Sleep Training Your 404-Month-Old

Put her to bed drowsy but awake and turn off her phone

Ah, the dreaded 404-month sleep regression. When your 404-month-old starts having night wakings and trouble self-soothing, there may be a few root causes to tackle first. Make sure you address some common safe sleep issues and with a few adjustments, she’ll be sleeping through the night like a lil champ.

Adjusting the Bottle!

One possible culprit for the regression is that your 404-month old is getting too much wine before bed. See if you can start giving her a bit less from her bottle every night to keep her upright longer. Most 404-month-olds don’t actually need more than three or four ounces. Even though it makes her sleepy at first, she’s not actually getting healthy sleep and the dehydration is going to cause night wakings and fussiness in the morning. No fun!

Cognitive Leaps!

Part of the 404-month regression is because your little night owl is learning so much at this age! That constant stream of information can be super overstimulating for her slowly decaying brain. Even though she’s using it as a sleep crutch now, taking away her phone is a great way to promote independent sleep and set her up for successful nights in the future. She might cry at first (sometimes a lot!) but eventually she will learn she doesn’t need her phone-phone to get the rest she needs. She might think she needs to read the Wikipedia entry for a boarding school scandal from the late 80s in its entirety before falling asleep, but we promise you she doesn’t!

A Sleep Suit!

Your 404-month-old is moving a lot in her sleep! Her lower and upper back pain means she’ll be constantly adjusting to get comfortable on her mattress, and when that happens, she’ll be cycling out of deep REM. Invest in a weighted blanket to help keep her steady and prone. Even though she’ll look like she’s struggling for air, she’s actually very safe and comfortable. Plus that extra weighted pressure will feel just like a hug from mom! Cozy!

Drowsy But Awake!

Most importantly, don’t let your 404-month-old fall completely asleep watching Slow Horses on the couch before bed. Having Gary Oldman lull and hush her for forty minutes might do the trick in the short term, but she’ll have trouble self-soothing once she makes the transition to her own bed. Try reading to her in bed, with a night light from a bedtime book about a complex female friendship in post-war Italy.

And remember, tears are part of it, but ultimately it will all be worth it when your 404-month-old is sleeping six to six-and-a-half straight hours again! And if not, there’s always Benadryl.