Magically, it has happened. Your twins are finally sleeping long lovely stretches at night. Glorious day. It’s amazing how a 12 hour stretch provides a big enough energy boost that you feel like you could run a full-blown marathon (or binge watch Stranger Things with a glass of wine if that’s your style). Then…. No, that faint cry you are starting to hear is not your imagination or the beginnings of a horror movie. Your twins are up! Your 12-hour window is shattering before your eyes. How could this happen to you? Where did you go wrong? Noooooooooooooo…………

Deep breaths friends. Deep. Breaths. The fact of the matter is sleep regressions happen. Generally, you can expect potential regressions at the 4-month, 8-10 month, 12 months, 18 months, and the terrible twos stage. What is a parent to do during these troubling times?

1. The Nitty Gritty of Sleep Regression

At 4 months, your twinzies are shifting out of newborn blob mode and starting to interact with the world as they become more alert. This can lead to more difficulty falling and staying asleep as they are distracted by moving around and taking it all in. At 8-10 months you may find them increasing even more in mobility (maybe pulling up to stand) and shifting their nap schedule (often dropping one of multiple naps). At 12 months they are in the walking zone and will take every opportunity to learn their new skill (often at 3 a.m. especially if naps are again changing).

As they head into the heart of toddlerhood at 18 months, you can often expect a difficult regression that tends to be coupled with separation anxiety and teething. If that’s not enough, you may even see a final regression as they start to assert their independence and become their own people. We’re looking at you terrible twos!

2. Think Big Picture and Cover Your Bases

First and foremost, recognize this for what it is – a regression. Don’t panic! If properly handled, this will only be a temporary blip in the sleep success you have had with your chubby cherubs. Keep your naps on track, adhere as best you can to your regular sleep routine, and make sure your sleep environment sets your twinzies up for success. Many regressions are associated with growth spurts in addition to developmental milestones. If you feel like this may be part of your issue, work on full bellies in hopes of full nights of sleep. Cluster feeding in the evening may be helpful. And let’s not forget that teething troubles can also be part of the regression, so pain management may be needed. Keep your long game in mind and remember that this too shall pass.

3. Resources and Routine

Like any good mystery novel detective, you need to gather some tools to help you solve this regression puzzle. If you haven’t already, now might be the time to pull the trigger on a video baby monitor. This will give you a glimpse into their sleep space and help you make some strategic decisions.

You might also consider doing some twin sleep homework with baby tracker apps such as Jumelle that enable you to track eating and sleeping patterns, which can help identify any trends or details to pay attention to. Finally, a little bit of background reading in resources such as ebooks available from The Baby Sleep Site might help you identify the specific situation you are in so that you can move past the regression as quickly as possible.

4. The Twin Factor and Final Takeaways

It’s hard enough dealing with one baby who is regressing, but two at the same or back to back regressions can make a parent downright batty. Twins are different people. Especially if you have fraternal twins, expect that they will develop at different rates. Stages will often happen at different times. If they occupy the same sleep space, you may find that temporary separations may be necessary to keep progressing towards better sleep habits. Now may be the time to consider whether two cribs are advisable. In the scenario where you are separating from one crib or moving to different rooms, do try to recreate their environment in the temporary space as best you can. This may mean things like keeping the same white noise they have been used to, as well as lighting and temperature consistency.

If you remember nothing else written here, please consider these two final points. Changes you make can quickly become bad habits, so be mindful of how you are adjusting your routine to get through the regression. Giving in to an easy fix might create more work for you in the long run. Keep your eye on the goal. Finally, remember that the sleep experts emphasize: sleep begets sleep. Tweak your routine here and there after you’ve studied their patterns. Keep those naps going as best you can. Maybe play with the timing? Strive for an early bedtime if possible. You are their guide teaching them through the regression. You are the best person for the job and we are confident that you can instill good habits!

About the Author
Out-of-the-box thinker, Krystal Workman, gets creative under stress…and life with twins happens to be full of it! In order to soothe her crying babies while alone, Krystal invented the first ergonomic twin baby carrier—TwinGo Carrier (www.TwinGoCarrier.com)—to cuddle both her babies at the same time. TwinGo now empowers thousands of parents worldwide to keep their babies close. As former President of one of the largest twins clubs in the USA, Krystal assists new parents with babywearing, breastfeeding, sleep coaching, healthy routines, and positive discipline. You can get more twin-related information on the TwinGo Blog.

The post Keep Calm and Sleep on Through Twin Sleep Regression appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

We’ve written quite a bit about sleep regressions on this site (in fact, Nicole herself was instrumental in coining that term!), and with good reason: your child goes through FIVE sleep regressions in the first year of life alone!

But how can you know for sure if something is a sleep regression?

How do you distinguish a sleep regression from a growth spurt?

What about a sleep regression vs. a funky phase that has no real explanation?

And, for that matter, how do you distinguish what seems like poor sleep due to a sleep regression from the kind of poor sleep that is the result of a newly-formed bad sleep habit?

Sleep Regression? Phase? Habit? How is a tired parent to tell the difference? Read on for answers!

Sleep Regressions – What You Need To Know

Before we launch into this article, it might be helpful to offer a bit of background information about sleep regressions.

One primary benefit we have over other parents is YOUR experience. What we mean by that is that, sure, everyone on The Baby Sleep Site® team has experience with our own children, but now that we’ve helped countless parents, we see patterns that most parents don’t have the luxury of seeing. We benefit from your experience and know the potential pitfalls to look out for; we glean these not only from our own experience as parents but from all of yours, too. It’s actually very interesting to put it all together!

