Author Topic: 4 month sleep regression? (Read 4437 times)

Julie Kenwell · « **on:** June 02, 2016, 13:09:55 pm »

My 15wo boy has been a lsn from almost day one.
Since he was around seven weeks he was catnapping in the day, but his night sleep was pretty good.
For quite a while he had been waking just once, or not even at all doing 8/10 hour stretches at night.
But about a week and a half ago that all ended and he has been waking a lot again at night, like a newborn!
He has had days where he is very cranky and is hard to entertain. He has made strange already whereas my older boy didn't make strange until about 4.5/5 months.
He has done a few longer naps in the day recently I've noticed which is unlike him, however this isn't every day.
I'm wondering if this is the four month sleep regression?
He has quite a long wake time, somewhere between 1.45 and 2.10 some times.

FPT23 · « **Reply #1 on:** June 02, 2016, 23:26:49 pm »

Hi! Guess what? It sure is the 4 mth SR

My LO is 15 weeks as well. During this time they are sorting their sleepy cycles... Their days are starting to extend too. I could have written what you wrote myself!

We've been getting long naps not always consistently either. He's also been NWing and seems more crankier from the OT/wonder weeks/changes!

A time varies between babies! But here is the link so you have an idea

Average A times- BOOKMARK ME!

The best thing we can do is hang onto the ride and help them with it! Maybe we can help tweak your routine and see what's going on? Doesn't hurt

lots of changes during this time.

Could you post your EASY routine please?

if you can

Julie Kenwell · « **Reply #2 on:** June 03, 2016, 20:30:16 pm »

Haha! Yea the easy is difficult atm!
Here is roughly how today went:

Wu 7.30 and eat
Activity until..
Sleep 9.30 - 10

Eat 10.15
Activity
Sleep 11.55 - 1250

Eat 110
Activity
Sleep 255 - 315 (he fell asleep in the car and woke up when I called with my sister in law)

Eat 330
Activity
Sleep 515 -6

He is formula fed and takes 5oz in feeding.
So after he wakes from his fourth nap he takes another 5oz
Bath with older brother then another 5oz at about 7.30/7.45 before bed and is asleep at 8.30.
As I said he is very lsn!!
Up until the last week or so all his naps have been 30mins and he is honestly happy when he wakes from them! So the 45 min/ 1hr naps are a very new thing.
He is an independent sleeper, goes to bed with just one lullaby and white noise. But when he night wakes, he is not even looking for a feed, I give him a dummy only when he wakes at night and he goes straight back to sleep. There could be up to 4 nws though. It seems so strange when he was doing so well. I'm just worried using the dummy for nws will cause a habit even though he doesn't use it to go down at the start of the night or for naps.x

FPT23 · « **Reply #3 on:** June 04, 2016, 22:35:03 pm »

His A times are a little long but if he's happy then he's happy! The morning nap is 30 mins which is an indication of OT. You could consider playing around with A times and maybe shorten it and see if it helps lengthen his nap a bit. NWs could be a cause of OT but during this time it's also very common and developmental. That's great that he goes to bed so easily! Share the tips

haha!

Honestly, I wish I had better advice on this one but I feel it's all part of the SR that happens. I'm currently going through the exact same. I think my LO woke up every 2-3 hrs last night too

Hugs!!!

tathi-b · « **Reply #4 on:** June 14, 2016, 06:40:19 am »

I feel your pain! It's hard...

Can I just ask what LSN is?

When my little girl went through the dreaded 4 month sleep regression the only way I found to fix it was to take her back to a 3hr EASY. Within a couple of days she was less tired and less cranky. She still woke up a couple of times in the night but was a lot easier to settle! Her sleep regression lasted almost 4 weeks but it went away just as suddenly as it appeared!

Hope this helps.

xx

FPT23 · « **Reply #5 on:** June 14, 2016, 14:42:28 pm »

LSN= Low Sleep Needs

tathi-b · « **Reply #6 on:** June 14, 2016, 15:02:00 pm »

Thanks!

Julie Kenwell · « **Reply #7 on:** June 15, 2016, 11:19:29 am »

Hi thanks for the advice! We did have a few decent nights sleep but then a few days ago he made strange again during the day and that night the night waking a started again! So we're back to lots of crankiness and minimal nights sleep!
I read somewhere that if your baby is going though leap four, it peaks at week 17 which is where he is at now, so I'm putting this latest set back down to that!
I also noticed in the last few days that he isn't feeding as much either, he will only take a few oz and when I try to offer more he just gives off.
I think I remember my first boy doing something similar around this age too but it only lasted a day or so, whereas this is day four! Eeek.

