Is it the 4 month regression?
FTM here to a 13 week old colicky, adorable baby girl. She is growing out of the colic, and her only remaining fits of rage are directed at nap time/bedtime transition (I.e. as soon as I start rocking her lol). We have diligently been practicing drowsy but awake since she was 9 weeks old, and she’s a CHAMP at it. We help her work through that resistance before putting her down in her crib once she’s fully chilled out to finish falling asleep on her own.
Well, the literal day she turned 12 weeks old, she went to bed at 6:45 pm. The earliest she had gone to bed before then was probably 9:30 pm. Her sleep has been so different the past week. She was reliably only waking once a night, but she began waking twice a night for basically full feeds. The biggest shift I noticed was increased bedtime resistance. It used to take us 20-30 minutes to get her asleep, but now it takes 45-60 minutes. I truly don’t think it’s a wake window issue. Homegirl is TIRED but fighting. (But not overtired. Well, especially when she *starts* fighting.)
We are currently aiming for bedtime between 7-8 pm. Sometimes she falls asleep in this window; sometimes she doesn’t. WWs are 1:10/1:25/1:25/1:40/1:50. We have a 30-min wind down routine that includes diaper change, story, sing a calm song, into Merlin sleep suit, sound machine on, lights off (VERY gradually or she will pterodactyl scream!!!). We then bounce her until she’s through with her crying, set her down in her crib drowsy but awake, and let her chew on her hands till she’s out.
Average night before 12 weeks:
- Asleep for bed between 8:30-9:45
- One nighttime waking to eat between 2-4 am
- Wake for the day naturally around 7ish
- Four naps, just following sleepy cues, not a good nap time routine
Average day now:
- Asleep for bed 7-8:15
- Two nighttime wakings for full feeds at 12 am-ish and 5 am-ish (Dream feed doesn’t push these back)
- Then she goes back to sleep after that second feed before waking for the day at 8-9 am??
MY QUESTION: Is it the start of the 4 month sleep regression? Here’s why I’m asking because I know the schedules above don’t necessarily seem like it…
- Greater bedtime resistance. I mean, draaaaamaaa. She hasn’t fought bedtime this hard since she was 8/9 weeks.
- Seems to have a harder time falling asleep/more aware
- When we put her back down in her crib after MOTN feedings, she will talk to herself and play for a while before falling back asleep. She falls asleep eventually, but she seems wide awake. Before this shift, she would usually fall asleep while burping.
- Last night she woke 3 times instead of twice. She hasn’t done that since she was like 5 weeks old.
- Afternoon naps have become especially short and erratic. The other day her 3rd nap was 18 mins long LOL
- Early morning wakings? What’s going on with that?
- LOUD sleeper in the early AM
- Clingy / extra fussy
- Something just feels off???
Any and all advice is welcome and appreciated, but please be gentle. I’m doing my best!!!! Signed, a FTM who is being medicated for PPA