Home
Log in / Sign Up
    Private Messages   Rules   New User Guide   FAQ   Advertise   Contact Us  
Forum -> Parenting our children -> Infants
So anxious about 4mo sleep regression



Post new topic   Reply to topic View latest: 24h 48h 72h

amother
OP  


 

Post Sat, Oct 26 2024, 5:03 pm
My baby is starting his 4 month sleep regression Sad
He's my 4th (and unexpected) and I know exactly what I'm in for and I am panicking Crying
Something about my babies' sleep gets me so worked up and triggered and this period is the WORST. BH he has been reasonable until now, falls asleep himself with swaddle, paci and white noise - though the swaddle has to go now. Naps were mostly reasonable, nights were basically feedings every 3-4 hours. Last few nights he's been up every 2-2.5hrs and today's naps weren't great.
I'm just so sad and scared and overwhelmed.
Back to top

amother
Nutmeg  


 

Post Sat, Oct 26 2024, 9:00 pm
Hungry? You could start solids at this age. Or maybe supplement with formula at night. By that age my babies aren't full enough on nursing, I've found a bottle at night or solids helps.
Back to top

amother
Zinnia  


 

Post Sat, Oct 26 2024, 11:37 pm
What jumps out at me is your words
Sad
Scared
Anxious
Overwhelmed
Take care of yourself... You do sound overwhelmed.

Babies schedules evolve a lot over the first year, I have 6 kids I can't say any of them were exactly the same eating and sleeping and temperament wise...the only times I managed less and called the baby "hard and colicky " is when I was not recovering terribly well emotionally...
Back to top

amother
Cream


 

Post Sat, Oct 26 2024, 11:44 pm
amother Nutmeg wrote:
Hungry? You could start solids at this age. Or maybe supplement with formula at night. By that age my babies aren't full enough on nursing, I've found a bottle at night or solids helps.


Solids at 4 months??
Back to top

amother
  Nutmeg


 

Post Sun, Oct 27 2024, 6:50 am
amother Cream wrote:
Solids at 4 months??


Yes. Not bread at that age, but apple, pears, carrots or banana etc.
Back to top

amother
DarkYellow  


 

Post Sun, Oct 27 2024, 8:14 am
I read somewhere online that at the 4 month sleep regression baby wakes up more often and is like "oh no! Where am I??"
If you rock your baby or hold your baby to sleep then when they wake up they want that again...to be rocked or held or whatever other sleep association they have

Your baby associates sleep with swaddle, paci and white noise. So when your baby wakes up and goes "oh no!" He'll drift back to sleep easier because he is still how you left him, maybe minus the paci? So replace the paci and let him put himself back to sleep. It may take a few nights of him laying awake trying to fall back asleep every 2-3 hours. But don't nurse back to sleep every time or it'll become habit.

My baby has only those 3 associations as well and the sleep regression only gave me 2 hard nights Baruch Hashem
Back to top

amother
  DarkYellow  


 

Post Sun, Oct 27 2024, 8:16 am
I also found that at 4 month mark baby can be up for longer wake window. Try keeping your baby up longer before nap time and it should help get longer nap.
Also if baby wakes up mid nap give some time to see if he will fall back asleep again
Back to top

amother
  OP  


 

Post Sun, Oct 27 2024, 12:44 pm
amother Nutmeg wrote:
Hungry? You could start solids at this age. Or maybe supplement with formula at night. By that age my babies aren't full enough on nursing, I've found a bottle at night or solids helps.


I've been offering a formula bottle before I go to sleep every night for weeks already. Now he's waking even before then and not finishing his bottle.
Back to top

amother
  OP  


 

Post Sun, Oct 27 2024, 12:45 pm
amother Zinnia wrote:
What jumps out at me is your words
Sad
Scared
Anxious
Overwhelmed
Take care of yourself... You do sound overwhelmed.

Babies schedules evolve a lot over the first year, I have 6 kids I can't say any of them were exactly the same eating and sleeping and temperament wise...the only times I managed less and called the baby "hard and colicky " is when I was not recovering terribly well emotionally...


Yeah, story of my life atm. And there's not much I can change. This was an unexpected pregnancy and he was born in the middle of a few major life changes. I'm definitely not doing the best emotionally.
Back to top

amother
  OP  


 

Post Sun, Oct 27 2024, 12:47 pm
amother DarkYellow wrote:
I read somewhere online that at the 4 month sleep regression baby wakes up more often and is like "oh no! Where am I??"
If you rock your baby or hold your baby to sleep then when they wake up they want that again...to be rocked or held or whatever other sleep association they have

Your baby associates sleep with swaddle, paci and white noise. So when your baby wakes up and goes "oh no!" He'll drift back to sleep easier because he is still how you left him, maybe minus the paci? So replace the paci and let him put himself back to sleep. It may take a few nights of him laying awake trying to fall back asleep every 2-3 hours. But don't nurse back to sleep every time or it'll become habit.

