Your baby’s 4-month sleep regression

At 4 months, babies who have been sleeping relatively well at night can start waking up multiple times. Your baby’s long daytime naps may now last only 20 or 30 minutes.

Just when you thought you had their sleep figured out, the 4-month sleep regression hits 🙃

While these changes feel like a step backward, they actually mark an important development: your baby’s sleep rhythms are starting to mature, which means they now have consistent windows for optimal sleep. An early bedtime and a nap schedule may help your baby sleep better.

An early bedtime is best

An early bedtime is one of the most effective ways to get your baby to sleep through the night. When they go to bed overtired, they can get restless, and falling asleep becomes harder.

Putting your baby to bed between 6 and 7 p.m.—about 2 hours after they wake from their last nap—can help them fall asleep more quickly and sleep more soundly.  

A nap schedule for 4-month-olds 

Once your baby can stay awake during the day for 2 to 2.5 hours, they’re mature enough for a new nap schedule. During the newborn phase, babies nap according to their natural cycles of alertness.

Here is an example of a schedule you could try: 

1. Baby wakes up between 6 and 7 a.m.
2. Your baby’s first nap begins 90 minutes to 2 hours after they wake up, in this case between 8 and 9 a.m. If they wake up from their nap before an hour has passed, see if you can get them back to sleep. 
3. The second hour-long nap starts between noon and 1 p.m. 
4. The third nap, between 3:30 and 4 p.m., is meant to be a short ‘catnap’ to get your baby through until bedtime. It isn’t intended to be restorative sleep, so it’s okay if it lasts less than an hour.