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4 month sleep regression and contact naps

1 reply

law85 · 21/06/2021 06:39

Hello! I was hoping to ask for advice/other's experiences. My LB is 20 weeks, and the last couple weeks has hit the 4 month sleep regression hard. He was previously going down in his crib drowsy, then two wakes a night to feed, twenty minutes of cuddles and back in his crib. Bedtime starting 6.30, with a bottle in a dark room, baby massage, book and then down drowsy, sleeping for 7. Since The Regression, he's not going down drowsy, waking every one-to-two hours, wide awake when he wakes, often up for over an hour in the middle of the night (several times!), ready to start his day at 5. It's horrific!

He naps well, hour in the morning, hour at lunch, hour mid-afternoon, then at least 2 hours of awake time before sleeping for the night. However, he is still doing contact naps! He does all his daytime sleeping on me or my partner. I'm wondering whether the only way to get through The Regression is to establish independent napping. I'm pretty attached to the contact naps, it's just so lovely having the cuddles, but realise I might need to give them up to get him to self settle at night. Any tips before I top myself? Can I teach him to self settle while keeping the contact naps? What techniques work best? He's formula fed, & in a TT sleeping bag & next-to-me cot.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
FATEdestiny · 22/06/2021 20:51

If you want to keep contact naps (I assume long term - considering naps continue until around 3rd birthday) then how about embracing attachment parenting - so you are your baby's comfort. This means cuddling baby to sleep on your bed and leaving them there (ie cosleeping). Then cuddling back to sleep. Dummy may help too.

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