My baby has only those 3 associations as well and the sleep regression only gave me 2 hard nights Baruch Hashem


I could let him try fall back asleep, but if I wait 30 min then that means myself and DH are awake that long too, then if it doesn't work I'll need to nurse anyway... And my babies aren't so easygoing that they'll get the message in 2 nights.
What did your baby's naps look like during the regression?
Back to top

amother
  OP  


 

Post Sun, Oct 27 2024, 12:48 pm
amother DarkYellow wrote:
I also found that at 4 month mark baby can be up for longer wake window. Try keeping your baby up longer before nap time and it should help get longer nap.
Also if baby wakes up mid nap give some time to see if he will fall back asleep again


Yes, I did see that he could be up a little longer than I've been leaving him. So adjusting that too.
Back to top

smss




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Oct 27 2024, 1:40 pm
amother Nutmeg wrote:
Yes. Not bread at that age, but apple, pears, carrots or banana etc.


Those are all lower calorie than breastmilk and formula, and the AAP and WHO both now say to wait until 6 months to start solids regardless.

The 4 month sleep regression isn't about hunger, it's about a permanent change in the baby's sleep patterns to go through sleep cycles more often and many babies need to be settled between cycles.

OP, I hear you and wish I had advice. The sleep deprivation is so so debilitating. I'm currently in the thick of it too...
Back to top

amother
  DarkYellow


 

Post Sun, Oct 27 2024, 2:24 pm
amother OP wrote:
I could let him try fall back asleep, but if I wait 30 min then that means myself and DH are awake that long too, then if it doesn't work I'll need to nurse anyway... And my babies aren't so easygoing that they'll get the message in 2 nights.
What did your baby's naps look like during the regression?


Would your baby be crying during the 30 minutes? Or just laying awake?
I'd put a noise machine by my head and try my best to sleep

My baby started waking up at nap time after 1 sleep cycle (40 minutes), I leave baby be and eventually falls back asleep
Sometimes 1 sleep cycle is all baby needs...
I find my baby naps way better on a full stomach, vs waking up from hunger
Back to top

amother
  Zinnia


 

Post Sun, Oct 27 2024, 9:55 pm
amother OP wrote:
Yeah, story of my life atm. And there's not much I can change. This was an unexpected pregnancy and he was born in the middle of a few major life changes. I'm definitely not doing the best emotionally.


Can you get more physical help to ease things?
Back to top

amother
  OP  


 

Post Yesterday at 5:37 pm
amother DarkYellow wrote:
Would your baby be crying during the 30 minutes? Or just laying awake?
I'd put a noise machine by my head and try my best to sleep

My baby started waking up at nap time after 1 sleep cycle (40 minutes), I leave baby be and eventually falls back asleep
Sometimes 1 sleep cycle is all baby needs...
I find my baby naps way better on a full stomach, vs waking up from hunger


Well, last night he went about 40 min with real loud kvetching. And I have a sound machine near my head, plus earplugs, and it does nothing. I hardly slept between 1am-8am.
I think your baby has an easygoing temperament. I believe most babies won't 'eventually fall back asleep'.
Back to top

amother
  OP  


 

Post Yesterday at 5:38 pm
amother Zinnia wrote:
Can you get more physical help to ease things?


I need sleep. All the help in the world won't give me that - if someone's watching my baby, there's another 101 things that have to get done. I can't take time off to sleep during the day.
Back to top

amother
  OP  


 

Post Yesterday at 5:39 pm
Today's first nap he woke after 45min, resettled after I replaced paci and whole nap was 2 hours.
The next nap was 40 min.
The next nap was 20 min.
Crying
Back to top

tichellady




 
 
    
 

Post Yesterday at 5:52 pm
I totally get you. Have you spoken to your pediatrician about sleep training?
Back to top

amother
  OP  


 

Post Today at 3:05 pm
No, I haven't. I'm not in the US, I only have a GP. But I do have an appt in a couple of weeks with him, so I can ask
Back to top

amother
  OP


 

Post Today at 3:44 pm
Last night he fed 1.20am, then was up at 3.40am. I tried resettling until 4.20, at which point is was 3hrs from last feed so just gave him a bottle. It took until after 5am for him to all back asleep. He was up at 7am.

First nap: 45min, wouldn't resettle.
Second nap: 45min, wouldn't resettle.
Third nap: 30min, left him kvetching 15min, then resettled him in my arms for 15 min and he slept another 20ish min
Fourth nap: 25min
Back to top
Page 1 of 1 Recent Topics




Post new topic   Reply to topic    Forum -> Parenting our children -> Infants

Related Topics Replies Last Post
Is this regression or normal development (speech/language
by amother
10 Today at 10:58 pm View last post
Machanenu - new girls sleep away camp
by amother
20 Today at 9:56 pm View last post
Sleep training again
by Mimir
1 Sun, Oct 27 2024, 11:06 pm View last post
How to consolidate sleep
by amother
0 Wed, Oct 23 2024, 8:35 am View last post
Sleep training
by amother
1 Tue, Oct 22 2024, 12:07 am View last post