Did your child’s sleep independently improve around 6 months or did you need to sleep train?

[Notsoinnocentorangejuice]

In what I think are the depths of the “4 month regression with my 4.5 month old, It started around 12 weeks needing to feed 2 -3 hourly but the last few nights she’s been waking hourly and will only nap in car. It’s not like she ever used to be an amazing sleepe or napper but we used to get some 6-7 hour stretches. That is now a distant memory.

Lots of mums I know describe the 4 month regression and a lot swear by sleep training. I just wonder if anyone’s kid got better on their own around 6 months or did you just have to get through the awful weeks/months and then sleep train anyway?

TIA

We didn't sleep train and our daughter got better at sleeping long stretches at about 8 months (but she was 6 weeks early so would have been around 6 months corrected). Some babies just naturally get better at sleeping and don't need sleep training.

No, it didn’t improve at 6 months. 6 months is actually really rough for sleep because of teething and starting solids and the beginning of separation anxiety. But no, we never sleep trained. We co-slept as needed so we all got maximum sleep and they eventually just slept through without us really having to do anything.

It’s very normal for children to still wake in the night until early primary school, even though they do it less frequently and need less settling, so there is still a long road beyond the 4 month sleep regression.

Same as above really. Sleep was actually probably at its worst between 6-8 months. Then he would have a few good nights but most nights were still bad. Then around 14 months once he cracked walking confidently he slept through and has ever since unless he's ill. No sleep training.

I found three months was when sleep got better. I had a fairly strict routine from day one and it was about three months when it really clicked in, though my oldest almost slways went down well. My youngest had reflux and was tricky to get down, but she discovered her thumb at three months and her digestive issues must have caught up. I don't recall any sleep regression ever and I think they were both pretty much sleeping through at six months.

I did sleep training, as well as moved her into her own room.

Whether it was the sleep training, or moving out of our bedroom where our 2 dogs wondered around and my DP snored - it worked.

We did the Ferber method, and within 3 days she was falling asleep independently within 5 mins and our hourly wake ups had stretched to 2 wake ups per night.
She is 2.5 now, and we go back to the Ferber method every time her routine alters/ she struggles to settle - and it works every time.

I know some people are very against sleep training, and I get why. It is massively unpleasant at the time, although you know it's in the best interest for everyone to get good sleep. But it really did do wonders for us.

6 months was worse. Way worse. That's when they simply refused to sleep anywhere other than on my chest while I sat upright. And still woke every 60-90 minutes.

I sleep trained all mine at 6 months when they went in their own rooms. They have been awesome sleepers ever since.

Neither.

Thanks all

At 7 months we loosely followed 'the no cry sleep solution' which worked a treat for us.

Have a look at https://www.basisonline.org.uk
for some evidence based information regarding infant sleep and studies on sleep training

You need to decide what is right for you.

My baby was awake every hour at 3-5 months. Sometimes every 20 min. Identified CMPA, started to get some 2 hour stretches. Between 6 and 12 months was 1-2 hour stretches. Teething, nursery illnesses, digestive system getting used to food. But we were stuck at 2 hours.

Everyone told me to sleep train, said I couldn't go on, my fault for feeding to sleep, dummy, the works. Then worked out baby had an allergy to tree nuts. Stopped those and suddenly baby was sleeping 4 hour stretches, no sleep training involved.

My instinct was baby was upset and uncomfortable about something but couldn't work out what. Had I tried sleep training I'd have left my baby crying because he was in pain. Of course he wanted cuddles the same way I go get a cuddle when I'm in pain.

If you want to sleep train of course you can. But don't feel pressured to do so. Most I know with non sleep trained toddlers have around 4 hour stretches, 1-2 wakes a night. It is NORMAL. Sleep consolidates as they get older, it's a normal part of parenting. Just historically mum was at home with the babies longer and able to deal with it easier rather than in today's society where mums are also working full time.

Yeah you’re totally right. My instinct is my baby is genuinely hungry so I’m going to see how things go with adding formula and solids.

Problem is I will be going back to work at 12 months so it would be nice if they slept through the night so I can function in my job. But hey what will be will be.