4 Mo Old Consistantly Wakes at 4Am and Won't Sleep in Crib

Have you tried just ignoring him to see if he will settle himself on his own? Once my daughter started sleeping through the night and I knew she wasn't waking up because she needed to be fed, I made it a rule never to go in her room before 7 a.m. She never cried very loud or very long before falling back to sleep.

Is he waking to eat? I'd feed him and then rock/shhhhh him back to sleep and then put him in the crib

If he's just waking to wake, I would rock him quietly in his room and then put him back in the crib. Our son liked to have his butt patted and our other son loves his back rubbed.

Personally, I understand the need for some sleep as my husband and I both work full time and we have a 9 1/2M old and a 3 y/o running us down, lol. But, I've never been a fan of bringing them in bed to sleep. I was always scared of rolling on them and also of starting a bad habit.

So, when the baby's schedule changed like this (for both our older son as an infant and our 9 month old) we would trade off nights. One night I would be on "baby duty" and my husband would sleep in the basement through the night. The next night we traded. And on the nights I was "on duty", I would go to bed at like 8:30 or 9pm and my husband would close up the house, let the dogs out and clean up any messes from the day.

Good luck.

Hi Cathi. My little guy is almost 5 months old now and sleeping through the night (about 7 pm to about 7 am). He also went through a phase where he was waking at 4 am for a feeding, but then gradually, this time started getting later and later until it's where it is now. After the 4 am waking time, we went through a short time with a 5 am waking, then 6:30, now 7:00. For us, this transition started at about 16 weeks old. From what I've researched, putting little ones to bed later is not the answer, but trying earlier surprisingly might be, as sometimes they get overtired and then don't sleep as well during the night. There can be a similar reaction if naps aren't good.

When he was waking at 4 am, I was lucky enough that he would usually fall back asleep during the feeding and I could put him back in his bed fairly easily, but when this time became 5 or 6:30, he was more awake "for the day" - ugh! After his feeding, I would let him play on his playmat while I snoozed on the couch. This might help avoid a habit of coming into your room. My guy needs a little half-hour nap in the morning, but usually falls asleep on the mat or in his swing for that time and then is truly more ready to go for the day.

One thing that helped ME through the transition was reading something in a book to the effect that we as parents need to trust our babies to be able to sleep through the night. The idea is that they pick up on our signals and you can help them to get to the next phase without necessarily having them cry it out. I've only read snippets of this book so far, but am enjoying it: "Sleep; the easy way to peaceful nights" by Beatrice Hollyer & Lucy Smith

Don't think that we've got it made, though - our more difficult time is getting him to put himself to sleep in his bed at night, so everyone has something they're working on!! Best wishes.

I'm just now getting through this with my 4 month old twins. My son gets up to eat about 4am and then promptly goes to sleep. However my sweet, precious daughter decides once she's up it's play time! We had to do the tough love and put her back down after eating (bottle) and soothing, then painfully listen to her cry for 5 minutes. Then, we get up, rub her belly, shush (don't pick up!) then leave for 5 more minutes. The most I've ever had to do this with her is three 5 minute sessions, then she fell asleep. Now, the most she does is one 2-5 minute session and she soothes herself to sleep. I don't think this is as harsh as "crying it out" since we do go back to sooth, but it teaches her we won't play with her and she learns how to go back to sleep herself. Really helps get that last 1-2 hours of sleep! Hope this helps!

I would Highly suggest Infant Massage.Check out this website It will answer a lot of questions about it.aspecialbond.org Let me know what you think.

Get the book "No Cry Sleep Solution". It worked wonders for me and everyone else I know that read it. Tells you suggestions that most fit your parenting style and child's personality from birth to childhood. Hang in there - the first year goes fast! And remember, nobody I know was still sleeping with their parents or not through the night by junior high! HA!

Try a vibrating bouncy seat with overhead toys in his room. It might be as simple as a neighbor leaving for work at an odd time that's doing it - for us, it was the motorcycle-riding neighbor across the street leaving for work at 4:30 am one week that threw our whole schedule off!)

Anyway, move baby from the crib to the bouncy chair with toys and go back to bed. The toys will keep jr entertained while the bouncy chair may vibrate him back to sleep.

Keep in mind that sleep cycles change throughout their entire first year. Just when you think you're on a schedule, it all changes.

Well unfortunately, that's what the little tykes do at that age, but you could try giving him a warm bottle with a little cereal in it to fill his little belly. I also learned to keep a diluted juice bottle by my son's bedside, so that when I needed to go to his bedside in the middle of the night I didn't have to wait on warming or preparing him a bottle. I would have it to instantly give to him while he was still sleepy and I would check/change his pamper while he took the bottle and was still sleepy.

Hope that helps.

