Your Complete Guide to Better Baby Sleep
Month 4
This month, your baby may go through a major sleep regression (most babies do around the four-month mark), and the improvement that you might have seen in your baby’s sleep may be (temporarily) thrown off.
The more you know: Sleep regressions
Sleep regression is a major disturbance in your baby’s sleep. You already know that baby sleep is rarely smooth. There are so many bumps in the road (developmental milestones, a growth spurt, teething, illness, and more) and these factors can lead to a sleep regression. During this time, you’ll want to tend to your baby’s needs at night. Comforting, feeding, and soothing will help your baby get back to sleep and are all okay to do during a sleep regression, so long as you’re not creating new negative sleep associations. You’ll want to avoid reintroducing any feedings that have been dropped already.
Sleep regressions tend to last between several days and just over a week. Your baby’s regular sleep patterns should return once this developmental change takes place. Meanwhile, hang in there! This too, shall pass.
Month 6
Many babies make some serious improvements in their nighttime sleep around six months, so cause for celebration is near. With that said, it’s still normal for babies (especially breastfed babies) to have a night feeding or two, but you may start to see those wakings drop as your baby consumes more daytime calories in the form of solid foods.
The more you know: To nap or not to nap?
Your baby’s regular and predictable nap schedule and nap routine sets them up for a good night of sleep, so sleep experts recommend trying to stick to your regular daytime sleep routine. Need to be on the road? Try to time it around the nap so your baby can get in some zzz's on the go.
Pro tip: The best nap time routine is a slightly shortened version of your bedtime routine.
Month 8
As your baby gets closer to nine months, you may see more signs of separation anxiety, particularly at bedtime. Fussiness, crying, or lunging for you when you put your baby in bed for a nap or at night are normal at this age and signal that your baby has begun to master the concept of object permanence. In other words, they don’t want you to leave them alone. The best course of action for this? Stay the course. Stick with your regular bedtime routine, give extra kisses, and know this is a healthy and normal part of your baby’s development.
A helpful sleep note: Now that your baby is a busy little bee, crawling and exploring during all waking hours, keep an extra close eye out for signs of sleepiness. All that energy burn may necessitate a slightly earlier nap or bedtime (think 10 minutes earlier).
Month 10
You’re doing great! Stay the course with your sleep schedule this month.
Month 12
You’re closing in on one year of baby sleep. Congratulations! This is another point of celebration.
Notice that your baby sometimes fights a nap? It’s not quite time for their nap needs to change yet (that will happen sometime in the coming year, usually around 18 months), so stick with your sleep routine. Teething, illness, and developmental milestones (like standing and walking) can all throw off your baby’s sleep. Try to avoid introducing any new sleep crutches and help your baby get back to sleep with as little intervention as possible.
The more you know: It’s beneficial to maintain parental consistency
You and your partner may not always be on the same page. However, when it comes to improving your child’s sleep, it is important to create your plan together. Your job is to give your baby reliable data so they know what is expected. If one of you chooses a gentle approach and the other something even slightly more aggressive, it may be difficult for your baby to adjust and do what you want them to do... sleep.