Does this sound familiar? You've finally cracked the code to your baby's sleep challenges, and they’re blissfully napping and sleeping through the night. But then, BAM! Suddenly, they’re waking up at all hours, taking short naps, or worse—going on a nap strike.
Welcome to the world of sleep regressions, my freinds. These disruptions are common during your baby’s first two years due to their rapid mental and physical development. Whether they’ve just learned to wave, crawl, or clap, these milestones can shake up their sleep patterns.
While these challenges in their sleep can be confusing, frustrating, and completely exhausting, they are completely normal and great for their development. You may be wondering - will my baby ever sleep again? The answer is absolutely yes, if you continue implementing your healthy sleep habits you have created, the regressions normally do pass on their own and if they don’t I can help you! As a sleep consultant, I can guide you, giving you the support and confidence to help your babe get their sleep back on track.
Here is all you need to know to help you navigate your babes sleep regressions:
WHAT ARE SLEEP REGRESSIONS?
A sleep regression is a temporary change in your baby's sleeping habits, typically occurring during periods of significant developmental leaps. Not all babies will hit these stages at the same time, but you might notice a sudden difficulty in settling to sleep or frequent nighttime awakenings. Generally, these phases last about 2-4 weeks, but the exact duration can vary.
Common Ages for Sleep Regressions
8 Weeks: The Catnap Phase
Around 8 weeks, you might notice your baby becoming a catnap king or queen. Their daytime sleep often becomes more fragmented as their sleepy newborn phase starts to fade. At this stage, babies begin to produce their own melatonin (the sleepy hormone) as their maternal melatonin wears off. Melatonin is produced in the dark, so blackout blinds can be a game changer for helping your baby connect sleep cycles and stay asleep longer during naps and overnight.
If your baby is still struggling with catnaps despite the blackout blinds, their nap timings may need adjustment. This shift can help them move away from newborn sleep habits and establish more consistent sleep patterns.
4 Months: The Big One
The 4-month regression is the one many parents dread. It can happen as early as 3 months or as late as 5 months. Despite being called a "regression," this stage actually marks permanent changes in your baby's sleep. They begin to develop more defined sleep stages and cycles, waking fully between cycles instead of drifting automatically from one to the next as they did when they were newborns.
Now, it’s up to them to learn how to put themselves back to sleep during naps and nighttime awakenings. This stage is all about self-soothing, which takes lots of practice. Consistency in your bedtime routine can provide the structure they need to master this new skill.
8-10 Months: The Skills Boom
This regression, which can happen as early as 6 months, is driven by your baby’s development of new motor skills. They might be rolling, crawling, pulling up to stand, and even taking their first steps. These exciting milestones often spill over into sleep time, causing disruptions.
Around this time, many babies also transition from three naps to two. You might need to adjust bedtime earlier to prevent overtiredness, which can lead to more frequent night wakings. Additionally, some babies experience separation anxiety during this period. Maintaining a consistent bedtime routine and offering plenty of daytime cuddles, and spending quality time with no distractions can help ease their anxiety.
12-15 Months: The Nap Transition
This sleep regression is less common, as not all baby’s go through it. It has to do with some baby’s transitioning from 2 naps to 1. Some baby’s will start to push their morning nap later due to taking a long time to settle, protest a nap or even ditch it all together. Sometimes it happens around the 12 month mark (and if your babies are like mine, they may even transition as early as 10 months!), but it’s more commonly seen closer to 15 months.
Too nap once or twice, that is the question? Basically you don’t want to rush this phase, there’s no rule that a baby has to be on a one nap schedule (unless you are going back to work and the daycares schedule is requesting it - that’s another topic for another day). Flexibility is key here. Some days your baby might need two naps, while other days they might be ready for just one. Early bedtimes can help offset any lost sleep during this transitional phase.
18 Months: Independent and Molars
You may have started to notice your babes clothes become too short from them growing so quickly, or they are starting to complain of their molars which are coming through at full force around this age. Your not so little bean starts to become more confident and independent. They might start resisting bedtime because they’d rather be doing something else. Offering them age-appropriate choices, like picking their pajamas or bedtime story, can give them a sense of control.
Separation anxiety can also resurface at this age. Stick to your soothing bedtime routine and ensure their room is a calm, quiet place for sleep. Always tell them when you’re leaving and when you’ll be back to help reduce anxiety.
Support your toddler as you know how in getting the sleep they need during this regression without going to off course from your routine. Sticking to your schedule will make it easier to return to the norm and give them a sense of structure and security.
2 Years: The Big Changes
This is a regression that surprised me, I thought I was in the clear following the first year and a half and booooyyyyy was I wrong!
The 2-year mark can bring a surprising sleep regression. Big life changes, like gaining a new sibling, potty training, or transitioning to a toddler bed (I encourage you to wait until close to age 3 as possible), can all impact sleep. Your toddler’s growing independence means they might have strong opinions about bedtime routines.
This age there’s a lot of pressure for them to “grow up”, but it’s important to remember they are still little. It’s important to remember they still need your help navigating these changes. Offer extra reassurance, one-on-one time, and consistent routines to help them adjust. They need your help navigating this big world, whether it be giving them some one on one time, or they may need a little bit more reassurance especially if a new sibling has arrived, and maybe some extra snuggles and hugs.
*Cue Four Hugs a Day by Charlotte Diamond* A song my oldest used to sing on repeat.
During nap transitions, some toddlers might need a nap every other day to avoid becoming overtired. Early bedtimes can help manage sleep debt during this period.
Tips for Navigating Sleep Regressions
When you are in the thick of the regressions you are probably wondering, “where is my blissful sleepy baby, and how do I get back to the nights where everyone slept peacefully again?” No? Just me?
Take a deep breath and remember this won’t last forever. The 4 month sleep regression is a permanent change, so there’s no going back to the way baby slept before. But now, you can focus on giving your baby the chance to self settle as your baby is now able to fall asleep on their own - this shift happened during the 4 month sleep regression (hello silver lining)! Once babe learns the important skill of self settling, they are well on their way to being able to sleep through the night without your help.
Here are a few tips to help you navigate the season of regressions:
Offer extra feedings: Growth spurts sometimes accompany sleep regressions, so its okay to offer an extra feed during the night making sure your baby stays awake for this feed. Eat, back in their crib awake to let them self settle and continue their sleep. No falling asleep on the job!
Comfort as much as needed: To help babies and toddler cope with the regressions, they may need extra cuddles and kisses which is completely okay. You just want to avoid creating new or bringing back old sleep associations, such as rocking or feeding to sleep, or offering a pacifier.
Lean on your village: Sleep regressions can last up to 4-6 weeks, which can definitely be exhausting for all parties involved. Ask for help, talk through your emotions and lean on your village for support.
Put your baby to bed earlier: Sleep regressions can create a sleep debt if your babe is waking more at night, waking early, refusing naps, cat napping or dropping a nap. This can lead to an overtired child, which can quickly create an even bigger sleep debt. So always offer an earlier bedtime if necessary to catch up on missed sleep! Like I tell my clients, don’t be afraid of a 5:30PM bedtime once in awhile.
Although it may feel like your babes first two years of their lives are just a rollercoaster ride of regressions, remember that sleep regressions are a great sign that your child’s growing, developing, learning new skills and becoming pretty fascinating humans - and that’s something to celebrate!
These phases, while challenging, are temporary. By sticking to healthy sleep habits, you can help your baby—and yourself—get through them.
If you need more personalized guidance, we are here to help! Reach out to us at andrea@sleepingbeautiezzz.com. Together, we can get your little one’s sleep back on track.
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