To think I won't survive the 4 month 'leap'/regression

[ProbablyTheEnd]

Someone tell me I'm not alone.

My lovely, chilled, happy, smiley baby has turned into the devil. He will not be put down, he will bit play on his mat, his sleep which was really good is now appalling, he throws tantrums for absolutely no reason and is inconsolable for ages.

I've read online this stage can last 35 days! I will be 100% grey and rocking in a corner by then.

Not play*

sorry for being the bearer of bad news but with one of my dc the sleep went to pot at 4 months old and dc only started to sleep through at 3yo.
but we got through it and now as teen dc likes their sleep!

One of mine was the same as yours @purplesequins and having slept beautifully as a newborn then didn’t sleep through until 3 years 9 months. She is now 4 and much better. 🙈

You'll make it through. I promise. :)

Embrace the sling/carrier and let him be near you.

If he's angry/inconsolable... there'll be a reason. He's 4 months old and can't throw tantrums, let alone for no reason. Ask your HV or GP for advice. He might have silent reflux or teething or anything.

He might be overtired, and then it's a vicious cycle.

Try carrying him to get him to sleep as much as possible. Being upright will help if reflux etc is part of the problem.

*and /or overstimulated.

I think it's entirely pot luck tbh! Ds didn't seem to have much of a 4 month regression but by that age he was already used to being put down to sleep (did not like being rocked to sleep/soothed in any way) so when he started waking up in the night again he was already pretty good at going back off on his own. I'm sure we were just really lucky though, not saying that that's the best way to handle it or anything!

You will survive but you have my sympathies. My 2nd DS was a dream until he hit 4 months. He didn't sleep 'well' after that until he was a year. It nearly tipped me over the edge, but I did survive. Good luck

Hes not throwing a tantrum..hes 16 weeks old. And I'm afraid to say the sleeping issues could and probably will last longer than 35 days. Its shit, but you get through it, theres no other option:)

Obviously I know he's not actually throwing a tantrum, I just mean that's what it seems like! Just very grumpy and whingey all day.

I'm not as worried about the sleep as I am him being so whingey during the day, I appreciate he might not sleep well again straight away but my God the whinging and fussing during the day is hard

You'll get through it, breathe a sigh of relief then hit the next leap.

My dd is generally a very good sleeper but we're in leap 9 atm so we're currently screaming to go to sleep for ages and thenwaking at 5, and having screaming tantrums over nothing. Apparently this should end in 4 days. I can't say I'm not looking forward to it.

Everyone is different. DS lasted about 2w before going back to normal. DD was nearly 2 years.

That sounds like he's about to cut a tooth.
Not sleep regression.

Sympathy, OP. My baby went from sleeping 9pm til 7am to waking every 2 hours through the night. He’s now almost 6 months and no end in sight.

To be fair though, his daytime temper is good - that settled after a few weeks. It’s just the sleep that continues to be shit!

If a baby is inconsolable for ages when they used to be placid and happy - something is wrong.
And it's not the 4 month sleep regression.

Has he been pulling at his ears? Or have red ears? (Ear infection)
Check for temperature or look in his throat.
My youngest had 4 bouts of tonsillitis before he was even 10 months old, he was to tiny.
And as mentioned before, teeth cutting.

When my first was 4 months old a mum with an older child told me 'it doesn't get easier, you just get better at coping'. It's been true for me. The phases pass, sometimes it's sleep, sometimes it's behaviour, sometimes it's illness - there's always something! You earn your parenting stripes as you go through stage and come out the other side

Babies don’t develop to a schedule. Stuff you’ve read online, in books, on apps etc about leaps and regressions is largely bullshit designed to frighten new parents into buying their product/app/book/wisdom/magic potion.

Babies aren’t following a set plan of when their brains take the next stage of development. It’s not due at any time and it’s not scheduled to last a certain amount of time.

Roll with it, don’t label it, and just deal with each moment. There are rough bits, there are lovely bits, just get through each day.

I've taken him to the GP twice to make sure nothing else is going on and they aren't concerned.

I do, as PPs have said suspect there may be the start of teething going on too but no teeth have cut yet. He's chewing away on his hands though and drooling. I can't see or feel anything yet though.

That's good. But just because they aren't concerned, doesn't mean he isn't telling you something is wrong.

Something is bothering him and crying is quite literally the only way he can tell you.

I'm just saying that this "4 month sleep regression" is a big fat red herring and doesn't have those sumptoms.

My DS never slept well at all- he woke up 4-6 times a night for 7 months until we sleep trained, because I was cracking up.

He didn’t just wake to feed either, but needed rocking to sleep, being put down multiple times and ended up screaming for 1.5 hours from 10pm-midnight because he was so tired but didn’t know how to get to sleep. It was hell.

Hang on in there OP; it’s awful, but it does end. Don’t rule out sleep training if needs be; you can do it from 6 months.

I could have written this OP!
DD is 16wks old today and the last 1.5-2wks have been hell. Constant whinging and crying, can't be put down, went from sleeping 7-8hrs to waking every 2hrs. So fussy too.
I'm just hoping it passes before I breakdown. I have a toddler at home too who is acting up due to lack of attention bless him.