Understanding Sleep Regressions in Children

This is how it usually happens… you’re cruising along, enjoying your uninterrupted or reasonably interrupted sleep, when BOOM.. all of the sudden they’re sleeping like newborns again. Often, parents are left bewildered and exhausted when their child suddenly experiences a sleep regression. These periods of disrupted sleep can be incredibly challenging, but they are also a normal part of a child's development. Let’s shed light on what sleep regressions are, why they occur, and how you can help your child and yourself get through these trying times.

What is a Sleep Regression?

A sleep regression is a temporary disruption in a child's sleep pattern. During a regression, a previously predictable sleeper may suddenly have difficulty falling asleep, wake up more frequently during the night, or experience early morning wakings. Sleep regressions are most common in infants and toddlers, but they can occur at various ages.

Common Sleep Regression Stages:

1. The 4-Month Sleep Regression: This is often the first sleep regression parents encounter. Between 3-5 months of age, a baby's sleep cycles mature and become more adult like. This means they spend less time in deep sleep, and they may begin waking more frequently at night.

2. The 8-10 Month Sleep Regression: At this stage, many babies experience increased separation anxiety, as well as gross motor milestones (typically, crawling) which can lead to night waking and resistance to sleep.

3. The 12 Month Sleep Regression: Right around their first birthday, you may notice your child resisting their second nap and practicing new tricks like standing or walking.

4. The 18-Month Sleep Regression: Around 18 months, toddlers may go through a regression due to cognitive and developmental milestones, leading to more separation anxiety and nighttime disturbances.

5. The 2-Year Sleep Regression: Some toddlers experience a sleep regression around their second birthday, often due to increased independence, testing boundaries, and changing sleep needs

Why Do Sleep Regressions Occur?

Understanding the underlying causes of sleep regressions can help parents cope better. These regressions typically coincide with developmental milestones and changes in a child's brain development, such as:

• Physical milestones: Learning to roll over, sit up, or crawl can disrupt sleep as children practice these new skills during the night. Babies don’t have sleep paralysis, so when they’re working on new skills (and inevitably dreaming about them) their little bodies will ‘act out’ these new tricks while they’re asleep. This is, understandably, a little disorienting!

• Cognitive milestones: As children's brains grow, they undergo many milestones like learning you still exist when you leave the room, learning to talk, learning about imagination. Lots going on in their little noodles!

• Changing sleep needs: Often, sleep needs changing will coincide with regressions. It’s always a good idea to re-evaluate your child’s schedule to make sure it’s still working for them.

• Separation anxiety: A common developmental stage, separation anxiety can make it harder for children to settle down and sleep independently.

Managing Sleep Regressions:

While sleep regressions can be tough, there are strategies to help your child and yourself navigate them more smoothly:

1. Stick to a Routine: Consistency is key. Maintain a consistent bedtime routine to provide comfort and predictability.

2. Offer Comfort and add in connection time: Provide extra comfort and reassurance during regressions. This may involve more soothing, cuddling, or quick check-ins. You can also bake in some extra time to connect into your pre sleep routines.

3. Stay Patient: Understand that regressions are temporary. Be patient with your child, and try to avoid forming new sleep associations that might be hard to break later.

4. Ask for help: If you haven’t been sleeping well alongside your child, ask your partner, a family member, or a trusted friend for support so you can get some rest, too.

For better or for worse, everything is a phase.

Sleep regressions are a challenging but normal part of a child's development. By understanding why they happen and implementing consistent routines and comforting strategies, you can help your child and yourself get through these periods with as little disruption as possible. Remember, they won't last forever, and soon enough, your little one will return to more restful nights of sleep. Typically, disruption from regressions lasts 1-3 weeks. If your problems are persisting past this, you may need to investigate if you’ve formed any new habits and/or if their schedule needs a shift!