Our experience tells us that MANY people will have sleep troubles around the same time:

• 4 month old sleep regression – This is probably one of the biggest trouble spots for many new parents (though only some will consider it a sleep problem until 6 months, waiting for a baby to “get over it”). The way your baby sleeps fundamentally changes and it never changes back!
• 8 month old sleep regression – This one is another big one, but doesn’t always happen in the eighth month. This can be around 8, 9, or 10 months and usually related to a lot of development going on with your baby. This usually gets better a few weeks later, though it’s easy to develop new long-term habits trying to deal with it.
• 11-12 month old – We hear about this one fairly often but not enough to say it’s a “big” problem for all families. Around 11 months old, we have found that some babies will start fighting one or both naps and then it will pass 2-3 weeks later.
• 18 month old sleep regression – This is a common age to hear from parents about their toddler’s sleep, usually related to napping, night waking, and testing limits or questions about discipline.
• 2 year old sleep regression – Around this age, I find many parents writing to me about bedtime getting later, which is common at this age, especially in the summer.

These are all very common trouble spots and, as we always say, the biggest “danger” with these times is to make new long-term habits such that something that would have been temporary becomes a long-term sleep problem for you and your baby.

Are there other challenging times? You bet! The first two years (sometimes three) are difficult, regardless, but around 7 months, your baby begins developing separation anxiety, then there is teething, of course, and other issues like that come up here and there. Some will simply be more sensitive to all the changes than others.

Sleep Regression or Sleep Phase? How To Tell The Difference.

First, we should explain that a “sleep regression” has been a term that people have used to say “Sleep really messes up at this time, but don’t worry it will go back to normal.” But, a “regression” implies that something will go back to how it once was and, in that regard, it’s likely that only the “8-month sleep regression” fits the definition.

18 months is a close second, but if you aren’t careful, that strong independence-seeking stage can bleed into 2 and 3 years old and that’s a heck of a long “regression!”

Remember, at 4 months, your baby changes how he sleeps and while some will then begin to sleep better without you changing anything, he will never sleep the way he did when he was a newborn.

By contrast, at 8 months, this is generally a “blip” due to rapid development and the simple inability to sleep with so much going on in their minds. As long as you don’t inadvertently make some new long-term habits, your baby most likely will get past this in 3 to 6 weeks and go back to how he was sleeping before. If it was bad before, though, that may not be very desirable!

Every other “blip” in your baby’s sleep we would call a “phase.” Generally speaking, there are two distinct causes for a sleep phase: either your child is working on a new developmental milestone (whether you can see it or not), or your child’s external environment is changing in some way that impacts sleep.

Now, sleep regressions happen due to development – but not all development is linked to a full-blown sleep regression.

Your baby learns a LOT in a short amount of time! Just to name a few, they learn names of objects, how to roll, crawl, pull up, stand up, sign language, and/or hand gestures, walk, talk, object permanence, eat, cause and effect, and so on. And, there are likely lots of “little” things we don’t even see that can cause sleep phases. All of that can make some babies feel unsettled, insecure, happy, tired, over-tired, excited, over-stimulated or all of the above! No wonder they can’t sleep, sometimes!

By contrast, some sleep phases can be caused by a disruption to your child’s usual environment.

For example, welcoming a new baby into your home and/or moving to a new house can both cause major sleep disruptions! Sleep tends to derail for a bit in both cases. Similarly, if you take a vacation, you can expect your child’s sleep to fall apart for a bit. And illness falls into this category, too; when your child is sick, you’ll have a rough sleep phase for awhile!

What About Sleep Habits? How Do Those Differ From Sleep Regressions and/or Sleep Phases?

There is no black and white as far as when you have a sleep regression, phase, or a habit, but our general rule of thumb is to wait 2-3 weeks to see what happens. If you have an abrupt sleep change, try to give your baby 2-3 weeks to see if something reveals itself. It could be a new tooth or a new “trick” or even an illness a few days later.

There is no reason to feel alarmed that something has changed in those first 2-3 weeks. But if, after 2-3 weeks, you are still dealing with the exact same issues – in other words, if the sleep problem has “stuck” – then that’s when we tend to tell people to treat the sleep issues as new habits, and to take action.

Now, we’ve been assuming, so far, that your baby was sleeping well and then suddenly wasn’t.

But if your baby wasn’t sleeping well before and then sleeping gets even worse, that would be another reason to start working on sleep sooner rather than later.

Sleep may not become “perfect” until a sleep regression is over, for example, but it could be a whole lot better if your baby WAS waking 3 times per night and is now waking 6-8 times per night, which is excessive even for a sleep regression.

In the end, you know your baby best and, although you may be a new mom or on your third baby and forgot everything from your younger one(s), your instincts will guide you more than you think. As soon as you start to feel resentment or that you can barely function or, worse, your baby can barely function, it’s likely time to do something about it.

Although it may be your fault your baby won’t sleep, it doesn’t mean it has to stay that way. Only some babies will eventually grow out of their sleep problems. We work with parents of toddlers all the time still waiting for their baby to grow out of the same sleep problems they had at 4 months old!

How do YOU decide if your baby is going through a sleep regression, a phase, or a new sleep habit? Scroll down to share your tips and stories, to ask questions, and to hear from other parents like you!

The post Sleep Regression, Phase, or Habit – Which Is Causing Your Baby’s Sleep Problems? appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

Is it a sleep regression…or is it something else? That’s a question that many parents would like the answer to. After all, until you uncover the root of your baby or toddler’s sleep problems, you can’t know how to respond to them, and how best to solve them.

