4 month old crys every night at 6pm

[robynclen]

My 4 month old has started crying every night at 6pm.
She isnt hungry she doesnt need her nappy changed and she isnt windy.
She has started teething.
Does anyone know how i can stop the crying. Its messing up her bed time routine.

What is her nap routine like? Could she be overtired?

90% of the time this is the 4 month sleep regression, and yours is on track (when they stop being able to sleep when they need, in rooms with lights/talking/blaring TV etc). They struggle to sleep amid all the new exciting things happening/now being noticed.

You need to do 2 things;

1 - observe sleep cues. Obviously rubbing eyes is one. Yawning if they're really obvious. But getting red eyes and eyebrows too. Arching of the back. Hitting involuntary movement when hugged. A different cry - in ours, a higher, louder shrill cry that's v different to "I'm hungry" or "I'm bored".... etc. Learn yours.

2 - create a nap environment that now works for yours. Experiment. Mine works best with blackout blinds and Moses if in home, or during car trips in car.. if desperate, sling when out. Other people have babies that nap in pram with blackout hood over. Etc.. see what works.

Extra tip.. if baby is over tired they are typically harder to settle. Learning sleep cue before it gets v bad will come with time.

P.s. I suspect sleep regression because it's early evening problems.. teething is much more acute & not over a prolonged period, eventually teeth cut through and baby gets relief.

They will go through lots of developmental changes during the first year. Try to focus on the bigger picture to reduce the constant stress.

My first had a period of time waking up at 3am everyday. It lasted for about two weeks. Coincidentally, we found the red patches on his cheeks were eczema. So we starting religiously using Aveeno cream and putting on humidifier in his room (heating dries the air in winter). After two weeks, his sleep returned to normal.

Try to see if the humidity level in his room is too low (I found 45% is already on the dry side for me - difficult to breathe). If so, introduce humidifier at night.