What is the 4 month sleep regression?
Contrary to the word regression, the 4 month sleep regression is actually a progression. A time where babies go from having 2 stages of sleep (deep sleep and REM) and mature into having more adult like sleep cycles (4 stage sleep cycles). which is what they will have for the rest of their life.
What milestones are your baby meeting at 4 months?
Socially and emotionally, your baby is smiling at others copying facial expressions (smiling and frowning) and some movements. Language and communication, your baby is learning to babble with expression and copies sounds they hear. They are now expressing themselves by crying for different reasons like hunger, tired or pain. Cognitively, your baby can let you know if they are happy or sad, respond to affection, reach for toy with one hand and follow moving things with eyes moving side to side. Physically, your baby can hold their head steady unsupported, can hold a toy and shake it, brings hands to mouth and pushes down on legs when feet are on a hard surface. Babies are also starting to learn to roll over at this time.
Wow! What a period of growth.
What does the 4 month sleep regression look like?
Oh, you’ll know.
- Short naps
- Frequent night wakings
- Early mornings
- Fighting or refusing naps
How to deal with the 4 month sleep regression
- Watch for sleepy cues- Some kids rub their eyes, others yawn and some stare blankly. Figuring out your baby’s cues can help tip you off to know they are ready to sleep.
- Stay active during the day- Now that your baby is learning new skills, they are going to want to practice them all day… and all night. Help them practice their skills during the day so they get it out of their system and are ready to rest when they sleep.
- Drown out the noise– Now that infants are spending more time in lighter sleep, noises can wake them up more easily. A good white noise machine is worth the investment to prevent those wakeups.
- Darkness- DARK, DARK, DARK. Some people think babies are afraid of the dark, but actually the light causes too much stimulation. When babies see light, they associate it with playtime and activities. Darken the room any way you can. It’s time to cover up the little cracks of light that shine in. Use room darkening shades, blankets or even dark garbage bags if that’s all you’ve got to cover up the light! Have it dark for both naps as well as nighttime sleep.
- Routine- Doing the same thing before falling asleep. Keep your routine around 4-5 steps. At nighttime, aim for a bedtime routine around 20-30 minutes and a naptime routine around 5 minutes. When you include a feed in your routine, try and keep it towards the beginning of your routine.
- In bed awake- Once babies learn to fall asleep on their own, they won’t feel like a fish out of water when they wake up in the middle of the night. They’ll remember the familiar environment they’re still in and have an easier time to fall back asleep.
Don’t Forget
Four month old babies should only be awake for about 2 hours. With that being said, try and aim for a bedtime between 7:00-8:00pm. Now is a good time to get out of the swaddle and ditch the sleep props altogether!

Happy to Help
If you’re reading this and living the four month sleep regression, I’m more than happy to help! Feel free to set up a 15 minute discovery call so we can chat about your baby. Many people say with this sleep regression, “I can’t believe I waited so long to get some help.” You know you all deserve rest and I am here to help accomplish that whenever you are ready.