Today, we bring you a brand-new quiz, designed to help you uncover whether your baby or toddler’s recent sleep problems are the result of a sleep regression, or something else entirely. Take the easy, 7-question quiz, and you’ll get additional insights into whether the sleep problems you’re facing are due to a sleep regression or not.

After you see the results of your quiz, please come back to this page and scroll all the way down for resources. If your problem is a sleep regression, we have many sleep regression articles available. If it’s something else, there are links below designed to help you get at the root of your baby or toddler’s sleep challenges.

Sleep Regression, or Something Else? A Baby Sleep Site^® Quiz

Sleep Regression? Resources That Can Help

If your quiz indicated that you are most likely facing a sleep regression, take a look at the following resources:

• 4 month sleep regression (original article)
• 4 month sleep regression (new article)
• 8,9 or 10 month sleep regression
• 12 month sleep regression
• 18 month sleep regression
• 2 year sleep regression

Not A Sleep Regression? It May Be One Of These Problems

If the results of your quiz indicated that your baby or toddler is probably not or most likely not going through a sleep regression, you may be wondering what IS going on with your little one’s sleep. Take a look at the following resources for help:

• Sleep Associations: Is Rocking Your Baby Harmful? (Read this one first – this may very well be the root of your little one’s sleep problems.)
• How To Handle Teething and Sleep
• Sleep Regression, or Growth Spurt? Or Both?
• How Baby Growth Spurts Affect Feeding and Sleep
• How Potty Training Affects Sleep
• Common Nap Transitions, and How To Manage Them
• How Illness Affects Your Baby or Toddler’s Sleep
• 7 Gentle, Natural Tips To Help Your Newborn Sleep
• How Moving Homes Affects Sleep
• 10 Tips To Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep
• Newborn Sleep Patterns and Schedules

Sleep Regression Help That Works – Guaranteed!

 
For those persistent nighttime struggles, check out The 3 Step System to Help Your Baby Sleep. This e-book helps you and your baby sleep through the night.
 
 
 
For those persistent toddler sleep struggles, check out The 5 Step System to Help Your Toddler Sleep. Using the same unique approach and practical tools for success, this e-book helps you and your toddler sleep through the night and enjoy a better daytime schedule.
 
 
 
If you’re looking for ways to get your baby or toddler into a healthy sleeping routine during the day, I encourage you to explore Mastering Naps and Schedules! This is our comprehensive guide to napping routines, nap transitions, and all the other important “how-tos” of good baby sleep. With over 45 sample sleep schedules and planning worksheets, Mastering Naps and Schedules is a hands-on tool ideal for any parenting style.

Or, join our Members Area packed with exclusive content and resources: e-Books, assessments, detailed case studies, expert advice, peer support, and more. It actually costs less to join than buying products separately! As a member, you’ll also enjoy a weekly chat with an expert sleep consultant.

 
If you are looking for a more customized solution for your unique situation, and want plenty of support along the way, please consider one-on-one baby and toddler sleep consultations. Your consultation package will provide you with the chance to interact one-on-one with a trained sleep consultant, who will create a Personalized Sleep Plan™ for your family and then work to help you implement it at home.
 

Can’t decide which product or service is right for you? Visit our Getting Started Page for help.

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Parents, does it ever feel like the first year of your baby’s life is just one long sleep challenge? Between sleep regressions, teething, illness, growth spurts, and nap transitions, it can feel like your baby will NEVER sleep soundly, because just when you find your sleep “groove”, another change or transition rears its ugly head.

This is especially true of sleep regressions. There are three sleep regressions that we commonly see happen during the first year of a child’s life, and since each one can last for 6 weeks (or perhaps more, in extreme cases!), it can feel like you are moving from one regression straight into another

However, we also commonly hear parents refer to baby growth spurts as sleep regressions. Indeed, some sleep consultants and experts call baby growth spurts sleep regressions, and vice versa.

So what’s this about? Is a sleep regression the same as a growth spurt? Are the two related? Or are they completely different?

Let’s take a look!

Sleep Regression: A Look at Common Baby Sleep Regressions, and Why They Happen

As I mentioned before, we commonly see three distinct regressions during the first year of a baby’s life.

4 Month Sleep Regression

This sleep regression is tough on parents – it can sometimes feel like you’re straight back to having a newborn again, especially if your baby was sleeping through the night and napping well before the regression started! The 4 month regression happens because your baby’s brain and sleep patterns are maturing and changing. Before 4 months, your baby’s sleep patterns are very different from yours; during the 4 month regression, your baby’s sleep patterns are maturing and becoming much more like yours. As a result, you may find that your baby wakes more frequently at night and too early at nap time; this is usually a result of waking between sleep cycles. You can read our original 4 months sleep regression article, or you can read a newer, updated 4 month sleep regression article as well.

8 Month (or 9 Month, or 10 Month) Sleep Regression

If you manage to get your 4 month old sleeping well after the 4 month sleep regression, you’re not out of the woods yet – you still have the 8/9/10 month sleep regression to contend with! The cause of this regression is pretty easy to spot, for most parents – at this age, your baby is going through major developmental milestones! From 8-10 months, most babies are becoming expert crawlers, they’re pulling up on furniture and beginning to cruise around, and they may even be starting to walk. What’s more, your baby is learning a lot of hand-eye coordination at this time – by 8 months, most babies are becoming able to spot a toy they want, creep/crawl over to it, pick it up with their pincer grip, and then inspect it closely (and perhaps try to eat it!). Truly, this window of time is an explosion of physical development for most babies. No wonder, then, that sleep is disrupted – their brains and bodies are learning so many new physical skills!

