Baby wakes up frequently – what does sleep regression mean?

In the first months of a baby's life, families often find that their little one's sleep is good, restful, and problem-free. A rhythm develops that the mother can count on, and this also applies to nighttime awakenings. Perhaps you are familiar with this feeling of balance, when everyone relaxes and you don't even think about the fact that a change could occur in an instant. 

Often, around 4 months of age, the period when the previous state of sleep changes and becomes disrupted arrives. The baby wakes up more often, even every half hour at night. This phenomenon is also called sleep deprivation, which can be a temporary period, but sometimes it persists for months, as children's sleep patterns are very different. What is certain is that frequent waking of the baby is completely normal and part of his proper development.

The term regression refers to a return to a previous, less advanced state. Since frequent waking is not a regression, but rather a part of growth, the often-cited term sleep regression is actually incorrect.

(Source: Maternity blog )

What could be behind this phenomenon? 

There is no scientific evidence of sleep changes and frequent awakenings to date. There have been no studies to date showing a sufficient number of cases that could provide a sufficient basis for the expected evidence. However, it has been observed in the animal kingdom that this phenomenon can be linked to breastfeeding, as the offspring needs to breastfeed more often, after which they enter a more independent period. This does not occur in human children, since we take care of our children for an exceptionally long time, and they become independent after a particularly long time. 

During the day, 2-4 month old babies are more active. They are exposed to a variety of stimuli and may start to eat less, while at night, when they are calm, they replenish the necessary amount. 

Many people start feeding their little one formula at 4 months of age, which causes changes in the baby's digestion.

Micro-awakenings, which are also present in adult sleep, appear between the ages of 4-6 months. This is therefore a developmental step, a natural process. At this time, the baby wakes up, cries, and cannot easily fall back asleep. Separation anxiety may also appear.

 Gross motor skills are developing to such an extent that the baby is practicing them even at night: rolling over, pushing himself up with his arms.

(Source: Professional Parent Sleep Expert , Kismamablog )

What are the stages of baby sleep development?

By learning about these stages in their development, we can more easily recognize the current characteristics and prepare for the next ones. It is useful to be aware of these processes because this way we can avoid excessive worry and understand what are the natural steps in our baby's development.

• Newborn - light sleep, micro-awakenings, deep sleep, short and irregular sleep cycles
• 1-2 months old - stomach aches may bother, learning about day and night, importance of bedtime routines, developing own sleep rhythm
• 3 months old – sleep pattern is developing, only waking up at night to eat
• From 4 months of age - sudden interest in lights, noises, easily awakened, appearance of micro-awakenings, more frequent, irregular awakenings
• Between 5-12 months of age – more irregular sleep patterns
• Between 1-1.5 years of age – more regular and calm daytime sleeps, occasional sleep disturbances
• After 1.5 years of age – sleep quality improves, the duration of deep sleep reaches that of adults at 2 years of age

What solutions can we try? 

Since these sleep difficulties are a natural part of a baby's development, we can't expect them to be permanently outgrown. They can disappear and then return. When it comes to the peace of mind of the baby and the family, most people still try to help in some way. We've also brought you some ideas that work, maybe one of them will work for you too!

Try breastfeeding more frequently during the day. 

If your baby is well fed more often during the day, he or she will likely sleep longer and more soundly at night. This is not always possible, as 5-6 month old babies often do not want to spend a long time eating. External stimuli increasingly distract them, and premature termination of breastfeeding is more common.

Try different sleeping positions! 

You may have read about sleeping positions earlier in our article. It's possible that your baby prefers to sleep in a different position.

Examine the baby's environment!

Can you provide him with the appropriate silence, peace, and darkness for sleep?

Is the air humidity adequate? Are you not warm while sleeping? Are you dressed appropriately?

If your little one is overdressed, or is wearing synthetic clothing, it is easy to get hot, sweaty, and uncomfortable while sleeping. To avoid this, choose clothes and sleeping bags made of natural materials for them!

Our products from LiaaBébé provide a solution to all problems at once. The extra soft bamboo fiber bodysuits , kickers and sleeping bags have a much better moisture absorption capacity than cotton. Their material is extremely flexible, thin, and because they are able to regulate temperature, they cool in summer and warm in winter.

Maybe it's a lifestyle problem?

If your child eats too many carbohydrates (sugary, floury) foods, this can cause them to overstimulate, which can cause restless sleep. Therefore, avoid these foods in the afternoon and evening!

A toddler needs to spend enough time outdoors every day, actively moving, otherwise they may develop behavioral problems that will make them sleep worse.

Have a daily routine that you can adapt to as a family. The predictability will also make your nights more restful.

If a baby receives too much stimulation, their nervous system is stressed, making them more irritable and having restless nights. Too much screen time, too many family programs, and a noisy environment can lead to a host of problems, including difficulty sleeping.

Are you experiencing psychological problems?

Basically, a baby's sense of security is the pillar that can create an atmosphere of trust for him in which he can relax. The birth of a little sibling, getting him used to socializing, and forcing him to clean his room too early can cause anxiety in him.

We also need to talk about health factors

It would be impossible to list all the problems that can cause sleep difficulties, but here are the most common ones. Teething symptoms, inflammation or pressure in the ears, difficulty breathing due to large tonsils, reflux, and stomach pain can all cause restlessness at night.

(Source: Maternity blog )

What do we worry about?

Frequent waking of the baby, in addition to being extremely exhausting for the family, also causes concern among parents. You are probably thinking that the little one will not get the right amount of rest, which is essential for his brain development. This thought may come from the information that the growth of the baby is strongest during sleep.

Sleep is indeed very important for babies, but falling asleep quickly after frequent wakefulness results in sufficiently intensive rest for them. So during this period of frequent waking, the little one is able to fall asleep when he is tired. He can rest in the quantity and quality that he needs.

If there is another problem or discomfort that is making it difficult to calm down and fall asleep, then it is of course necessary to remedy that problem.

Would you like to read more about sleep changes?

Since we cannot present any meaningful research results, we do not have any appropriate textbooks available.

Hetty Van De Rut Ph.D – Frans Plooij. PhD – The book The Whiny Baby presents the 10 developmental leaps that occur in a child's first 20 months, including changes in sleep. If we know these periods, we can prepare for them almost in advance and make them easier with ideas and methods.

 La Leche League also has a book called Sweet Sleep, which describes sleep changes by stage. The book focuses on the 3-4 month period when babies often start waking up more frequently.

We can get help with our baby's sleep problems from the pediatrician, sleep experts, and children's hospitals.