Nerdy Millennial

Top Menu

  • About
  • Contact
  • Write For Us

Main Menu

  • Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Blogging
      • Social Media
      • SEO and Keyword Research
  • College
  • Arts & Culture
  • Technology
  • Health and Fitness
    • Nutrition
    • Recipes
      • Baked Goods
      • Breakfast
      • Condiments
      • Dessert
      • Fermented Foods
      • Main Dishes
      • Side Dishes
      • Snacks
      • Soup
    • Keto
    • Vegan
  • Relationships
    • Dating
    • Friendship
    • Parenting
    • Pregnancy & Birth
  • About
  • Contact
  • Write For Us

Nerdy Millennial

Nerdy Millennial

  • Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Blogging
      • Social Media
      • SEO and Keyword Research
  • College
  • Arts & Culture
  • Technology
  • Health and Fitness
    • Nutrition
    • Recipes
      • Baked Goods
      • Breakfast
      • Condiments
      • Dessert
      • Fermented Foods
      • Main Dishes
      • Side Dishes
      • Snacks
      • Soup
    • Keto
    • Vegan
  • Relationships
    • Dating
    • Friendship
    • Parenting
    • Pregnancy & Birth
Parenting
Home›Relationships›Parenting›Sleep Regressions: What They Are and What To Do

Sleep Regressions: What They Are and What To Do

By Vanessa Pruitt, PLMHP, MS
October 3, 2011
2262
4

Many babies will periodically go through phases, termed ‘sleep regressions'. Suddenly your baby goes from sleeping peacefully and easily at night, to fighting sleep until exhausted, and waking often through the night.

They may be fussy and clingy through the day, fall out of normal routines, and get up much earlier than usual. The good news is this is a normal part of a child's development and will pass. The bad news is you'll be set for a hard few weeks and sleepless nights.

So what are sleep regressions and what can you do to help you and your child deal with them?

Why Sleep Regressions Happen

As babies grow and learn they go through various developmental milestones. These may be sitting up, crawling, walking, talking, etc. And as a baby goes through these stages their little brains become focused, as they replay what they have learned over and over and assimilate it into their knowledge of the world.

This carries over into sleep. It's not uncommon for a baby, for example, after learning to sit up, to do it over and over in their sleep, often not even waking up in the process!

My daughter went through a terrifying stage of standing up in her sleep soon after she had mastered the skill. I woke many times with her standing over me.

Consequently sleep regressions often follow the pattern of a baby's mastery of skills. These are some common ages for sleep regressions:

4 months – As a baby's sleep cycles begin to change to match those of an adult. This regression typically lasts about 2-3 weeks.

9 months – As a baby learns skills such as crawling and cruising. This regression can last 4-6 weeks, with lots of night waking and even fits of crying in the night. Parents often report this regression is the hardest and longest.

12/13 months – Typically characterised by a refusal of naps and difficulty dropping to sleep. This regression can vary greatly in length, from a few days to weeks. Babies may refuse to nap, especially in the afternoons, and be very grumpy in the evenings.

18 months – As babies grow into toddlerhood, mastering language and motor skills, again sleep can be disrupted. This is again characeterised by a refusal to nap and fussiness through the day.

24 months – Toddlers typically fight sleep during this regression, and may try many tactics to attempt to ward-off sleep. This may include waking in the night and taking hours to go back down.

What To Do About Sleep Regressions:

  • Firstly, become informed and prepared. Knowing what to expect takes the surprise away if it happens. Have some strategies in mind for when the time comes.
  • If you don't already co-sleep, it may be necessary to bring your baby to bed with you on the bad nights, just to settle them for the short period.
  • Try to stick to your routines as much as possible, especially around bed-time. It might be necessary to tweak nap-times and be flexible in the times for bed, dependent on what time your baby napped.
  • Consider increasing the number and duration of day-time naps, if possible. The more sleep your baby can get through the day, the less grumpy they will be if they're awake through the night.
  • Try to be patient and provide lots of cuddles through the day during times your baby is fussy or clingy.
  • Remember this is a phase and will pass. It may be tough, but sometimes all strategies may fail and you just have to ride out the storm.

~

We recommend the No-Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley.

Is your baby experiencing a sleep regression?