12 Month Sleep Regression

This sleep regression is less-common; not every child will go through this one. That may be because it has more to do with naps, and therefore doesn’t have the same overall impact on sleep. Specifically, this regression is characterized by a 12-month old suddenly refusing to take two naps, and refusing to sleep during the first morning nap. Lots of parents assume this means it’s time to transition from two naps to one, but we discourage this. Most babies aren’t actually ready for just one nap per day until between 15 months and 18 months. So really, this regression has a lot to do with your baby consolidating sleep differently – by 12 months, your baby is likely sleeping very long stretches at night, and getting just 2-3 hours of sleep in naps. This change in sleep consolidation can cause a brief “nap strike” right around 12 months of age. You can read more about the 12 month sleep regression here.

Baby Growth Spurts: When They Happen

If you feel like 3 sleep regressions in the first year of life is a lot, just wait until you see how many growth spurts you can expect in the first year:

• 7-10 days
• 2 weeks
• 4 weeks
• 8 weeks
• 12 weeks
• 4 months
• 6 months
• 8.5 months
• 10.5 months
• 12.5 months

Of course, your baby won’t experience growth spurts at exactly those times (babies aren’t nearly so predictable!) but you can use these as rough estimates. Baby growth spurts are short intervals (usually about a week) during which time your baby will have an increased appetite, and will often wake more at night to feed. And baby growth spurts affect sleep, too. During these baby growth spurts, your baby may also seem extra-sleepy, so even though sleep may be interrupted by extra feedings, you may find that your baby’s overall sleep amounts per day are greater during the growth spurt than they usually are.

Sleep Regression vs. Growth Spurt

So, is a sleep regression the same as a growth spurt? The short answer is no. For one thing, a baby will go through far more baby growth spurts during the first year than she will sleep regressions. Additionally, based on the information above, you can see that sleep regressions have much more to do with mental and physical development, and less to do with simple growth and weight gain. What’s more, the sleeplessness that comes with growth spurts has a cause – baby growth spurts cause babies to wake more often at night, and early from naps, because baby is hungry and needs to eat. But that’s not true of sleep regressions; during a sleep regression, your baby will wake more at night and have interrupted naps, but you may not be able to find a cause at all (indeed, because often there is no cause that you can see – it’s due to mental and physical development). Finally, growth spurts are usually short-lived (about a week) whereas a sleep regression can last up to 6 weeks (typically 2-4 weeks).

That said, if you compare the timing of each sleep regression against the list of baby growth spurts, you’ll notice significant overlap. Many of the baby growth spurts on the list coincide with the sleep regression stages. So, while sleep regressions and baby growth spurts are not the same thing – you can’t use the terms interchangeably – it’s likely that a sleep regression impacts a growth spurt, and that baby growth spurts impact sleep regressions.

Your turn – in your experience, how are baby growth spurts and sleep regressions related? Scroll down to share your story with us, to ask questions, and to hear from other parents just like you!

The post Sleep Regression, or Growth Spurt? Or Both? appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

Sleep Regressions: What They Are

A sleep regression describes a period of time (~3 to 6 weeks) when a baby or toddler who has been sleeping well suddenly starts waking at night, taking short naps and/or skipping naps for no apparent reason. Parents often describe being caught totally off guard: you think you have conquered all your baby’s sleep challenges, when suddenly, out of nowhere, you’re back to constant night wakings and nonexistent naps.

Frustrating, to say the least!!

Sleep Regression Ages: When (And Why) They Happen

Remember, every baby is different, so what is true for your friends’ babies may not necessarily be true for yours. That is, your baby or toddler may show true regression signs at some of these month markers, but not others.

That said, there are some ages during which most babies or toddlers go through a regression that affects their sleep:

6 Week Sleep Regression? Or, Growth Spurt?

6-week olds seem to really start to wake up if they weren’t alert from birth. If your 6-week old baby is suddenly struggling with sleeping, you might be exhausted. Babies this age actually have a peak of fussiness and a growth spurt.

Learn more about your 6-week old here:

• 6 Week Sleep Regression and Growth Spurt

4 Month Sleep Regression

This one’s permanent, parents! That is to say that the changes that happen with the 4 month sleep regression are permanent changes. By 4 months, your baby has ditched her babyish sleeping patterns and is sleeping more like an adult – and that translates into frequent night waking (and lots of fussing) along with shortened naps.

Find 4 month sleep regression help here:

• How Long Does the 4-Month Sleep Regression Last? And, How to Shorten It
• 4 Month Sleep Regression Explained + 20 Tips to Fix It

6 Month Sleep Regression? Or, a Growth Spurt?

In my 10+ years of experience as a sleep consultant and working with thousands of families over the years, there isn’t a 6-month sleep regression. Some 6-month-olds do have sleep problems around this age, but there isn’t a 3 to 6-week period with chronic sleep problems like the other regressions listed on this page. Sleep regressions happen at many ages but not this one.

Learn what’s really happening at 6-months old here:

• 6 Month Old Sleep Regression Myth
• Sleep Training a 6 Month Old: 5 Things You Need to Know

8 Month Sleep Regression

The 8 month sleep regression is all thanks to the developmental milestones that are happening around 8 months, 9 months, and 10 months. At this stage, most babies are making great strides physically – learning to crawl, pull up, cruise, etc. There’s also a lot of brain development happening at this stage. Your baby is absorbing language like crazy!

