Sleep Regressions: The Truth About That Pesky Sleep Regression
A sleep regression is often blamed when an infant or toddler suddenly starts waking up more during the night, taking shorter naps, or skipping their nap all together. So what’s the real scoop on these pesky sleep regressions?
What is a sleep regression?
A sleep regression is a period of time when an infant or toddler suddenly switches from sleeping well to not sleeping well, or from not sleeping well to sleeping even worse! Some sleep regressions seem to come on for no apparent reason while others are often linked to an age (4 months, 8 months, 12 months, 18 months) or are triggered by an event (illness or travel are common culprits). These regressions can last for a couple of weeks or, if a needed adjustment isn’t made, months.
The Most Common Sleep Regressions
4 Month Sleep Regression
The 4 month sleep regression is a biggy. I highly recommend you don’t sit around and wait for this one to pass. I actually refer to it as the 4 month sleep “progression” because your baby now has developed biological sleep rhythms. If they are having new sleep struggles it’s likely because their new sleep needs aren’t quite being met.
If your baby hasn’t learned to put themself to sleep at the start of the night and the start of naps, you’re more likely to experience more frequent night wakings and shorter naps. Teaching your baby to go down drowsy but awake (or even better, relaxed rather than drowsy) is critical in avoiding your baby needing your help going back to sleep every 1-2 hours during the night. The other piece that often needs tweaking is the bedtime – when in doubt, go for a bedtime between 6 and 7 P.M.
8 Month Sleep Regression
There is a lot of brain development happening around 8 months. It’s likely your little one is getting more mobile – constantly wanting to practice their new scooting or crawling skills. This is also when babies typically drop a nap and start their consistent two nap schedule.
Focus on making sure they are getting enough sleep. All of these new developments can tucker a babe out. If your little one isn’t getting 11-12 hours of sleep at night and 2.5-4 hour during the day, the overtiredness can result in additional wakings and crummy naps. Not sure what to tweak? Focus on early bedtimes and consistent nap start times. If you’re not sure when to start naps, click here to get my Nap Guide.
12 Month Sleep Regression
Attempting to buck one of the two naps is the most common complaint I hear at 12 months. And that can be a serious problem. I strongly urge you to try to hold on to two naps until as close to 15 months as possible. The best way to do that is to cap the first nap at 1 hour and possibly push the second nap a bit later.
18 Month Sleep Regression
This is truly my least favorite of the sleep regressions and the one I consider the most “real.” At 18 months you have a standing, walking, opinionated toddler on your hands. And when it comes to sleep, they can have very strong (and loud) opinions! Hearing loud screaming at bedtime or in the middle of the night is brutal. Add in some sleep deprivation to this new toddler attitude (and possible separation anxiety) and you may have a hot mess on your hands.
Whatever you do, don’t drop the nap (click here to get my Nap Guide). You also want to avoid creating new or bringing back old sleep crutches like rocking your little one to sleep or feeding them during the night. If things are getting dicey, remember that a super early bedtime is your friend and now is the PERFECT time to start talking to your little one about sleep and how much you love it.
If you’re going to implement a sleep training method to get things back on track, tell your child what you’re going to do. This age group often understands far more than we realize. Keep it simple and follow through on what you tell them. For example, in a cheery voice and with a smile say, “I want you to get looots of great sleep tonight. Did you know mommy loooves sleep so much? Mommy wants you to sleep allll night long. If you start crying, I’ll come check on you, but I’m not going to get you out of the crib.”
If you’re ready to be super consistent about morning and nap wake times, you may want to consider introducing a toddler clock as well. While I typically recommend introducing a toddler clock at 2 years old, it can be helpful if you need to do a sleep reboot anytime after 18 months. Just remember that if you don’t follow the clock rules, neither will your little one.
Illness and Travel Regressions
If you’re dealing with a sleep regression that was triggered by an illness or traveling, go back to basics – make sure you’re on the right sleep schedule for your child’s age and remove any sleep crutches that were necessary to survive the illness or the trip.
My biggest piece of advice with any sleep regression is to not let the poor sleep go on more than a week without considering some sort of change or adjustment. When sleep suddenly deteriorates, it’s always a good time to go back to healthy sleep hygiene basics.