4 month jump & poor sleep:this is what you can do

The 4 month jump has a lot of impact on your baby's sleeping behavior. So much so that there is a term for it: the 4-month sleep regression. What is happening to your child And what can you do as a parent to get through this period as best as possible? Read all about the 4-month jump and poor sleep in this article.n.

The first signs of this jump can be noticeable between 14 and 20 weeks. Prepare yourself because this jump is quite intense. Some parents even experience it as the most intense jump of all. But rest assured: like any jump, it is only temporary. Your child learns so many new things that it sometimes seems as if you suddenly have a completely different child. A special phase!

What happens during the 4 month jump?

One of the most important things your baby learns during the 4-month jump is seeing connections. Before this, your baby could already recognize sensations, patterns and (smooth) transitions, but saw these as separate events. During this jump, your baby learns that it all belongs together and thus forms one big event. This is a completely new perspective, so your baby will have to get used to it. This results in more crying, being hangry and suffering from a bad mood.

Learn new skills

At the end of the 4-month jump, usually around 20 weeks, the most difficult phase is over. Now the fun part begins. Your child is used to the new perspective on the world and will discover which new skills come with it. What exactly your baby learns is of course very different for each child. These are skills your baby can demonstrate at the end of the 4 month jump:

• suddenly grabbing objects
• start chatting and say things like mommom', tata' or baba'ba’
• Your child enjoys playing airplane
• Children's songs and dances make them happy
• bursting with laughter (cute!)
• making the first crawling movements
• take fewer naps during the day
• discovering that mom comes when you cry
• roll over

Why does my child sleep poorly??

The list above already indicates: during the 4-month jump, quite a lot changes in the field of sleep. At the beginning of this jump, your baby will be a bit tearful, hangry and moody, so you will also notice this when you put your child to bed. After that, the difficulty lies mainly in the new skills. Your child will of course have to get used to taking fewer naps during the day. Your child has also discovered that mommy comes when you cry, so she takes advantage of that.

What also has a great effect on your child's sleep is learning to roll over. Especially if your baby was used to swaddling. Now that your baby can (almost) roll over, swaddling is absolutely no longer allowed, so you must start phasing out immediately. Your child was used to the tight and secure feeling and may not be able to find peace without that feeling. That's exactly why you started swaddling and now it may feel like you're back to square one.

What can I do?

To start with, it is important that you understand why your child is so crying and hangry. Your child suddenly sees the world from a different perspective and has to process all kinds of new impressions. It takes some time to get used to that. Accept that your child needs that time. Comfort your child when he needs it and try to be as patient as possible during this difficult period.  

When it comes to sleeping, Fedde&kees products may be able to help you. We have two solutions for children who sleep restlessly because swaddling is no longer allowed:

• With the BUNDI sleeping bag you can reduce swaddling step by step, at the pace of your child. Getting used to it slowly is nice in this already difficult period!
• The innovative NUNKI sheet also gives that tight and secure feeling in bed. While the elastic band at the top of the sheet exerts deep pressure on the upper body, your child can move the arms as normal. Unlike swaddling, the sheet is not intended to combat the symptoms of restlessness, but rather tackles the cause. The fine pressure ensures that your child can find peace, relax better and fall asleep more easily.

I wish you the best of luck (and patience) with your baby during the 4-month jump. Again: this is temporary! After this jump, your child suddenly has all kinds of new skills that are great fun to discover together.

Love,

Frederieke

Source: Oh I'm growing!