Babies and sleep at 4–6 months
Around four months, babies can differentiate between day and night, which can often mean they start to sleep for longer stretches at night and less during the day. But all babies are different and so too are their sleeping habits.
At four months, babies need a lot of sleep, typically around 15–18 hours per day. Babies’ sleeping patterns can change frequently – sometimes from one week to the next. Maybe you’re also noticing that your baby is becoming a bit more aware and particular about where they sleep and what it takes to fall asleep? One thing we think is important to point out is that your baby is probably moving around more now, and it may be time to lower the base of the crib, if you have one, or to safeguard against falls in some other way.
Daytime sleep at 4 months
Even if the baby is sleeping for slightly longer periods of time at night, it’s still important for little ones to sleep during the day, too. While it might sound logical to try to keep them awake as much as possible in the day so that everyone sleeps better at night, you’ve still got a very little baby on your hands who needs three or four daytime naps. Skipping those daytime naps and staying awake for longer periods can have the opposite effect on nighttime sleep: baby will simply get overtired and struggle to fall asleep for that reason.
Falling asleep without eating
During baby’s first few months, food and sleep are closely linked. Babies often fall asleep while eating and usually wake up because they’re hungry. After a few months, they won’t fall asleep as readily while eating, which you can use if you like to try to find more ways to help them fall asleep than just at the breast or bottle. You can try helping baby fall asleep by speaking in a low voice, or gently rocking them. However, many babies still need to know that a parent is nearby in order to feel secure while falling asleep. If you’re content with the baby falling asleep at the breast or bottle, then there’s no reason to teach them to fall asleep some other way. As with all aspects of parenting, do what feels right and works best for you and your little one.
From about four months, we generally say the baby can attach to a blanket or teddy bear – and you can see if that makes it easier for them to fall asleep. Around five or six months, they will likely be turning over on their own in their sleep, which significantly reduces the risk that a blanket or toy might cover their face.
Bedtime routines at four months
If you haven’t had clear routines during the first few months and you’re hankering for some organisation, now might be the time to try out some routines for bedtime and sleep. The baby is becoming old enough now to understand such things around 4–5 months of age. Try explaining that it’s almost bedtime, and develop your own cosy evening ritual that you repeat each night when it’s time for bed – maybe a bath, a book, or a lullaby – and the baby can hold your hand or a soft toy when it’s time to fall asleep.
You can also help them find their circadian rhythm by going out with the baby in daylight and making it darker when it’s time to sleep. Another tip is to link evening and nighttime with calm, and for play to be a daytime activity. On the other hand, it’s good to keep in mind that babies prefer to follow their own eating and sleeping routines, and are less interested in the fact that parents think it’s the right time for bedtime. If you want to avoid drawn-out bedtimes it’s better to ignore the clock and follow the baby’s signals and signs of tiredness instead.
How long does the baby need to eat at night?
How long babies tend to eat at night varies significantly from one child to the next. But if baby is healthy and gaining weight properly, then they should be able to go an entire night without eating now, at least from a nutritional standpoint. In other words, if the baby is sleeping well at night, then don’t feel as if you have to wake them up to feed them.
However, babies might also wake up without being hungry. Because eating isn’t just nutrition; it’s also very much about closeness and security. Here, you can try a few things out; it might be enough to hold a hand or hear a parent’s voice in order to fall back asleep. And a lot depends on what you want. If you’re perfectly happy to keep breastfeeding at night and find that to be the fastest way for everyone to fall back asleep, then there’s no reason to stop; it’s about trying to find what works best for all of you.
Around six months, it will be common for baby to sleep more fitfully. You can read more about how and why here.
Please note that all information above is based on Swedish recommendations.