It is hard to cry your kids out, but it does work. If he goes back to sleep when he gets into bed with you, then he just wants some comfort. We have three kids and with each, crying them out only took about three nights. The first night was the worst, by the third, there was almost no crying. All of ours went to bed great at bedtime, it was the night-waking we had to deal with, sort of like you.

With our twins, we went cold turkey, the bedroom door closes at 7pm and doesn't open again until 7am. The first night they cried collectively for about 1 hr 45 min. The next night 15 min, almost nothing by the third. They were 6Mo when we did this.

With our next child, we sat in his room for two songs of the CD that played in at night and then left. He was older, around 2 (dealing with the loss of his pacifier). He was old enough to understand that we would be leaving after two songs. A 4mo old won't understand that. If you want to stay in the room until he falls back asleep, that's fine, it may take longer, or keep you up longer, but eventually he will get the drill. Just don't pick him up. He'll be mad at first and it's hard not to pick them up when they're upset, but if you pick him up, he'll learn that he just needs to fuss harder and eventually you'll give in...he's no dummy!

Ultimately, you need to choose a method that will work best for you and your personality, then stick with it. You are essentially training him how to be a good sleeper. If he cries and you come rushing in, you have trained him to expect that, you want him to fall back to sleep on his own. Good Luck

Make sure he has what he needs (i.e. -blankie, passifier, toy, etc.) and leave him alone. Let him learn to soothe himself back to sleep. Maybe try a mobile above him. It may take a couple tries. If you keep doing it, soon he'll be waiting/expecting you to come in and get him. Good Luck. . .

if he will sleep until 4am, at 4 months old, then he can sleep until 6am. My doc told me at that age I should let my little one be and that she would learn to go back to sleep. So while it was hard for two days, that is what I did and sure enough she was soon sleeping until 6 or 7. some people give babies a top up of milk at around 10pm. I never did as I would have had to wake her to do so and that seemed counterproductive. I also went to be very close to when she did ie at 8pm. So I became very well rested once she slept till 6 as I was getting 10 hrs sleep.

Four months seems a bit early to start letting him cry it out... But you might find some helpful ideas in Ferber's Solve Your Child's sleep solutions, if that's the direction you think you'll go. Otherwise, have you tried putting him back to sleep in a pack n play in your room but not in your bed? Or putting a small bed in his room and sleeping in there until he falls back asleep? Also, try to think about why he's waking up. What time do you put him to bed at night? Try pushing bed time back an hour or more and see if he'll sleep later without waking. Soon you'll be introducing solids and that may help too.

I just read the other responses and am surprised no one mentioned that sleeping untill 4 is pretty good for this age. My little one was probably waking every three hours at that age. Babies brain development isn't set to sleep through the night until atleast four months, accourding to "Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child." I'd encourage you to just tend to him in the dark when he wakes at 4. Don't turn on any lights or change his diaper. Just give him milk and rock him to sleep. Don't talk or give any stimulation. If he still doesn't settle, just bring him to bed and get the rest you need. If diapers are leaking go to the next size up, and use a brand name. The cheap diapers don't always last the night. Huggies work great for us in size three and my LO is not quite 6 months. Also resist the urge to put him down early. The book says 6-8 is a good bedtime and good naps are important too. At that age I think they aren't suppose to be up more than about two hours at a time. I couldn't believe how often my LO was supose to nap. We had let him get way overtired I think, then it was tough to get him down. Check out "Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child" for info on how much sleep they need at each age, but get the second edition, it's better.

Hi Cathi. Whatever method you choose just stick with it. There will be several sleepless nights while you teach him to sleep in his crib....

I had 2 that slept with me consistently. The third, although in the bed of and on, kicked my husband out of the bed--not good! Numbers 4 and 5 have been in their own bed since home from the hospital. My husband is back in the bed ;) and the others are in their own beds too. This took time and sleepless energy. It gets more difficult to move them as they get older. Nevertheless, everyone being in their own spots has been more healthy for ALL of us!

Good luck!

When my son was that age he was doing the same thing so I would sleep on the couch with him for a few hours. It lasted about 3 weeks. I would use it as a last resort but know that the time will pass.

Break the habit now. My son is 3 and one of us has to sleep with him every night in his "big boy" room. We didn't start this until he was 2, but it doesn't matter.

If you both have to take some "vacation/personal" days, break the habit now. After the 4 am wake up for a changing/feeding...rock the baby back to sleep or put them in their crib with a soothing mobile. We bought our 5 month old daughter a rainforest visual/sounding device that plays for about 3 minutes and then shuts off.

I know it's hard to do, but you must break the habit now. The baby will become increasingly dependent on sleeping with you, and then every night be in your bed...for longer periods of time.

Trust me, the older they get the more they know...and they will test you. I speak from experience.

Good luck.