FPT23 · « **Reply #8 on:** June 15, 2016, 16:28:56 pm »

We are on week 17 too and it's been chaotic too

Hugs and hopefully it passes soon!

Stick to routines and sleep wind downs! It will pass eventually

Julie Kenwell · « **Reply #9 on:** June 15, 2016, 17:56:39 pm »

Fingers crossed! I've been toying with the idea of just taking the dummy away altogether since he only needs it for resettling at night. How are u managing to resettling lo?
I think you're right, consistency is key to survival!!

FPT23 · « **Reply #10 on:** June 15, 2016, 18:31:51 pm »

Well
I'm currently working on removing the pacifier. I do it with naps for now and we are on day 3 with no improvement lol. He resists the nap and nothing I do is enough. Eventually he passes out haha but I know in time it has to stop so I'm staying persistent which I think is key. The paci was starting to cause issues as I was slowly removing the swaddle. I figured the sooner I remove the better and "easier" it should be as opposed to 6+ mths down the road.

I used to resettle super easy with paci and a head rub. Now I don't bother resettling naps until we get over this bump.

At nights I still use paci, for now. (Again, doing naps first) ....and I've been known to just turn on the swing when I'm too tired haha! Since I rarely use it, it's never become a prop. He usually only wakes once to eat at the time being but last week or so, he was having several NWs in which I just picked up and held him. I think at this time you do what has to be done and then you can work on removing anything that was a prop around 5 months. Or at least, that's my theory.

Julie Kenwell · « **Reply #11 on:** June 16, 2016, 09:17:58 am »

What I'm wondering though is when do you know that the regression is over and the NWs are just a habit that has to be addressed?x

FPT23 · « **Reply #12 on:** June 16, 2016, 14:47:07 pm »

Generally, the 4 mo SR is technically never over. What happens around the 4 mths is that they change their sleep cycles. Basically, it changes from baby sleep to our sleep in a way. So just like we wake from time to time at nights or with noises, they start to now also- problem is they can go back to sleep and need help doing that

it's simply developmental.

I personally feel the best time to address any AP or NWs etc that came about during the 4 mo SR is around the 5 mth mark. But it's never too late to keep good sleep habits and wind downs now.

Julie Kenwell · « **Reply #13 on:** June 16, 2016, 15:52:22 pm »

So unless I do some form of sleep training he will wake every 2-3 hours from now on? Oh yuck!
I thought it might have been just a wee phase that he would snap out of on his own!

FPT23 · « **Reply #14 on:** June 16, 2016, 16:00:56 pm »

They do snap out of it on their own. My LO woke every 3 last night

What's your EAS like now

Julie Kenwell · « **Reply #15 on:** June 16, 2016, 16:33:09 pm »

It hasn't changed from last week really, still has an a time of 2 hrs but he has fought his naps today. I'm frazzled! Just want this to end!!!!!
I think he might be heading slowly towards 3 naps too, some days it's very late for the fourth nap so I cap it and some days I have to extend his third nap so that he's not OT for bedtime.
Yea it was roughly every three hours last night for us too. He took 30 mins to go to sleep at bedtime but he didn't fuss at all, just lay in his crib rolling about.

FPT23 · « **Reply #16 on:** June 16, 2016, 17:19:59 pm »

Well at least he goes down independently! Teach me how haha! I'm on operation no swaddle so we are having quite the mess.. During naps. Not nights yet. That'll be another battle!

Yeah he might just be ready for 3 naps! Mine too actually!

If he's fighting his nap, maybe try to PD a bit earlier if you know he will be awhile? Could help. Maybe he's OT from the bad nights? Just a thought

Julie Kenwell · « **Reply #17 on:** June 16, 2016, 19:16:52 pm »

His fourth nap today he lay in his crib for half an hour talking to himself before going over which meant he had an a time of 2.5 hrs. I had to wake him 10 mins later because I didn't want to mess up bedtime.
It's hard to know what to do for the best isn't it?
I'm wondering if I should gently extend his a times in the day to help with eliminating the fourth nap. I know his a times have been on the long side before but if he can manage 2.5hrs quite happily maybe he could manage a few minutes extra during the day?

