4 month wakeful... What to expect?

Melicakes · April 2012

CC is 4 months old today (yay!)

I've heard about the 4 months sleep regression and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about it. CC is kind of a crappy napper ( never more than an hour) but she sleeps pretty great through the night. If I have to go back to the level of exhaustion I experienced when I first brought her home I just may collapse....

Does the 4MW happen to every baby? What kind of sleep disruptions occur?

What's the best way to handle them? How long do they last?

krissyh21 · April 2012

Dillon didn't have it too bad there was maybe a 3-4 day period where he woke up at about midnight and would not go back to sleep for 3 hours or so. I just kept lights off and rocked him with little stimulation until he figured there was no party happening for him at that hour and he stopped with the waking.

beebe929 · April 2012

No it doesn't always happen, it may happen at 6 months... no true ryhme or reason.

They go through a growth spurt so make sure they get some good feedings before bed. If you don't have an established bed time routine get one and stick to it!

Good luck!

LadyGolfer523 · April 2012

both girls were up every 2 hours last night... it was terrible. E has STTN since 2 months so this was like having newborns again. A slept so lightly that even flushing the toliet would wake her. I hope it passes quickly!!

NicoleeBonsai · April 2012

my girls regressed. the best thing we did was take away pacis at bedtime.

they were waking up not because they were hungry, but because the paci fell out and they were upset and wanted it back (sleep association with it).

i was a zombie from month 4-5, until we read about the paci. now my girls STTN 7 p.m.-6:30 a.m.

Melicakes · April 2012

NicoleeBonsai:

my girls regressed. the best thing we did was take away pacis at bedtime.

they were waking up not because they were hungry, but because the paci fell out and they were upset and wanted it back (sleep association with it).

i was a zombie from month 4-5, until we read about the paci. now my girls STTN 7 p.m.-6:30 a.m.

Lucklily CC doesn't need a paci to fall asleep. So maybe that will help?

I usually put her down asleep after her last bottle. And she'll sleep from about 10 to 6:30 or so.

Putting her down drowsy hasn't really worked for us yet.

steveandkim2 · April 2012

We just got out of it about 2 weeks ago. It really did line up with when C mastered rolling over. Once he became a rolling pin, he went back to sleeping better.

Basically, he was a NB again. He was up every 90 minutes or so and could only be calmed down with eating (I know - bad habit, but we needed to get him down and nothing else seemed to cut it). He'd fall asleep in my arms and as soon as I put him in the crib he'd be wide awake and screaming. It took maybe 4 or 5 tries of rocking/putting down to get him in the crib, and then 30 minutes would pass and he'd start screaming again and the whole cycle started over. I don't think I slept from mid Feb to mid March.

It was like night and day though once it passed and now we're back to better sleep habits. He still wakes up every 5 hours to eat, but goes right back to sleep and we're only up for about 15 or 20 minutes. He goes to bed b/w 7 and 7:30; wakes around midnight; and then sleeps until 5 (which is actually when DH and I get up to start our days).

GL! If it hits your house, I hope it passes quickly for you

schmoodle · April 2012

I think the four month wakeful is a Bump myth. Yes, some babies have sleep disruptions at four months. But I think just as many have sleep disruptions at 3 months, or five months, or 8 months, or 9 months, or whatever. Every baby is different and so is every sleep disruption. Neither of mine had noticeable sleep issues at 4 months but they've both had other points with issues (and each was very different so if I'd tried to prepare for baby # 2 based on what baby #1 did it would have been futile). I'm not saying this to be nasty, more to say that you can't really predict when or how your baby may go through a rough sleep patch, the best you can do is just watch them and adapt as needed. Best of luck!

ladychicago · April 2012

schmoodle:
I think the four month wakeful is a Bump myth. Yes, some babies have sleep disruptions at four months. But I think just as many have sleep disruptions at 3 months, or five months, or 8 months, or 9 months, or whatever. Every baby is different and so is every sleep disruption. Neither of mine had noticeable sleep issues at 4 months but they've both had other points with issues (and each was very different so if I'd tried to prepare for baby # 2 based on what baby #1 did it would have been futile). I'm not saying this to be nasty, more to say that you can't really predict when or how your baby may go through a rough sleep patch, the best you can do is just watch them and adapt as needed. Best of luck!

I pretty much agree. Every kid is different, so who knows what will happen! or when!

Anna had a wakeful, but it started around 3.5 months. She went from 2 overnight feedings (bedtime was 7/7:30), to up every 45-90 minutes. After her four month pedi visit, we sleep trained at pedi's suggestion, and four days later, she was down to just one overnight feeding.

H is 3.5 months now and already down to just one overnight feeding (bedtime also 7/7:30). A few nights here or there he will wake up earlier than usual to eat, but so far no 45-90 minute stretches. I am really hoping we get lucky with him in this department! But I won't be surprised if he goes through it, too at some point.

Melicakes · April 2012

There may be something to the whole myth thing because I also keep reading about feedings through the night... CC truly STTN, she has her last bottle at 10 0and doesn't wake up to eat until 6:30/7am... If she fusses in the middle of the night (once maybe twice) a belly rub is usually enough to calm her down and she will drift back to sleep. In extreme cases where she is really fussy ( yet still asleep with her eyes shut and everything) i will just pull her into bed with me. That happens so rarely I don't worry to much about creating a bad habit.

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