Need Sleeping Advice for My 4 Month Year Old

Hi A.,

I see this challenge quite a bit. I am a wellness consultant and have recommended magnetic pads to sleep on to help put the body through the proper sleep cycles.

It makes a difference. My granddaughter started sleeping on one when she was 2 days old. She is 7 and loves her sleep pad.

If you would like more information let me know and I will share.

Have a great day.

N. Marie

I hate to say it, but babies change. My daughter was sleeping 10 hours a night for the whole month of October (she was about 3 months old) and then one day...once I got use to the rest, she went back to waking every 2 hours. She actually was starting to get a tooth, which is very possible for a 4 month old (have you felt your sons gums?). Then it was up and down until she was 11 months old and I moved her bedtime from 8 to 7. Then she started sleeping 10-12 hours a night. Then she started waking a couple nights a week and we moved her bed time up to 6:30 and she's been sleeping pretty well since. Once they get over tired they can't fall asleep and often have restless sleep. Try a 6 bed time and put him down for his first nap 2 hours after he gets up in the morning. Keep an eye on the sleep signs, my daughter always tugged on her ear.
Also, give it a minutes before you go into get him. I'm not saying to let him cry it out (I know for a fact I couldn't do it at 4 months) but wait just a minutes and he may put himself back to sleep. My daughter had, what I called a low energy cry. I knew she could put herself back to sleep when she did that.
Best of luck,
C.

Once a child is overtired, sleeping can become very difficult. Try putting your baby down by 6:30 in the evening if you haven't already done so. Earlier, keep an eye out for the very first signs of sleepiness, such as rubbing eyes, yawning, or just having a distant look in his eyes. The sooner you get him down after seeing one of these signs, the more likely he will be to sleep easily because his adrenaline won't have kicked in. I highly recommend the book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby." Some of the author's advice is pretty hardcore CIO, but he also gives excellent advice for parents not willing to be that hardcore. Also, the author is a doc who runs the sleep center at the University of Chicago Medical Center. As such, he is able to include many facts and statistics about bedtimes, naps, how much babies typically need to sleep, etc. He provides many examples, and you will undoubtedly find several that mirror what you are experiencing.

This is normal for 4 month olds search 4 month sleep regression online and you will find stuff about it. I just asked my Dr about number of hours sleep and as he put it, unless you are banging trash can lids together your baby will not starve itself of the sleep it needs. They may get over tired and harder to put down but your baby won't starve itself of sleep to the point where it is detrimental to its health. The bigger issue is the effect on you. I know this doesn't help you on how to get your baby to sleep more but i just wanted to throw it out there that if you are ok with the current situation you may be worrying about nothing. In a month it will change again!

Good luck,
C.

Dr M Weissbluth's book, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, will help to figure this stuff out. At 2 mos, I asked my husband, what's the big deal about sleeping through the night? By 5 mos, I was desperate.

They start needing your help to sleep. Before this age, they will sleep when tired. Watch for signs that your baby is tired: rubbing face, ears, or eyes, starting to look a little glassy-eyed, or maybe yawning, maybe a little fussy. As soon as you seen the signs, lay the baby down to sleep (nurse, rock, or rub the back). If you are good at spotting the signs, you won't ever need CIO.

At this age, 3 naps, lasting an hour or so, and night time sleep (with wakings) from 6:30 PM to 6-7 AM is possible to achieve and needed. You probably won't have full night's sleep until 9 or 10 mos. Don't worry that daytime sleep will lead to less night sleep, this is a myth. Ditto for an early bedtime leading to early waking. They naturally wake at dawn no matter how tired.

do you put your baby in a swing? that was my bestfriend when my baby was that age, also your baby is getting bigger you probaly need to feed a bit more right before bed! always a helper. good-luck & angels on your pillows. mother of 3 wonderful boys T.

Myself and a friend of mine noticed that our babies began having difficulty sleeping through the night when they were teething. Homeopathic teething tablets helped a little. Good luck! Mine is doing a little better now finally, but some days he naps little too. He would rather skip his nap (unlike my sister in law's child that would ask to go to sleep and dive for her crib at nap time- wouldn't that be nice:)

Babies sleep readily after birth, and slowly their natural schedule may get thrown off. Keeping a journal of feedings and sleeping times will help keep you on track. It's very easy to "miss" his nap time because time just flies! then you will have a cranky baby on your hands, who will be so fustrated they work themselves up and can't relax or be quieted. At 4 months old he should only be staying up between daytime naps for an hour at a time, and also sleeping through the night. put him down to nap in his bed after he has been up an hour, an hour and a half at most. Be consistent. Also it is easy to break a babies schedule, (by going shopping with him, out visiting, etc) stay home and stick to your schedule. I belive that patting, rocking, and walking babies to get them to go to sleep causes the baby to finally pass out from exaustion,exascerbating sleep problems. When it is nap time, simply lay him down and let him cry for a bit,(which is normal)and he will go to sleep on his own. He NEEDS to learn HOW to do this. Doing this will give you a good sleeper even as they grow up (trust me, I have three kids.) My first child who I cajoled and swung and patted STILL fights going to sleep. She is 12! My other two, who were put down to sleep on their own, fall sleep readily.

He is probably learning something new or growing. My pediatrician warned me that anytime my children were "mastering" something, their sleep pattern would change....I have even caught BOTH of them sitting up in their sleep while learning to sleep. My 2 1/2 year old crawl slept into the wall of his crib.........

The other thing is their sleep patters will change 100 times before they get into a regular pattern, so there are some horribly sleepless nights, and some wonderful 8-9 hour sleep nights. I hear it gets better.......I'm still waiting to find out ha ha.

If you get really worried, I would call the dr., but it seems to me just regular baby stuff.

good luck
K.

I think all babies are different, and they all go thru so many changes and stages. Teething and growth spurts seem to factor in. My son is 6 mos, and his sleep pattern has certainly evolved over time. I go w/the flow. Lately he takes 2 short naps during the day. He is very eager to play and explore, rather than sleep!

I would say change up the times and method of how you put him down. Srart with a warm bath to relax him thrn lay him down and massage him a bit to relax him. You can also put some soft music on at a low volume then make it as dark as you can and leave the room. In the day just skip the bath part.

Ha!!! A new mom who's worried about the BABY not getting enough sleep. Don't worry about him, he'll be fine. If you're like any other new mom you're the one that's not getting enough sleep.

Also changes in their habits happen a lot in the early months. This won't be the last. I've heard good things about the book mentioned below.

Could be a growth spurt, especially if this no sleep is coupled with wanting to feed more. Many moms may disagree, but a little rice cereal in the last bottle of the night may solve the waking up during the night issue. Also overstimulation or getting overtired makes it harder for them to go to sleep and stay asleep. Just a thought.