In my paediatric practice, I commonly see the perfectly happy, settled baby who is sleeping beautifully overnight – but then reaches 4 months of age and the wheels seem to fall off. Some speak of the 4-month sleep regression, like it’s some cruel rite of passage that all parents must simply endure. The truth is - there is no such thing as a 4-month sleep regression.
Sometimes moving the cot to the other side of the bed where the non-breastfeeding parent is sleeping, or at the end of the bed - can be helpful, as your baby is less likely to smell the breastmilk, or be woken by your movements.
Many babies and toddlers want to start their day incredibly early and wake at the crack of dawn… or earlier! This can make for an exhausting day and leads to babies becoming overtired, which fuels the cycle of early morning wake-ups even further. Personally, I think any time with a 6 in front of it is acceptable, but those wake-up times that begin with a 5 or even 4 are just too early!
Cat napping can be a problem facing many families with younger or older babies and is the biggest contributor to: 1. Over-tiredness & 2. Poor overnight sleep.
Perhaps the most alarming statistic is that the rates of perinatal mental health problems almost double, in the setting of an unsettled baby and parental sleep deprivation.
The Wonder Weeks was written by a psychologist and ethologist Frans Plooij, it describes 10 predictable developmental ‘leaps’ that coincide with unsettled behaviour and sleep regression.This provides solace to parents who are trying to understand why their child is unsettled and gives license to ‘ride it out’ until the leap is finished.
Sounds lovely. Unfortunately, it’s completely false!
Reflux has become the go-to, rapid explainer of unsettled behaviour, becoming synonymous with colic. This is dangerous for two simple reasons: 1. First, the medication prescribed for reflux is not without its side-effects, and 2. Second, the true cause of that baby’s unsettled behaviour is being missed.
The secret to getting your baby sleeping through the night is BURPING! Adequate winding (burping) is one of the most under-appreciated aspects to raising a newborn, which is why 3 entire chapters are devoted to it in the Dr Golly Sleep Program.
