4 month old sleep regression/growth spurt - how long?

[lots33]

Hi everyone and hope you are having a good holiday.

My DS is 17 weeks old and EBF; I am posting this in sleep and bf forums.

Until about a fortnight ago, he fed three hourly in the day and woke once at night for a feed and then settled back down quickly. Since then, he has fed about 2 hourly in the day and is waking four times in the night, feeding each time and taking a long time to settle again. So, for example, since midnight, he fed at 12.15,2am, 4.45 am (did not settle and i gave in and got him up for the day at 6 but both of us awake since 4.45, 7am, 9am, 11am, 2pm, 4.30, 6.00......

I know that 4 months is classic growth spurt/sleep regression and what i want to know is.....will it get better and is there anything I can do as I am so tired! Is this likely to remain until he is weaned at 6 months (I doubt v much I'll wean early as feel strongly about waiting and he is not ready)....I suppose I am just looking for your thoughts/experiences/tell me it'll get better!

Thanks!

Yes, it will get better but it's hard to say exactly when. The regression is caused by a big developmental spurt at around 19 weeks. The fussy period (and frequent waking)preceding the developmental spurt usually lasts 1-6 weeks (often 5).

There is a great book explaining it called The Wonder Weeks by two scientists who researched all the developmental spurts up to 15 months or so.

They say "Your baby may not settle down well at night now. It may be more difficult to get her to bed in the evenings, or she may lie awake at night. She may want a night feeding again, or she may even demand to be fed several times a night. She may also wake up much earlier in the morning."

Anecdoctal evidence suggests that babies who were good sleepers before go back to being good sleepers. My DS (who wasn't a great sleeper) woke 1-2 times a night before the regression. During it, 3-4 times and then he switched back to 1-2 times without me doing anything different. (I just fed every time he woke).

If you have a poor sleeper they may need you to help them learn to sleep a bit better once the spurt is over. This happened to us after the 26 week spurt and after the 8/9 month regression - DS's frequent waking persisted afterwards although it's gradually improving on its own now. I used a combination of ideas from the No-Cry Sleep Solution and PUPD to help him stop waking after every sleep cycle which worked well.

When babies wake properly in the night, they're often up for 1.5 hours, which is the length of a biological 'activity cycle'. My DS always does this during sleep regressions. I let him roam around the cot/bed, or cuddle him until 1.5 hours have gone and then try to get him to sleep. It saves me a lot of stress. (Obviously I only do this after the initial attempt to get him back off has failed.)

There?s useful information on the sleep regression here, here, here and here.

I'd recommend co-sleeping as a coping mechanism even if it's not something you want to do long term. You don't have to worry about putting him down after feeds, and you're never woken out of deep sleep. :)

Hang in there - it'll pass.

A bit long - sorry!

Thanks Angels that is really helpful and reassuring to know that there is an end in sight. As for co-sleeping, my DS is in a side car cot so very close and I do just feed him each time he wakes....I appreciate your time. :o

Not at all. I'm a dab hand with sleep regression links.

I'd have thrown DS out of a window by now if I didn't know about the regressions, but they really do get better.

I know that this is a really old post but you have just made me feel slightly more sane that I did! my son is going through this, but I hadn't even heard of this sleep regression business. He was sleeping through but has started waking every 2 hours through the night - midnight, 2am 4am 6am... it's killing me. Good to know that it's normal. I find myself doubting everything I do so it's reassuring to know that there are reasons for his behaviour!

Still experiencing '4m sleep regression' at nearly 7m

Sorry