newborn can only be awake for 30-60 minutes at a time!  As babies get to 4 months, they can usually be awake for 1-2 hours at a time.  If your baby wakes up for the day at 6:30, she’s going to be ready for a nap around 7:40.  Helping your baby lay down for a nap right as she’s starting to get sleepy gives her the best chance to fall asleep easily and stay asleep for a longer amount of time.  Check out the chart below to determine your baby’s perfect wake window.  One thing to consider is that wake windows tend to get slightly longer as the day goes on.  Your 4 month old may only be able to stay awake 60-70 minutes between the time she wakes up in the morning and her first nap.  But, between her last nap of the day and bedtime, she may need 100-120 minutes of awake time.  Each baby is different, of course, so your baby may not follow this particular pattern.  You’ll also want to take your baby’s mood upon waking into consideration.  This is especially important if she is taking those dreaded 20-30 minute naps!  If she is waking up after 20 minutes squealing with delight, she probably wasn’t tired enough and needs a slightly longer wake window.  If she wakes up crying and cranky, she was probably too tired.  Decrease her wake window by 10-15 minutes next time.

Newborn (0-12 weeks)	30-90 minutes
3-4 months	75-120 minutes
5-6 months	2-2.5 hours
7-9 months	2.5- 3.5 hours
10-14 months	3-4 hours
15-18 months	4-6 hours (6 hours only if taking 1 nap)

Tool #2 Create the Ideal Sleeping Environment

The next tool in our toolbox is essential at any age – the sleep environment.  The first step in creating the ideal sleep environment is making sure it is dark in the room where your baby is sleeping.  This applies to nighttime and naptime.  Darkness signals to your baby’s brain that it is time for sleeping!  Babies are too young to be afraid of the dark until they are 24 months old or much older.  Darkness is helpful for them! Make sure your windows have blackout curtains that cover the entire window.  Sometimes even with blackout curtains, some light sneaks in.  I really like the type of blackout curtain that can suction cup onto the window. This one is great! When both blackout curtains are combined, you can usually block out the light really well!  

Next, make sure the room where your baby is sleeping is a comfortable temperature.  Most babies sleep the best in a slightly cooler environment of 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit. If you live in a warm climate, like I do, getting baby’s room down to 72 degrees might not be feasible.  Do the best you can!  As long as baby is not getting red faced and sweaty, they are likely cool enough. 

When you dress your baby for a nap or the nighttime, a sleep sack is a great sleep cue.  Make sure to check the manufacturer's height and weight recommendations to make sure you have a safe and comfortable fit for your baby.  Of course, also take the season and temperature into consideration.  If you are in the middle of a sweltering Texas summer, a onesie and muslin sleep sack is the perfect combination for naps.  I like this Halo muslin sleep sack.  For colder months, warmer sleep sacks like this minky one can keep baby nice and cozy. 

Finally, having a consistent naptime and bedtime routine cues your baby’s brain that sleep is coming.  A great bedtime routine could be a feeding, a bath, putting on comfy PJs and a sleep sack, reading 3 books, and a song.  For naptime, you can do a shortened version of this routine.  If you are feeding close to a nap, you might do it in the living room so baby doesn’t get too sleepy before he is in his bed!  At naptime, you can offer a feeding if you think your baby is hungry, change his diaper and put on a sleep sack, read 1 book and sing his favorite lullaby.  It can take only 5-10 minutes!  Just this short routine can help baby settle into sleep more easily.

Tool #3 Have Baby Explore Her Environment

Now that your baby is 4 months old, she is interacting with her environment more than ever.  She loves to kick her legs on her playmat, smile at Mom, and play peek-a-boo with Dad.  Make the most of your wake windows!  Some babies are particularly active and alert.  These babies love the stimulation of new sights and sounds.  During her awake times, take your baby “on a walk” to the mailbox.  Point out the color of the sky and the squirrel running past.  Believe it or not, your baby’s brain is making thousands of new connections each day - everything is new and exciting to her!  She is laying the groundwork even now to start understanding and saying words. 

Sometimes daily life with a baby can be, let’s face it, kinda boring.  Everyone has unique experiences and feelings about new baby life.  While it’s wonderful to describe what you’re doing and what your baby is seeing, the opposite is great sometimes too!  Let baby reach for her toys on her play mat.  Or, set up a few board books in front of baby and place her on her tummy. 

Then, sit nearby and enjoy your coffee and a book.  Or, drink your tea and scroll your Instagram feed. It’s great for baby to get some time to play independently even at a young age.  This also helps when it’s time to go to sleep.  Sometimes babies need practice with short periods of independence during awake times to be successful with developing independent sleeping skills. 

Tool #4 Help Baby Learn to Fall Asleep on His Own

Finally, helping your baby learn independent sleep skills at this age will lay the foundation for good sleep for the rest of his baby and toddler years, and beyond!  Four month olds might still need 1-2 feedings in the night, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start working on healthy sleep habits now!  The first step in this process is to have a consistent bedtime routine.  Find what works for your baby and your family.  Make it enjoyable for everyone!  Once you have established your routine, you can start to help baby learn to fall asleep on her own at bedtime.  Some babies do this very easily, and others will need more support.  Neither baby is “good” or “bad!”  Each baby can be supported in a way that she can learn to fall asleep on her own.  Many of the methods I recommend are gradual changes over time.  Some babies and parents like a quicker route, and that is another great possibility!  In every sleep plan, the method is tailored to your unique and wonderful baby and her caregiver’s preferences.  I will always take into account your parenting philosophy and preferences.  If you would like personalized guidance on helping your 4 month old (or older!) baby learn to fall asleep on his or her own, I would love to work with you!  Click below to make a free 15 minute consultation with me.