As your baby nears four months old, you might be feeling a bit anxious about the dreaded “4-month sleep regression.” Perhaps it’s already started, and you’re left wondering what’s happening and how to handle it.
Understanding the four stages of sleep
To better grasp what’s going on with your baby’s sleep during this time, it’s helpful to first understand the stages of sleep we all experience.
Many people view sleep as simply an on-or-off state: either you’re asleep, or you’re not. However, sleep is actually a cycle consisting of four distinct stages that we go through multiple times each night.
- Stage 1 is the light, drifting-off phase, where you feel like you’re almost asleep but aren’t fully settled yet. Most people, if woken during this stage, often don’t realise they were sleeping at all.
- Stage 2 is when true sleep begins. People generally recognise they were actually sleeping after waking up from this stage.
- Stage 3 is deep, restorative sleep, often called “slow-wave sleep,” where your body repairs itself, restores energy, and stimulates growth and development.
- Stage 4 is REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. This is when the brain becomes active, processing memories and experiences from the day. It’s also when we do most of our dreaming.
After cycling through these four stages, we either wake up or come close to waking, and the cycle restarts until morning. While this pattern is common for both children and adults, newborns experience sleep in a very different way.
Sleep stages for newborns
Newborns only have two stages of sleep: REM (Stage 4) and deep sleep (Stage 3). At around three to four months, typically between 12-16 weeks, your baby undergoes a transition into the full four-stage sleep cycle.
At this point, their REM sleep, which initially made up 50% of their sleep, drops to around 25% to accommodate the introduction of Stage 1 and Stage 2. Now, your baby is experiencing sleep cycles more similar to those of an adult, though each cycle only lasts about 30-60 minutes, compared to an adult’s 90-minute cycle.
This shift means your baby is spending more time in lighter sleep, which makes it more likely they’ll wake up during the night. This is completely normal, everyone, adults included, naturally wakes up briefly at the edges of their sleep cycles. What sets us apart is our ability to roll over and fall back asleep without even realizing it. Babies, however, don’t yet have these self-soothing skills, so they may become upset if they wake up in a different environment than when they first fell asleep.
Feeling disorientated
Just like adults, babies also rely on certain conditions to fall asleep, maybe a favourite blanket, rocking, or a feed. When they wake up during the night and things are different, they may become confused or startled. If your baby has been used to being rocked, fed, or soothed to sleep, they might not be able to fall back asleep without assistance.
This is especially challenging when your baby’s sleep cycle is short as waking up every 30-60 minutes can feel overwhelming. But here’s the good news: what many call the “4-month sleep regression” isn’t really a regression at all. A regression refers to a return to a previous, less advanced developmental stage, but what your baby is actually going through is more of a progression. They are moving forward into a more mature sleep cycle, and with a little patience, you can help them adjust.
4 tips to help your baby through this transition
- Keep the room dark: Newborns and young babies are very sensitive to light. Light can signal to their brain that it’s time to be alert. To encourage better sleep, make the nursery as dark as possible, especially during naps and bedtime.
- Use white noise: As your baby spends more time in lighter sleep, sounds may startle them more easily. Instead of trying to create total silence, use white noise to mask household sounds and help them stay asleep.
- Establish a simple bedtime routine: A consistent bedtime routine can help signal to your baby that it’s time to sleep. Keep it short – around 20 to 30 minutes. Avoid letting your baby fall asleep while feeding to prevent creating sleep associations that could make it harder for them to link their sleep cycles once they fall asleep.
- Get the timing right: Pay attention to your baby’s awake times. At four months old, babies can generally manage awake windows of up to two hours between naps. Aim for bedtime between 7 and 8pm, as an overtired baby may have more difficulty settling down.
Looking ahead
Although the “4-month progression” can feel tough, rest assured that it’s a one-time transition. Once your baby has made this shift, they’ll follow a more predictable sleep pattern for the rest of their life. You may still face sleep disruptions later on, due to factors like illness, teething, or travel, but these are temporary and manageable.
By teaching your baby the skills they need to fall asleep on their own, you’re helping them build a foundation for healthy sleep habits that will benefit them throughout their life.
If you’re struggling with your baby’s sleep, don’t hesitate to reach out for a free 15-minute call. We’re here to help!