FPT23 · « **Reply #18 on:** June 17, 2016, 01:11:33 am »

2.5 is already pretty long for his age... That could be the reason for your short naps and why you can't push out that 4th nap, kwim?

Julie Kenwell · « **Reply #19 on:** June 17, 2016, 14:59:55 pm »

Sorry I probably didn't explain myself very well, his first three naps yesterday had an a time of 2hrs, just the final nap was 2.5 a time, and that was with me putting him down at the 2hr mark. So he lay in his cot talking to himself for that extra 30 mins before going to sleep and then I had to wake him ten mins later so as not to interrupt bedtime. The other three naps yday he yawned at the 1 hr 50 mark so I put him down each time and he fought for about ten mins each time. That's why I wondered whether putting him down a few mins later for the earlier naps might have made a difference. His night last night was slightly better than it has been, we actually had a four hour stretch at the start of the night! And he went down fine at bedtime too despite the lone a time for his last nap and only getting tens mins for the nap as well.
Seems odd getting excited about a four hours stretch at night when he had been doing ten about a month ago!x

FPT23 · « **Reply #20 on:** June 17, 2016, 15:32:02 pm »

Awake time is eyes open eyes closed.

So if he's at 2 hr A time you need to PD by 1.45 in hopes he's out by 2 A time kwim?

I'm glad things are better!

in their own way

Julie Kenwell · « **Reply #21 on:** June 18, 2016, 13:46:41 pm »

I think I do, I've really just been putting him down when he shows his tired signs though.
Last night was slightly better again but still woke up twice.
And he actually seems more tired today, looking for naps a bit earlier.
I hope your lo is settling better.x

FPT23 · « **Reply #22 on:** June 18, 2016, 14:31:03 pm »

Aww well hopefully things improve for both!

Thank you

Julie Kenwell · « **Reply #23 on:** June 26, 2016, 16:07:21 pm »

Hey just wondering how your LO is doing now?
Things have got steadily worse here.
He is waking up multiple times at night, even waking 40 mins after bedtime.
Extremely cranky for most of the day and seems to be looking for hos naps earlier than he had been previously.
I had been blaming it on teething for a few days but I see no sign of any teeth coming through.
I'm thinking ot may be time to start doing some sleep training as this has been going on for weeks and weeks.

FPT23 · « **Reply #24 on:** June 26, 2016, 19:13:44 pm »

Hi there.

Mine recently turned a corner this week

and I'm super happy haha BUT I did get some help from other moms here on the forum.

What do you do for him to get down to sleep normally?
Post his EASY please and age now

Hugs!

Julie Kenwell · « **Reply #25 on:** June 27, 2016, 07:42:13 am »

He will be 19 weeks tomorrow.
I haven't really been keeping track of his easy as it's just been so haywire.
But in general it's similar to what it was at the beginning of this post only that he now wants to take his naps 10-15 mins earlier than that.
Yesterday his naps were all short.
He is very clingy for much of the day. He is dribbling a lot and putting his hands in his mouth but honestly, there is absolutely no sign of a tooth at all.
Last night he was up every two hours and at 3.30 he wouldn't settle with the dummy, I tried to rock him and he dosed over but when I set him down he woke again. I gave him a bottle which he took about 3oz of and then he went over to sleep. But when he woke this morning he only took two oz of his morning bottle.
The two nights before that he woke 40 mins after bedtime and the nightwakings were every two hours or so after that.
I feel like his whole sleep is just falling apart!

Julie Kenwell · « **Reply #26 on:** June 27, 2016, 07:49:48 am »

I should have added that he goes down for all sleep completely independently. He sucks his thumb and recently is out like a light within a minute or two, and that is with the activity time being shortened.
But when he wakes at night he doesn't self soothe, he needs the dummy.
I've tried to just bring it all back to basics and follow his cues but I don't think even he knows what he wants!

FPT23 · « **Reply #27 on:** June 27, 2016, 12:56:29 pm »

So sorry! Many hugs!!

If you can please try your best to track his EASY. Whatever it looks like, for the next few days.

That would be of very helpful! Come back here and post

Hugs xoxo

ireneasheard · « **Reply #28 on:** July 23, 2016, 17:15:18 pm »

16 weeks old here.... definitely 4 month sleep regression!

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Author Topic: 4 month sleep regression? (Read 4437 times)