How do other mums cope with /change bad habits/create good sleep routines etc to help with baby's 4 month sleep regression?
My lovely, sleeping, self-settling bub has gone awol and now it's 30 minute catnaps during the day (x3 or 4) and only 1-2 hour 'sleeps' at a time through the night.
Into our 5th week of this (17 weeks old) and its so unsustainable. I'm starting to get really ground down and struggling to keep it together some days (my poor partner) or think straight, not to mention having a tired, grumpy baby and other children feeling the impacts of our rough nights.
I know I'm not the first or only mum to go through it but my arms are aching and my boobs are flat, so any recommended programs or tried and tested tips would be so appreciated 💗
** Bub is breastfed. Will now only settle back to sleep through the night after a 'feed' whereas previously, a dummy and white noise has mostly been enough. I'm also trying a sleep pouch (not swaddling) which marginally helps and have even contemplated stopping breast feeding & trying formula but bub is not actually hungry most times, it's just a comfort thing.
I had started giving a small amount of rice cereal but that only seemed to upset bubs digestive system and caused more interrupted sleep, so have cut that out for now.
5 Replies
This is still very early lessons that every time you think you have parenting sussed your kids will muck it up. My husband ended up walking bubs around for an hour or so in the middle of the night so I could have a power nap for safe handling of the child. Beyond a bit of support, you just ride it out.
If you work out the secret let me know! Around this stage is when I start pumping bubs a feed and on a Friday and Saturday night I go to bed when the other kids do and hubby stays up late anyway so he takes baby and does any feeds/settling. During the week my husband will also get up at 5 and take over so I can get in an hour or two before he goes to work.
I’m also lucky enough to have a lot of family support and people are always happy to come and sit with the baby while I sleep or I’ll stay a couple days with my parents and they have the kids during the day so I can sleep.
Honestly I think it’s just a matter of riding it out, working in partnership and just doing what you have to do to get through it.
Oh you poor thing, its so bloody hard.
I'm not sure if I will be any help because I formula fed. But things that helped us were establishing some sort of bed time routine, and a feeding schedule at night. Then we would gradually stretch out those night time feeds. Also I found day naps were all about timing. So timing it so they aren't too tired or too awake. I also found a projector thing worked well as it would often distract bubs enough until he fell asleep.
Are you pumping at all? If you have a partner, perhaps they could give some expressed milk via bottles to give you a break from time to time.
There are so many people who have opinions about sleep training or bottles or whatever. But mums need rest too so just do what you need to do ❤
The book Save Our Sleep helped me so much.
Both my kids were on 7pm to 7am sleeps from about 8 weeks (after sorting out reflux issues)
Both my children on solids from 4 months old as per book recommendation.
Never had issues.
A number of friends that also used the routines in this book also had the same success.
I wish you luck in getting some solid sleep.
I have a 9yr old and I was just thinking how nice it is to be at a point where you can say night night lights out and walk away. 😂
I went back to work FT at 8months and was still up breastfeeding through the night. He didn’t sleep through until about 3yrs of age and even then would still sometimes get up.
We used to have to sit with him and play him music to fall asleep until about 5yrs which would sometimes take aaaaggggeeessss! And there was also lots of co sleeping over the years with a parent until just recently to get him to fall asleep.
I guess what I’m saying is do whatever you need to and know that you’ve got years of unsettled sleeping ahead of you.
But you’ll get through and when you look back you’ll mostly remember the lovely snuggles.