Your baby's world is expanding at four months, bringing a new wave of developmental changes, which can disrupt sleep. Adjusting to your baby’s changing needs can be tricky. Just as you found what works, suddenly, it feels like you’re starting over! The only thing you can do is adapt.
Strategies for adapting
Here are a few tips to help you revisit your bedtime routine in a way that grows with your baby:
Start by observing your baby's sleep patterns.Take note of their sleep and awake times and any patterns that emerge. This information will help you uncover any tweaks that may be needed to play times and rest times.
Revisit the building blocks of your bedtime routine.It’s true that consistency is key with routines, but if something is no longer working well in your existing bedtime routine, it’s okay to make a change! Maybe you used to love an evening bath for your baby, but now the bath only seems to make your baby more alert. Remove that step and replace it with something else, like storytime.
Make sure baby is getting enough daytime sleep.At four months old, your baby still needs 3-4 naps throughout the day. Not only does this provide them with the rest they need, but it can also aid in a smoother bedtime routine. Sometimes, babies may struggle with bedtime when their daytime sleep is a little off.
Above all, embrace trial and error. Just because your old tricks don’t work doesn’t mean there aren’t others that will. Remain flexible, experimenting with different nap times, routines, and soothing strategies.