Four Month Sleep Regression...what the heck?!?

     So, there's a lot of things you don't find out about kids until you are actually a parent.  Sometimes I wonder if there's a secret pact to not scare off the next generation from procreating.  Veteran parents tell you, "Childbirth is an amazing experience."  Don't get me wrong, I think Baby D's birth was the most spiritual experience Kole and I have ever been blessed to be a part of, but no one mentions the possibility of a fourth degree tear.  (If you don't know what a fourth degree tear is, do not...I repeat DO NOT...search Google images...most pictures are worth a thousand words, but some will just leave you speechless.)  Experienced parents tell you how great breastfeeding is for you and the baby.  And honestly, I am so thankful that I am able to nurse our son, but it would have been nice to have a heads up about the fact that it's very, very uncomfortable for a few weeks.  (I promise you will get through it!  If breastfeeding continues to be painful, be sure to see your doctor or a lactation consultant.  There are some simple tricks and helpful hints that can really bring some relief!)
     Now that Baby D is  getting a bit bigger, we have run into another issue.  I noticed that last week he had four terrible nights of sleep in a row--something very odd for him.  We had been celebrating his 6, 7, and 8 hour sleep stretches just days before and then suddenly we were up every one and a half to two hours for days in a row.  I kept telling myself it was just another growth spurt and trying to be thankful that he wakes up...the alternative brings tears to my eyes.  Anyways, I mentioned something to one of my best friends, who is an experienced mommy.  She quickly asked how old Baby D was.  After hearing my response, four and a half months, she said, "Oh, it's probably Four Month Sleep Regression."  Well, that was a phrase I'd never heard before.  It might not be that there's some big conspiracy to keep these unpleasant things hidden from soon to be parents; it could be that new parents don't even know what questions to ask until they have some experiences for themselves.  As soon as my phone conversation with this beloved friend ended, I began scouring the internet for articles and blog posts about Four Month Sleep Regression.  What I found amazed me!

Baby D right before Four Month Sleep Regression

     Four Month Sleep Regression is a clinically proven phenomenon that many children experience.  I guess the sleep patterns of babies at this age are changing to be more adult-like (which really doesn't make that much sense to me because most adults I know can sleep for more than two hours at a time, but trust the scientists on this one.)  From what I read, this means babies come out of the deep sleep stage of sleeping.  If they wake up during this time, they want to start their sleep routine all over.  As a working mom, my son's sleep routine was put on jammies, nurse, and be held for least thirty minutes before I laid him down...if not longer as I gazed as his beautiful face.  (We loving referred to it as "Sack, sack, suck, suck, sleep, sleep." Sack, sack because of his fleece bag/straight jacket that he wears to bed, and the rest is pretty self-explanatory.)  Well, it's rather difficult to complete this entire routine over and over again throughout the night and be able to function at all the next day.
     As I read I found that sleep routines are critical at this age.  There's some varying opinion on exactly what it should look like, but Kole and I came up with a hybrid of some of the most common sleep routines.  Here's what we did:

- Intense play for at least thirty minutes...rolling, tickling, practicing siting up and jumping, etc.
- Breastfeed  (both sides and some good burps afterwards)

Arbonne's Baby Care Lotion

- Undress for bath
- Warm bath
- Full body massage with lotion (we like Arbonne's Baby Care Lotion)
- Nighttime diaper and jammies
- Read two books in his room with dimmed lights
- Pacifier and blanket
- Pray
- Turn off lights
- Sing "Hush Little Baby" while gently swaying next to crib
- Kiss on the forehead and say, "Time to sleep.  Mommy/Daddy loves you."
- Walk out of the room

     Last night he fell alseep without being rocked and slept for a five hour stretch and then a four hour one!  We'll try again tonight!  Hoping that we can help our little man to be a good sleeper.  Sleep is so important for everyone...especially this growing little boy!  (But who am I kiddin' his momma benefits, too!)
     So, if you hadn't heard of Four Month Sleep Regression, you are not alone.  But the phrase does not need to inspire terror in you either.  Do some research, try some new sleep routines, and help everyone in your home get some more ZZZs.