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Vanessa Pruitt, PLMHP, MS
Vanessa Pruitt, PLMHP, MS
Vanessa is a Provisionally Licensed Mental Health Practitioner in Nebraska and holds an MS in Clinical Psychology. She is a certified trauma professional with a special interest in helping people heal from trauma and complex trauma.
Vanessa Pruitt, PLMHP, MS
Latest posts by Vanessa Pruitt, PLMHP, MS (see all)
  • 7 Tips for Taking Better Cell Phone Photos - May 21, 2022
  • Must-Haves for a Modern Website - February 3, 2022
  • 3 Ways to Take Time for Yourself During Pregnancy - January 31, 2022

No related posts.

Tagsabout sleep regressionbabieschildrencosleepingparentingsleepsleep regressionsleep regressionswhat are sleep regressionswhat is sleep regressionwhat to do about sleep regression

4 comments

  1. Em_ringer 11 November, 2011 at 17:20 Log in to Reply

    This came at just the right time to remind me that this too shall pass! My little man is 2 and a half and having one of these regressions. Thanks 🙂

  2. Just when you think you have this parenting thing down… | BluElephant 25 May, 2012 at 10:43 Log in to Reply

    […] http://naturalfamilytoday.com/parenting/sleep-regressions-what-they-are-and-what-to-do/ […]

  3. Baby Sitting Up With Help at 12 Weeks - DaddyLibrary.com 16 June, 2012 at 12:01 Log in to Reply

    […] wife and I expect some regression even after baby has learned new developmental skills, so we feel it is important for her to keep […]

  4. Isabella 21 February, 2017 at 23:14 Log in to Reply

    So I realize this is from 2011 but it’s pretty much the only thing on the Internet about the 18 month sleep regression that doesn’t say “let your baby scream through it. They’re a toddler now so they’re smart enough to manipulate you and you will ruin them forever if you comfort them.” Thank you for the break down for my tired mommy brain and the encouragement.

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

You Might Also Like...

  • 7 Natural Remedies to Minimize Symptoms of Seasonal Allergies
    FeaturedHealth and Fitness

    7 Natural Remedies to Minimize Symptoms of Seasonal Allergies

  • Keto Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
    BreakfastDessertFeaturedKetoVegan

    Keto Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding Recipe (Vegan Option)

  • How Millennial Entrepreneurs Can Create Tech-Friendly Workplaces
    EntrepreneurshipFeaturedTechnology

    How Millennial Entrepreneurs Can Create Tech-Friendly Workplaces

  • How to Make Magic Reindeer Food (With Printable Cards and Poem)
    FeaturedRecipesSnacks

    How to Make Magic Reindeer Food (With Printable Cards and Poem)

About Nerdy Millennial

This blog all about millennials sharing their passion, ideas, and expertise about blogging, healthy living, self-improvement, education, parenting, and more!

Interested in contributing? Contact us to pitch your idea or submit an article.

Featured Posts

DatingFeatured

5 Mistakes Guys Make When a Girl Pulls Away

Relationships can be tricky, especially when one person pulls away. It's a situation that can be confusing and emotionally charged, especially if you're the one left behind. It's easy to ...
  • The Impact of Joe Rogan's Controversial Opinions

    The Impact of Joe Rogan’s Controversial Opinions

    By Ian Walsh
    March 16, 2023
  • Top 10 Things Millennials Ask About Managing Money (And The Answers)

    Top 10 Things Millennials Ask About Managing Money (And The Answers)

    By Ian Walsh
    March 12, 2023
  • 6 Ways Virtual Reality is Changing Mental Health Care

    6 Ways Virtual Reality is Changing Mental Health Care

    By Ian Walsh
    March 11, 2023
  • 10 Ways to Make Money With AI as a Mental Health Professional

    10 Ways to Make Money With AI as a Mental Health Professional

    By Contributing Author
    March 11, 2023
  • 5 Essential Characteristics of a Gentleman for the Modern Dating Scene

    5 Essential Characteristics of a Gentleman for the Modern Dating Scene

    By Contributing Author
    January 29, 2023
  • The Ultimate Guide to Travel Photography

    The Ultimate Guide to Travel Photography

    By Contributing Author
    August 26, 2022
  • 6 Steps to Make Money with Teespring in 2022

    How to Make Money on Teespring in 2022

    By Ian Walsh
    August 26, 2022
  • Easy Protein Iced Mocha Coffee

    Easy Protein Iced Mocha Coffee

    By Contributing Author
    August 7, 2022
  • 6 Best Spiritual Books of 2022

    6 Best Spiritual Books of 2022

    By Contributing Author
    August 6, 2022

Join Us on Facebook

Search

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Write For Us
  • Comment Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
Manage Cookie Consent
We use cookies to optimize our website and our service.
Functional cookies Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}