Finally, most babies are cutting at least a few teeth during this season. Add it all up, and you get more night waking, shorter (or even skipped) naps, and one cranky baby on your hands.

9 Month Sleep Regression

The 9 month regression is really just a continuation of the one at 8 months. However, some babies don’t start this sleep regression until they turn 9 months old. There is nothing wrong with your baby if sleep was fine at 8 months old but not at 9 months old.

10 Month Sleep Regression

Just like the 9-month sleep regression, the 10-month sleep regression is really just the culmination of the regression at 8 or 9 months, depending on when your baby started this phase. The entire sleep regression lasts 3 to 6 weeks, on average, and some days/weeks will simply be better than others. The main difference with 10-month-olds is that many of them can stand up in their beds, which can complicate matters.

Find 8, 9, and 10 month sleep regression help here:

• 8, 9, and 10 Month Sleep Regression Explained

11 Month Sleep Regression

The 11-month nap regression doesn’t seem to affect as many of our clients as the other regressions do. It seems to be a less common one.

At any rate, this regression has a lot to do with naps – specifically, you might find that your baby suddenly starts refusing their second nap, and tries to get by with just one nap.

Lots of parents assume that this is a normal nap transition and that it means their little one is ready for just one nap a day.

However, we urge parents to treat this one as the temporary speedbump it most likely is instead. Most toddlers really aren’t ready to transition to just one nap a day until about 15-18 months old, on average.

12 Month Regression

The 12 month sleep regression is really the same as the 11 month regression, though if your toddler starts this one in the 12th month, it’s possible they will actually transition to just one nap early. Still, it’s better to be prudent and treat it as a phase for a few weeks to make sure.

Find 11 month or 12 month sleep regression help here:

• 12 Month Sleep Regression: Why Not All 12 Month Olds Transition to One Nap

15 Month Sleep Problems

At 15 months old, your child may be learning to walk and that could cause some disruption in sleep. But, generally speaking, if your 15-month old suddenly starts having some trouble sleeping, most likely, they are starting to transition to one nap. This is a very common age to start waking at night due to two naps being too much or perhaps your toddler stopped taking a second nap and is over-tired at bedtime. At this age, there isn’t a 3 to 6-week period of sleep problems that suddenly go away. Most of the sleep problems around this age are related to a schedule problem.

Learn more about transitioning to one nap here:

• 15 Month Sleep Regression: Why It Happens and How to Get Through It
• When Do Babies Drop to One Nap? 5 Signs to Watch For and How to Switch
• Managing Nap Transitions

18 Month Sleep Regression

Oh, parents – this one is a doozie. Why? Because now your baby is a toddler – a walking, talking (well, babbling at least), tantrum-throwing toddler. This regression has a lot to do with your toddler’s new-found independence. She’s learning that – guess what – she has opinions and things! And – even better – she can express those opinions by shouting “NO!” at top volume! Separation anxiety also comes into play here; your toddler may genuinely be distressed when you leave at nap time, or when you walk out of the room at bedtime. Finally, teething is still a factor at 18 months – toddlers are often cutting molars (those big, painful teeth!) around this time.

Find 18 month sleep regression help here:

• Why the 18-Month Sleep Regression Can Be The Hardest

2 Year Sleep Problems

To be honest, sleep problems at 2 years old are a little less straightforward than the others. That’s because there are a variety of factors that can cause it. For one thing, your 2-year old’s awake time is growing longer, but as he makes that transition, it can disrupt sleep.

Your 2-year-old is likely also going through some big life transitions, like potty training and transitioning to a big-kid bed (and maybe even getting a new sibling!) There are many milestones at 2 years old.

And, around 2 years of age, lots of toddlers begin having very real nightmares (or even night terrors). All of this can lead to a very real, very exhausting sleep regression around 2 years old.

Find help with the 2 year regression here:

• 5 Things About Your 2 Year Old’s Sleep

How To Handle Regressions Effectively

You know the what, the why, and the when behind the common baby and toddler sleep regression – now how about the ‘how to’?

As in, “How the heck do I fix this and get back to my peaceful nights of sleep again?!?!”

Well, for starters, remember that the 4 month sleep regression is a permanent change – there is no going back to the way things were. Once you are through the worst of that regression you will want to focus on helping your baby break her sleep associations, and on helping her learn to fall asleep without help from you. Once she can do that, she will be well on her way to sleeping through the night. And you’ll also be establishing a more predictable daytime schedule.

As for the other sleep regressions, here are a few tips to help you cope WITHOUT undoing all the sleep coaching progress you’ve made up to this point:

• Don’t be afraid to offer extra feedings. Growth spurts can be a component of regressions that affect sleep, so don’t worry about offering an extra nighttime feeding (or even daytime feeding) here and there. Remember – this is temporary! You will eventually return to your normal schedule.
• Offer comfort as needed, but avoid making new (or reinstating old) bad habits. You will definitely need to offer your baby or toddler plenty of extra kisses and cuddles during a sleep regression, and this is okay! But avoid creating new sleep associations – avoid rocking your baby to sleep regularly, or nursing her to sleep. Avoid reinstating old bad habits, too – if you have weaned your toddler off the pacifier, for example, don’t revert to offering the pacifier during a sleep regression.
• Solicit help, and lean hard on your partner. These regressions last for a while (up to 4-6 weeks, in some cases!) And if you are doing your due diligence, and trying to cope while not creating new sleep associations, you are bound to get tired. This is the time to ask for help from anyone who will offer it! Have friends or family members help you (either with your little one or with the household management).
• Offer an earlier bedtime if necessary. These regressions can lead to missed sleep, which can lead to overtiredness, which can quickly spiral into more missed sleep. Yikes! So to ward off exhaustion, offer an earlier bedtime if necessary.

