Baby 4 month old sleeping

[emlouba]

Hello!

Just came on here for some advice, or tips!

My 4 month old baby has started stirring all through the night, I do get up sometimes when he won't settle to feed him, before 4 months he slept all through the night!

He doesn't really have any routine, I've seen some people talk about sleep training on tiktok. Is this something people recommend? At the moment, he has a nap about 7 for half hour and then I get him in his sleeping bag and get him to sleep in my arms then put him down about 9 and he has been waking about 12/1 then again about 3/4 and 5...

It's so hard when you see other people talk about how they put their baby down at 7 and sleeps through 😅 I think am I doing it wrong!

So any tips on how to get him to sleep through or even just wake up less!

Thank you so much
Emma x

Hey, your baby waking at night is completely normal and nothing to worry about. Babies sleeping through at this stage are in the minority. Most babies go through so many changes at 4 months old and it affects their sleep (often called 4 month sleep regression).
All you can do is support your baby back to sleep -feeding, rocking, shushing. Whatever works!
Some people will recommend sleep training and that’s a personal choice. It wasn’t for me though. You will probably get some responses with training advice if you want it.
I just wanted to respond to say you’re not doing anything wrong x

Definitely doing nothing wrong. Completely normal and their sleep usually fluctuates so much during the first 2 years.
Respond to them when they need you in the night, it'll be for food/comfort.
Sleep training definitely not at 4 months, I wouldn't ever but that's because I don't believe babies need it.
If you need some advice or just to see you're doing nothing wrong then check out the following on Instagram:
Hey sleepy baby
Little nest sleep
Second star to the right
Fox and the moon infant sleep
Lyndsey Hookway

All of those explain more on normal infant sleep.

He's 4 months. Of course he's not going to sleep through. Most don't. Yes you get the occasional unicorn baby but most aren't.

His sleep sounds great for his age.

I honestly think it's your expectations that need to change rather than his sleep. Many children don't sleep through the night until they are toddlers, preschoolers or beyond.

If he was sleeping as he does at 2 that would still be fairly normal (and I'd have personally considered it a very very good night). 4 months, you probably aren't at work, you're getting done decent blocks, it sounds good to me.

Thanks everyone I will just keep doing what I am doing, if he wakes il feed him! ☺️

I didn't know what to expect, it's not my expectations@Babyboomtastic

Sleep is really up and down for the first few years. I've attached a couple of pictures in relation to this. One of mine slept better at 3m than 3y.

Your baby is a pretty decent sleeper. Just keep doing what you're doing.

I do get up sometimes when he won't settle to feed him, before 4 months he slept all through the night!

You are incredibly lucky! Totally normal for baby to wake. Baby will sleep through when they're ready.....which will be different for each baby. It took my eldest until 2y1m to sleep through and my youngest is 8m and hasn't slept through yet either (my youngest is a 3am party animal) 🥴🥱

You don't have to sleep train, they'll all get there eventually....keep doing what you're doing!

@Babyboomtastic ok thank you, I had no idea really x

@Toddler101 I now realise I am very lucky! It's really reassuring to know he will sleep through once ready, you have so many opinions when having a baby, some people tell me 'no don't get up and feed him as he will her used to it' then others say 'just settle him'
It's so hard to know what to actually do! I just get up and feed him as he doesn't settle! But thank you it's good to know it's all normal and he will grow out of it - I did think he's only 4 months! But when he was sleeping through I thought oh wow this is good, and now he's not - so I just didn't really know what I should be doing, I'm just completely winging it 😄 xx

Welcome to the 4 month sleep regression. It's utterly missable for all involved 🤣

The only thing that helped us with DP sleeping on the couch and me and DC safely co sleeping.

This lasted for us about 6 weeks unfortunately. Co sleeping definitely helped.

Now she's 5 months old, she's mostly sleeping through and what a relief.

It will pass. Completely normal.

Mine is 18 weeks and going through this as well OP. She was sleeping through until 15 weeks ish so I was gutted 😂 I know how you feel!

I've read that it's actually to do with their sleeping patterns maturing even though they call it a regression, it makes them wake more frequently and they aren't yet able to self settle. They do learn this in time, my first was a natural at it but I think this one will need a little more help. Google will give you lots more info than I can.

I've got into the habit of giving mine a dream feed at 1030 and then another feed when she wakes anywhere between 2-5am unless she happens to settle quickly. She will then usually go back down until 7/8 depending on when she woke, so I'm feeling pretty lucky that I'm able to grab some sleep between wakes at the moment. I know some advise against reintroducing night feeds but mine seems genuinely hungry.

I will say that in the last week she's been making it to 5am more often than not, so I'm really hoping it might be improving 🤞 I think if we got to say 7/8 months and she wasn't improving or was getting worse I would consider some gentle sleep training. My mum sleep trained me at 6 months and I'm fine! It's not for everyone but there are many methods to look at that don't involve leaving baby to cry and it depends on your personal circumstances/need for sleep if you're going back to work etc. I do think at 4 months it's too early to worry about sleep training, they're still so little.

Fingers crossed it improves for us both quickly!

@emlouba so I just didn't really know what I should be doing, I'm just completely winging it 😄 Do whatever you're comfortable with and whatever works for you, take all advice with a pinch of salt. And really, they're only small for a short length of time in the grand scheme of things so if you're feeding to sleep and enjoying the cuddles, go for it and ignore anyone else who tells you not to.

We're in the throes of the 8m sleep regression, it's a hoot! So look forward to that one, @cinnamonbiscuit @justanothermanicmonday1 😂🥴🥱

We're all winging it, really, OP!