What to Expect at 3 to 4 months with your baby

overview of what to expect at 3-4 months

Your baby is going through BIG developmental changes at 3-4 months of age. This is the age where previous methods such as rocking, feeding and/or using the pacifier to help initiate or fall back to sleep will begin to take longer because:

• Their brain is maturing 
• They have an increased awareness of their surroundings and they are going through a significant developmental leap
• Their sleep is beginning to look more like ours and they do not go directly into a deep sleep. 

Developmental milestones at 3-4 months of age

Practice these new skills as much as possible during the daytime so that they are more proficient and less distracted by the skills during sleep times. 

• Rolling
• Finding hands
• Bringing hands to midline
• Bringing hands to mouth- Important for Self Soothing!
• Reaching and grasping
• Babbling

sleep at 3-4 months of age

Your baby needs an average of 12-16 hours of sleep during a 24 hour period. This is usually divided between overnight sleep and 3-5 naps a day.

Bedtime shifts earlier to 6-8 PM and babies thrive on a 12 hour daily schedule. It’s important to still monitor wake windows and sleep cues vs a set nap schedule.

Overnight sleep at 3-4 months:

• 11-12 hours of overnight sleep
• 1 dream feed or overnight feed is still age appropriate within the 12 hours

Naps at 3-4 months: 

• 3-5 naps, divided by a total of 3.5-4 hours of total daytime sleep 
• Wake windows are 1.25-2 hours
• Wake windows increase as the day progresses
• Last nap should end by 5:30pm to keep bedtime on track at 7 pm! 
• Download my Free 4 month nap schedule guide HERE!

Your baby’s sleep cycles mature at 3-4 months and many babies experience a “regression. This is a period of time where your baby’s sleep patterns transition to becoming more like that of an adult and the circadian rhythm begins to develop. Learn more about the 4 month sleep regression here.

feeding at 3-4 months of age

• 5-6 full feeds per day every 2.5-3.5 hours
• This helps to avoid a snacking cycle 
• If bottle feeding 5-6 oz per bottle 
• No solids until Pediatrician approves
• Many still need one overnight feed

Common challenges at 3-4 months of age

• Frequent night wakings, sometimes every 1-2 hours
• Short/resistance to naps- waking after 1 sleep cycle at 30-45 minutes
• Early morning wakings- anything prior to 6am
• Onset protest at bedtime & unable to put self to sleep
• New rolling with sleep

support and achievable goals

3-4 months is a great time to begin the sleep coaching process! Falling asleep and connecting sleep cycles independently is a learned skill that we need to teach them with patience, practice and a consistent plan that includes more than just the sleep training method. Our goal is to set them up for success by implementing age-appropriate schedules/routines/feeding so they are able to: 

• Sleep 11-12 hours through the night
• Wean to 0-1 overnight feed
• Fall asleep independently at bedtime and naps
• Establish a predictable daytime schedule to begin reinforcing nap best practices 

This is the GOLDEN time to work on independent sleep skills and teach your baby to fall asleep without sleep props such as rocking, feeding, or holding to sleep. Babies between 3-6 months are the fastest to adapt to sleep training!

What resources do you have to help me through this time?

If you’re facing multiple wake ups, short naps, and sleep resistance, I have a class for you. The 4-24 Month Well Rested Collection will walk you step-by-step through a completely customizable sleep training experience. In just a few weeks, your baby will be getting 11-12 hours of independent night sleep, AND you’ll have a plan to navigate any future regressions or bumps in your journey. I’ll also help you set up a daytime routine and nap schedule that fits your family’s lifestyle and values. And you’ll get age-specific guidance to meet your baby right where he or she is developmentally at every stage from now until your baby turns 2.

Want daily personalized support? We have 1:1 sleep coaching programs to help! We work with your family for 2 weeks to help your baby with both overnight sleep and nap challenges. You don’t have to navigate your sleep journey alone with our Ultimate Sleep Plan.

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