The post Sleep Regressions: Ages and Everything You Need To Know to Handle Them appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

One primary benefit I have over other parents is YOUR experience. What I mean by that is that, sure, I have my own personal experience with my son who inspired this website, but now that I’ve helped countless parents and approaching my 10,000th e-mail (you can see the counter on the homepage here, which is almost real-time and updates ever so often), I see patterns that most parents don’t have the luxury of seeing. I am very analytical, so I connect things that others may not, since my mind looks for patterns, even when I don’t mean to. I benefit from your experience and know the potential pitfalls to look out for, not only from my own experience, but from all of yours, too. It’s actually very interesting to put it all together!

My experience (or maybe I should say OUR experience) tells me that MANY people will have sleep troubles around the same time:

• 4 months old – This is probably one of the biggest trouble spots for many new parents (though only some will consider it a sleep problem until 6 months, waiting for baby to “get over it”). The way your baby sleeps fundamentally changes and it never changes back!
• 8 months old – This one is another big one, but doesn’t always happen in the eighth month. This can be around 8, 9, or 10 months and usually related to a lot of development going on with your baby. This usually gets better a few weeks later, though it’s easy to develop new long-term habits trying to deal with it.
• 11 months old – I hear about this one enough to know I wasn’t alone, but not enough to say it’s a “big” problem for all families. Around 11 months old, I have found that some babies will start fighting one or both naps and then it will pass 2-3 weeks later.
• 18 months old – I have not written an article about this one (yet), but this is a common age to hear from parents about their toddler’s sleep, usually related to napping, night waking, and testing limits or questions about discipline.
• 2 years old – Around this age, I find many parents writing to me about bedtime getting later, which is common at this age, especially in the summer.

These are all very common trouble spots and, as I always say, the biggest “danger” with these times is to make new long-term habits such that something that would have been temporary becomes a long-term sleep problem for you and your baby.

Are there other challenging times? You bet! I would say the first two years (sometimes three) are difficult, regardless, but around 7 months, your baby begins developing separation anxiety, then there is teething, of course, and other issues like that come up here and there. Some will simply be more sensitive to all the changes than others.

So, how do you know if you are seeing a sleep regression or a phase?

First, I should explain that a “sleep regression” has been a term that people have used to say “Sleep really messes up at this time, but don’t worry it will go back to normal.” But, a “regression” implies that something will go back to how it once was and, in that regard, I would say only the “8 month sleep regression” fits the definition. 18 months is a close second, but if you aren’t careful, that strong independence-seeking stage can bleed into 2 and 3 years old and that’s a heckuva long “regression!” At 4 months, your baby changes how he sleeps and while some will then begin to sleep better without you changing anything, he will never sleep the same. At 8 months, this is generally a “blip” due to rapid development and the simple inability to sleep with so much going on in their minds. As long as you don’t inadvertently make some new long-term habits, your baby most likely will get past this in 3 to 6 weeks and go back to how he was sleeping before. If it was bad before, though, that may not be very desirable!

Every other “blip” in your baby’s sleep, I would call a “phase”. Anytime your baby or toddler is working on a new developmental milestone (whether you can “see” it or not), it may affect his sleep. This is going to be quite a lot of “phases” in the first few years. They learn a LOT in a short amount of time! Just to name a few, they learn names of objects, how to roll, crawl, pull up, stand up, sign language, and/or hand gestures, walk, talk, object permanence, eat, cause and effect, and so on and there are likely lots of “little” things we don’t even realize. Some of the things we’ve taken for granted that we know we have to teach our kids. All of that can make some babies feel unsettled, insecure, happy, tired, over-tired, excited, over-stimulated or all of the above! No wonder they can’t sleep, sometimes!

When is it a sleep habit?

There is no black and white as far as when you have a sleep regression, phase, or a habit, but my general rule of thumb is 2-3 weeks. If you have an abrupt sleep change, try to give your baby 1-3 weeks to see if something reveals itself. It could be a new tooth or a new “trick” or even an illness a few days later. There is no reason to feel alarmed that something has changed until it has “stuck” and then that’s when I tend to tell people to take action.

If your baby wasn’t sleeping well before and then starts to sleep worse, that would be another reason to start working on sleep. Sleep may not become perfect until the sleep regression is over, for example, but it could be a whole lot better if your baby WAS waking 3 times per night and is now waking 6-8 times per night, which is excessive even for a sleep regression.

In the end, you know your baby best and, although you may be a new mom or on your third baby and forgot everything from your younger one(s), your instincts will guide you more than you think. As soon as you start to feel resentment or that you can barely function or, worse, your baby can barely function, it’s likely time to do something about it. Although it may be your fault your baby won’t sleep doesn’t mean it has to stay that way. Only some will eventually grow out of their sleep problems. I work with parents of toddlers all the time still waiting for their baby to grow out of the same sleep problems they had at 4 months old!

If you’re looking for ways to get your baby or toddler into a healthy sleeping routine, please be sure to pick up your FREE copy of 5 Ways to Help Your Child Sleep Through the Night, our e-Book with tear-free tips to help your baby sleep better. For those persistent nighttime struggles, check out The 3-Step System to Help Your Baby Sleep (babies) or The 5-Step System to Better Toddler Sleep (toddlers). Using a unique approach and practical tools for success, our e-books help you and your baby sleep through the night and nap better. For those looking for a more customized solution for your unique situation with support along the way, please consider one-on-one baby and toddler sleep consultations, where you will receive a Personalized Sleep Plan® you can feel good about! Sometimes it’s not that you can’t make a plan. Sometimes you’re just too tired to.

