Andrea Strang from KinderSleep described it perfectly.  She says,
“This is a very exciting time in a baby’s life. The 4-month milestone marks on of the most pronounce developmental periods. Schedules, feeding and sleep often get off track at this time.
The good news is that your baby is completely on track! This is an exciting time for him…and can be for you too. He is discovering the world around him and learning how he can manipulate objects around him. He’s making connections between his actions and the reactions they produce. When he laughs, you laugh; when he drops something, it’s still there. He’s learning how to control his body, to grasp things in reach and move them at will, to cough, sneeze and squeal on demand. His world is becoming more organized as he discovers the patterns and changes around him.
However, these amazing discoveries do have some strings attached. This new awareness takes some getting used to. Feeding, whether breast or by bottle, now has fierce competition with the dog as she walks by or locating the source of that mysterious noise. Babies will often wake and want to feed more in the night. This can be due to getting distracted from having efficient feeds in the day or she may simply need more food to get through this period of immense growth. Sometimes we also see a reduction in breast milk around this time as well. It is important to continue with your night feeds. At the same time you can work on having more efficient feeds during the day. This may involve feeding in a dark, quiet room.
Sleep also may become a challenge as the structure of sleep changes. Babies start to develop sleep patterns that are more like adult sleep. Naptimes can be either reduced or fought every step of the way. Night waking can occur at increased intervals.
We often find at this age babies become more fussy, clingy and demanding. Schedules can be off and day and night sleep affected. This is not a time for making big changes, as you are unlikely to see results quickly and it will be an uphill battle. So hang in there!
The good news is that this stage often lasts 2-3 weeks, after which you will find yourself with a more perceptive, interactive baby whose personality is shining through for the world to see. Sometimes the habits and routines that form during this time can last weeks, months or even years if they are not addressed.
Once your baby is a few weeks past the on-set of this developmental period then she may be developmentally ready to learn long-term sleep skills, especially at night. Naps tend to develop more consistently around 6 months of age, however, we often see improvement on naps when night sleep improves.
If you can wait until your baby is at least 18 weeks of age (waiting longer is not a problem either), then we can work on a gentle sleep coaching plan that is specific to your child and needs and get those long-term sleep habits.
If you can’t wait that long, we know it is tough, we can start working together with a sleep plan that we address in phases. First we can focus on some interim steps that can improve sleep, determine when the best time for sleep coaching would be and coach you through the entire process.”
We have several sleep coaching packages to choose from that include varying amounts of support. You can find more details here:https://getquietnights.com/schedule-a-consultation/
Our Premium Package is our most popular package and is designed to give you the support you need for success. The details are below.
When you are ready to move forward, please contact us be e-mail or phone/text, if you have any further questions and we can schedule a consult for you.
The Premium Sleep Package $395 + HST Includes:
• Evaluation of your child’s sleep from your history form before consultation
• 1.5 Hour consultation
• 6 follow up phone calls of 15 minutes each or a total of 1.5 hours follow up time broken up however you need it. A 15 minute follow up phone call can be exchanged for a night of texting support arranged in advance, or a longer email exchange for complicated answers when email is preferred or more convenient.
• Option for overnight texting support (see above)
• 2 weeks of e-mail support-for quick questions and updates. More involved answers will require a more comprehensive follow up conversation. Consecutive 2 weeks begins with first email after consultation or with plan start date.
• 3 Month membership to our parent video site beginning with access once payment is received. The videos contain crucial evidence based information to help you get your child sleeping through the night. There are also videos that answer frequently asked questions and address special challenges parents often have.
We look forward to working with you to help your family get better sleep.
Sincerely,
Tracy Spackman
Gentle Sleep Coach
602-524-7610
[email protected]