When Ailbhe’s parents reached out to me as a Child Sleep Consultant in Ireland, they described experiencing what they believed to be a four-month sleep regression.
Their little girl was taking multiple contact naps throughout the day, but there was no consistent schedule, and these naps tended to be quite short. Ailbhe was going to bed very late at night, often falling asleep in her dad's arms before being transferred to her cot. She was also waking up multiple times during the night and ending up in their bed. As first-time parents, they were feeling utterly exhausted and overwhelmed. Their goal was to gently teach Ailbhe to self-soothe and implement sleep training to help her wake less frequently during the night.
The Situation:
After reviewing the intake form and conducting a consultation call, I identified several challenges Ailbhe’s family was facing. Ailbhe didn’t have a consistent nap schedule, which is extremely common at this age. While they referred to it as the four-month sleep regression, it’s important to note that sleep disruptions are typical during this developmental stage.Up until now, a baby’s circadian rhythm hasn’t fully developed, making it difficult for them to establish a schedule. Sleep cycle structures begin to form after four months, allowing for the creation of a more consistent routine.Ailbhe was falling asleep on her mum or dad for every nap and was often rocked to sleep at bedtime, ultimately ending up in their bed. Additionally, she relied heavily on her soother, which contributed to her sleep challenges.
The Plan:
They signed up for a 2 week support package and over the course of the two weeks, we focused on implementing effective sleep training strategies to help Ailbhe establish a healthy 4 month old sleep routine suitable for her age. Our goals included setting a proper 4 month old sleep schedule, creating an early bedtime and soothing routine, phasing out her soother or dummy usage, teaching her to self-soothe, and establishing healthy sleep habits.
Establish an Age-Appropriate Schedule for a 4-Month-Old
We set a consistent morning wake-up time to regulate Ailbhe’s body clock and support a suitable 4 month old nap schedule. This consistency would prevent overtiredness and improve her nighttime sleep.
Set a Proper Nap Schedule
We created a nap schedule aligned with Ailbhe's natural sleep rhythms, ensuring she took 3 naps a day totalling around 3-4 hours of daytime sleep. This approach would help enhance her nighttime sleep quality and duration.
Example Nap Schedule for a 4-Month-Old: (Always watching out for sleep cues)
Early Bedtime and Routine
We established a bedtime of no later than 6:30/7:00 PM, paired with a consistent bedtime routine. An earlier bedtime would allow Ailbhe to start her night with deep, restorative sleep, helping to reduce night wakings.
Encourage Self-Soothing
The approach was tailored to ensure both parents felt comfortable with the sleep training method while being suitable for Ailbhe’s needs.
The Outcome:
Ailbhe is now on an age appropriate schedule, taking solid lengthy naps in her own cot, settling herself to sleep at bedtime and getting a good 11-12 hours sleep overnight.
"Before we reached out to Liadhàn we were living an exhausting life. We were having 30 minute contact naps 5-6 times a day and our little girl was constantly exhausted. She would only fall asleep for bedtime in our arms and would wake up multiple times during the night and eventually end up in our bed.
I was convinced sleep training would never work for us but Liadhán assured us it would. It only took 2 days to get onto an appropriate sleep schedule with Ailbhe taking long day time naps in her cot. At night she was able to settle herself to sleep at an earlier bedtime and sleep through the night.
It has completely changed our lives and Ailbhe is a much happier well rested baby"
This case study highlights the importance of an age-appropriate baby sleep schedule and the power of consistent bedtime routines in helping babies develop healthy sleep habits. It also emphasizes the benefits of teaching self-soothing techniques, which are crucial for infant and baby sleep
By implementing these strategies, parents can better support their child's sleep needs and enhance overall family well-being
If you can relate to this story and are struggling with your little one’s sleep, why not book a free 15-minute sleep assessment call with me to see how I can help?
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