How do you decide if your baby is going through a phase or has a sleep habit?

The post Is Your Baby Going Through a Sleep Regression, a Phase, or Is It a Habit? appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

8-Month Sleep Regression: What It Is and Why Does It Happen?

If you suspect your baby might be hitting the 8-month sleep regression, you’re not alone! Thousands of parents research this regression each month and your entire sleep routine can be turned on its head.

Maybe your sleep problems are new after your baby was sleeping through the night. Or, maybe you feel like you never quite recovered from the 4-month sleep regression. Regardless of how they were sleeping before this, you might be struggling now.

The primary cause of the 8-month sleep regression is due to rapid growth and brain development. Your baby may be crawling, scooting, sitting up, pulling up, and/or cruising. It can be even more challenging when your baby starts standing in the crib and won’t sleep!

Aside from physical skills, your baby is also absorbing your language and beginning to put things into categories. For example, they are learning something is a cat, regardless of color or size. This is also connected to Mental Leap 6 if you follow the Wonder Weeks.

When your brain is busy, it can be very difficult to sleep, of course!

Here are the reasons this sleep regression happens with more details below:

1. Schedule Change – Your 8 Month Old Baby Schedule might be changing. Your baby could be dropping their third catnap which can be brutal. Be sure to put them on a 2-nap schedule such as our sample 9-month old schedule or 10-month old schedule.
2. Developmental Milestones – As described above, your baby’s newfound mobility and mental leaps can make sleep very difficult.
3. Separation Anxiety – When your baby goes through a lot of changes, they tend to like to be close to you to help them through it.
4. Teething – This is a common age for one or more teeth to cut through the gums which can be uncomfortable.

Signs of the 8 Month Sleep Regression

Signs your baby is going through this regression could include your baby starts having trouble falling asleep at night, waking up at night, taking shorter naps, separation anxiety, irritability, and clinginess. Many weeks when a baby is having trouble sleeping can be exhausting for your entire family and shorter naps mean less time for you to do things during the day and that can be frustrating!

On top of the developmental milestones, many 8-month old babies are also getting their first teeth or more teeth. Babies get teeth on and off for a good two years!

And, even more than developmental leaps and teeth, many 8-month old babies are transitioning from three naps to two naps. An 8 month old schedule often includes three naps but not always. The 9 month old sleep schedule has just two naps.

And, when your baby is going through a lot of changes, you can bet they don’t want to be apart from you very much. Some changes can feel exciting yet possibly a little unnerving! So, we see separation anxiety peak around this time, too.

You may also be interested in:

• Separation Anxiety and Sleep
• 15 Reasons Babies Wake At Night
• 8 Month Old Baby Schedule
• Baby Teething and Sleep
• Wonder Weeks Chart (Developmental Leaps)

When Does the 8 Month Sleep Regression Start and End?

The 8-month sleep regression starts at 8 months old and lasts 3 to 6 weeks, on average. This sleep regression can start early at 7 months old though it’s not as common. At 7 months old, we see separation anxiety begins, though. Of course, this can start to feel like your baby is going through a never-ending sleep regression from 7 to 10 months old!

Can This Sleep Regression Start Early?

Yes, in some cases, we see the 8 month sleep regression start at 7 months old though it’s not as common. Parents may be searching for a 7-month sleep regression. All babies develop on their unique timetable so if your baby is experiencing a 7-month sleep regression, it’s likely the 8-month one simply started early.

What Is The 9 Month Sleep Regression?

The 9 month old sleep regression is really a continuation of the 8 month sleep regression when your baby is learning so many new skills. All babies develop at their own rate so it’s possible this regression doesn’t start until 9 months old, but it’s really the same. Since sleep regressions last 3 to 6 weeks, on average, this particular sleep regression can span over the 9th month and sometimes the 10th month depending on when it started.

What else can be happening with your 9 month old?

If your baby didn’t transition to two naps by 8 months, they most certainly have at 9 months. In addition, your more mobile baby likely needs to add another solid meal into their daytime schedule as they are burning through calories at a more rapid pace. We sometimes see babies increase their night feedings again around this age so you’ll want to make some adjustments to your daytime schedule.

You may also be interested in:

• Night Feedings By Age
• Solid Foods By Age
• 9 Month Old Baby Schedule

What Is The 10 Month Sleep Regression?

The 10-month-old sleep regression is the culmination of the 8-month and 9-month sleep regressions when your baby has finished this developmental leap. Your baby is likely much more adept at moving their body and being mobile. Before they complete the sleep regression, they may find it irresistible to stand up in their crib.

How Long Do These Sleep Regressions Last?

Again, most sleep regressions last 3 to 6 weeks, on average.

I know all too well how 6 weeks can feel like an eternity when you aren’t sleeping! With the 4-month sleep regression, your baby permanently changed how exactly she sleeps. The 8 month sleep regression isn’t a permanent change to how your baby sleeps. Luckily, it’s temporary. That doesn’t make it any less exhausting, of course!

How Much Sleep Do 8, 9, and 10 Month Olds Need?

8-month-old, 9-month-old, and 10-month-old babies all still need 11-12 hours of sleep at night and 2-3 hours during the day. As with all developmental milestones, night sleep can be disrupted while your baby is going through this developmental leap. Either they are too busy practicing their new skills (either by choice or impulsively) or their brain is just too wired to settle down. Ever have a big meeting, graduation, wedding, or event the next day and can’t sleep? You can relate.

