So how long does this 4 month sleep regression last?

[NaturallyPeachey]

DD has been an okay sleeper but never fantastic but lately it's gone to crap! She at least used to do one 6 hour stretch, nurse then sleep another 4, nurse then sleep two and up for the day but now she's up every 2-3 hours for the past week and a half. Some nights she just wants to be up and hanging out at one in the morning - ugh!!!!! She usually latches on but most times would prefer to have the pacifier in. I'm a zombie. I'm trying to nap but DS and DD don't nap at the same time every day yet. She has started rolling over and maybe she is working on something else but in the meantime I'm looking for the light at the end of the tunnel...........

[AndtheStars]

I don't want to be a downer by my DS is 9.5 months and I'm still looking for the light. Let me know if you catch a glimpse Sorry, I know that's not helpful.

[Novus]

DS just turned 1 and I *still* don't think we're back to how it was when he was 2 or 3 months old...but then again, he started sleeping 10 hours through the night at 7 weeks, so it was a pretty high bar!

We just found a new normal...and then, just as it was starting to become "normal," something else would come along and disrupt it again. So all that to say that maybe it never really ends? Sorry, I know that probably isn't what you wanted to hear...

[Jaesun's Dad]

Our son is almost the exact same age as your daughter and he was fantastic until recently. He's starting to teethe so that's probably part of it and also I think he gets so excited about all the new stuff he learns that he gets pretty riled up. I think a lot of it is the incredible amount of brain connections being made. There's just so much going on that who the heck has time for sleep! I told DP maybe it's like the excitement we have even as adults, like when we get a new video game we tend to play it far too late into the night, or watching a late night TV marathon of a favorite show. The stimulation is keeping us from answering the call to slumber. I've resorted to carrying him and strolling around the block. Unfortunately, these tricks don't work as well for his mother as they seem to for me.

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by dicksonley

I don't want to be a downer by my DS is 9.5 months and I'm still looking for the light. Let me know if you catch a glimpse Sorry, I know that's not helpful.

Only my guy's 8 mos. He used to give me a 5-6 hr stretch every night, and now I'm lucky if I get 90 minutes.

[ErinYay]

I remember being so disheartened reading about babies who at 6, 9, 18 months, etc, were still in the throes of the 4 month sleep regression!

For Vivi, it only lasted 2 weeks, from 3.75 months to 4.25 months. My baby, who had previously slept in lovely 6-8 hour chunks since birth, went to waking up at a full scream at nurse 4-6 times a night. It was awful.

After those two weeks passed, though, she went right back to nursing at 9p, 12a, and 4-7am. And she wakes up chatting or "singing," which is a MUCH nicer way to be woken up!

So don't convince yourself that it'll be this way for ages- a quick bounce-back may be in order!

[rockdoctor]

I heard it lasts until they go to college. I try not to think about it anymore.

[maptome]

When DD turned 10 months last Friday, she started only waking 3-4 times in 10 hours, every 2-4(!) hours.

I went crazy at 4 months. And I was crazy for about 2 whole months before I accepted that the sleep regression wasn't going to be temporary.

IME, it gets a little better, then a little worse, then a little better. Right now, we're in a good phase, but I try not to hope too much.

[jess5377]

Things went to shit at 4 months for us, too. She's 6 months now and I haven't seen any improvement yet.

Sorry.

[Ella-6]

I'm right with you looking for the light at the end of the tunnel

ds is currently going through the 4 month sleep regression too.

Here are some things I've been doing:

• He likes to be fed hourly between 4am and 7am. However lately if I'm certain he's full from a recent feeding, I will shush him back to sleep. This works once. The next time he wakes he gets fed

• Late at night, if he's awake and feeding but a bit too awake I will rug him up and turn the light down low, this usually helps to settle him

• During the day he is put down for a nap 2 hours after he got up from the last one. That way even if he only sleeps for 20 mins, it maintains his good mood. This one really helps save my sanity!

• Lastly, I focus more on his latest achievements, rather than on how tired I am or how little work I'm getting done.
  
  Here's an example, it's nice not having to cajole him into having tummy time anymore (which he used to find frustrating, because he couldn't no matter how hard he tried - suck up the floor mat into his mouth). Now he rolls right over by himself and delightedly lifts his head checking out the new view.

What have you been doing? Do you have any tips to share?