Should I start a bedtime routine for my 3-4 month old?

Wondering when to start a bedtime routine for your baby? Having a bedtime routine for your baby helps them to calm down and fall asleep easily at night.

In this video Jilly (mom, nurse and lactation consultant) explains why to set up a baby bedtime routine, and how and when to start. Plus, find out all about 4 month old baby sleep developments, and the dreaded 4 month sleep regression!

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Transcription:

Today’s question comes from Stella. She emailed me and asked:
“My son is 17 weeks old. I’d like to start a bedtime routine for him. We’ve never really had one. What do you recommend? Would his sleep benefit from it?”

Thanks so much for sending in your question!

The really short answer is – absolutely! Any baby, your newborn, your toddler, your preschooler – no matter the age of your child, his or her sleep will definitely benefit from starting a bedtime routine.

Study after study has shown that if you can start a ritual before your baby goes to sleep every evening, these kids are going to sleep better as they grow up. They’re going to sleep longer stretches at night. They’re going to resist falling asleep less at bedtime. They’re not going to be fighting, screaming and having meltdowns as much. Also, hopefully, they will sleep later in the morning too. This is especially true if you can get a bedtime ritual going before 12 months, but you can start it at any time.

Absolutely, Stella, you should definitely be starting a bedtime routine for your little one. And 4 months is the perfect age to begin a bedtime routine. I’ll tell you why. It’s quite complicated, but I’ll try to make it quick and easy.


Why 4 Months is the Perfect Age to Introduce a Bedtime Routine
The short answer to why it’s a fantastic age to start is that at around 4 months old, your little one’s brain goes through a big developmental phase.

When your baby is a newborn, they typically sleep really well and really deeply (for most babies!). It’s really hard to wake your newborn at certain times. For example, if you are trying to wake your baby after 3, 4 or even 5 hours to feed him, you can find that this is an impossible task. Newborn sleep really is characterized by having long phases of deep, deep sleep.

What happens around 4 months old, is that your baby’s brain goes through a big development. Your baby is growing up and hitting his milestones. But one of the unfortunate effects of this is that your baby’s sleep patterns change. And they have to change – he’s becoming more grown-up.

What this means is that your baby’s going to have more sleep patterns like we do. He’s going to cycle through light sleep, deep sleep and REM sleep. Why in the world this matters, is just so that you know it’s going to become a little more difficult for your baby to sleep so deeply.

A lot of parents reach out to me at this age and say, “What happened? My baby was an amazing sleeper, and then she hit 4 months. Now she’s waking up all throughout the night. She needs me to help her fall asleep all the time. She’s waking up earlier in the morning. She’s fighting bedtime. She’s fighting naps.”

Well, that’s actually called the 4 month sleep regression. It’s a completely different topic. On my website, www.babysleepmadesimple.com, I’ve got an article in my blog section for the 4 month sleep regression: What it is, what causes it, and most importantly, what in the world you can do about it. Make sure to check that out, if you’ve got a baby approaching 4 months, or if you’ve got a baby just past 4 months and sleep went out the window! I’ve got really specific tips to help you through that.

That’s a really long way to say, yes, Stella, you should definitely start a bedtime routine for your 3-4 month old. And here’s why: Your baby’s brain is changing. Your baby’s sleep patterns are changing. It’s the best age to really establish a solid, healthy sleep routine and sleep foundation for your little one. You’re doing an amazing job!

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