Your 8 or 9-month-old is also likely going through a nap transition and losing the third catnap. As with most nap transitions, this makes your baby overtired and often even fussier than usual during this sleep regression. Finding a new age-appropriate baby nap schedule can be even more challenging during this sleep regression not only because of the nap transition but also due to the fact that the sleep regression can disrupt naps just like night sleep.

Is he not napping because you are trying naps at the wrong time or is it because he is too busy practicing his new skill?

Doubts can mount during this time and you might lose confidence in your parenting ability. Your baby might be clingier and fussier because she’s tired and these new changes can make her feel more insecure. Have no fear, there is likely nothing wrong with your parenting or your baby!

You may also be interested in:

• 7 Common Napping Mistakes
• Sample Sleep and Feeding Schedules By Age
• 7 Reasons Your Baby or Toddler Stopped Sleeping Through the Night

Can You Do Sleep Training During This Regression?

Yes, although it’s not an ideal time for sleep training, if you don’t try to avoid long-term habits, both you and the baby can lose a lot of sleep during this time period. Sleep training during the 8 month sleep regression can take a lot of patience but can be very successful.

10 Tips to Handle The 8 Month Sleep Regression

Here are a few tips based on our experience working with families for over 10 years. These are in no particular order.

1. Put your baby on the right 8 month schedule, 9 month schedule, or 10 month schedule. Although the right schedule is only one piece of the puzzle, it can make a huge difference in better sleep! Not sure how many naps? Use our Baby Nap Chart.
2. Make sure your baby’s room is conducive to sleep including using a white noise machine, room-darkening blinds or curtains, and a comfortable room temperature.
3. Get medical advice from your baby’s doctor. Occasionally, sleep can unravel for a medical reason such as an ear infection.
4. Assuming your baby is healthy, don’t assume everything is due to the 8 month sleep regression – If your baby had sleep problems at 5 months, 6 months, or 7 months, then it’s unlikely that it’s this sleep regression at the root of your sleep problems, now. You likely have a lingering problem that needs to be addressed.
5. Don’t assume everything is teething for similar reasons.
6. If sleep problems are new to you, be careful about making a new long-term habit such as co-sleeping if that’s not what you want. As I mentioned above, this could be as short as a 3-week phase, but new habits or routines can last for months, or even years. Consistency is still important.
7. Be patient – Your baby will only go through this particular developmental leap once (thankfully), so try to help her through it as best you can. Keep in mind that we can’t always remove our baby’s discomfort, but we can be there for support.
8. Offer support to your 8 month old, 9 month old, or 10 month old, but try to continue with your sleep coaching as much as feels right to you. That means offer extra support just like you may help your baby solve a puzzle, but do let them do some of it on their own, so they can continue learning.
9. If you never did cry it out before, this is probably not the time to try it. Instead, I recommend reviewing all the various sleep training methods.
10. Have a teething protocol to follow in case your baby is cutting tooth after tooth.

I hope this post gives you a glimpse of what your 8, 9, or 10 month old is going through. I still believe that a baby can learn how to sleep better during this time, but keep in mind it might not be perfect, and that is okay. You can still start to lay the foundation, create new routines, and build confidence in her abilities. Getting more sleep will help her cope with the changes and likely help with any additional fussiness, too. If she can’t nap well, but she’s sleeping well at night, that will help bridge the gap. The vice versa is also true if she’s having trouble sleeping at night, but napping better.

Adding more sleep deprivation will usually only make this phase more difficult for all of you, so I don’t always recommend waiting it out. If it’s been months of sleep deprivation leading up to this point and can possibly be 6 more weeks and beyond. There is always something!

In my 10+ years of experience as a sleep consultant, I get e-mails every day from parents of babies of all ages and some parents of toddlers are still “waiting it out.” Don’t wait until the next toddler sleep regression to make a change. Just like it’s never a perfect time to have a baby, it’s never a perfect time to make a change in sleep habits!

8 Month Sleep Regression Case Study

Want more information about how to help your 8 month old sleep well? Check out our detailed case study about Carrie, Ben, and their 8 month old Elliot.

Read how they helped Elliot sleep through the night and take better naps – and how they helped to change those sleep associations that were keeping him awake! Just join our VIP Members Area, and access the case study instantly. And that’s not all – our VIP Members Area is packed with additional premium content and resources: e-Books, assessments, more case studies, live chats with a sleep consultant, and more. It actually costs less to join than buying products separately!

For more guidance on handling the 8-10 month sleep regression, check out our special members-only resources in our VIP Members Area:

• The 8-10 Month Sleep Regression Survival Guide [EXPANDED MEMBERS-ONLY EDITION]
• 8 Month Sleep Regression Case Study (With Breastfeeding Associations, Napping Problems, and Medical Concerns)
• Sleep Regressions Tele-seminar
• The 3-Step System to Help Your Baby Sleep e-book

How Do You Know When the 8 Month Sleep Regression Is Over?

Well, you don’t really. If you have developed some new sleep habits you’re not fond of, you may need to change those habits. Keep in mind that we have the wisdom your 8 month old baby may not have. It’s one thing for the entire family to lose sleep for one week, but week after week it’s not healthy for anyone. I work with families every day who start sleep coaching during this time period.

8, 9, or 10 Month Sleep Regression Help

The post 8-9-10 Month Sleep Regression: 10 Tips to Handle and Survive appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.