Four Month Sleep Regression

At around four months old, your baby will go through their first sleep regression which is commonly associated with more frequent wakes, disrupted sleep, and less napping.

The word ‘regression’ usually means to go backwards but sleep regressions are actually progressive in that your baby’s brain development matures. During the four-month sleep regression, their sleep cycles change permanently to become more like yours. Think less sleepy newborn, more cycling between light and deep sleep.

If your baby needs your help getting to sleep (as in you feed, rock, or cuddle them), after the four-month sleep regression your baby will more than likely wake up at the end of a sleep cycle and may need your help to get back to sleep again. A sleep cycle is typically around 40 minutes in length, so if you find your baby is catnapping during the day (having short naps) or waking frequently overnight, it means their sleep cycles have matured from the regression but your pēpi hasn’t learnt to fall asleep or resettle back to sleep on their own yet. When your baby is over four months, you can start teaching them to self-settle if you would like to.