If you’ve followed this blog for a while, you’re likely no stranger to the concept of sleep regressions. You’ve probably experienced them first-hand, right? 😉 If you’re new here, however, let us fill you in. A sleep regression refers to a period of time when a baby or toddler who’s been sleeping well suddenly begins waking at night and during naptime or even refusing to go to sleep at all.
There are several distinct regression phases that most babies and toddlers experience: one at 4 months, another at 8, 9, or 10 months, a third around 18 months, and (as if three weren’t enough!) a final one around 2 years. This article will focus on some of the challenges surrounding your 2 year old’s sleep, including elements that are part of the 2 year sleep regression.
5 Facts About Your 2 Year Old’s Sleep
1: Your 2 year old’s awake time is longer.
As your toddler grows, she needs progressively less sleep than she did as an infant. Most 2 year olds need approximately 12 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period, on average; compare that to a newborn’s need for about 16 hours of sleep! And of course, most of your toddler’s sleep is happening at night now. You may also find that your 2 year old is showing more resistance to bedtime than usual, and that she’s falling asleep late. Or, she may be waking too early. All this adds up to equal less downtime (and maybe less sleep!) for you.
Nicole’s note:
“We start getting a lot of e-mails around this time of year that toddlers are beginning to “fight bedtime.” Here in the States, when we are approaching summer, it stays light later and this can directly influence your toddler’s internal clock. Nights may get shorter, but this is temporary! She may truly be unable to fall asleep at an earlier time.”
2: Your 2 year old’s separation anxiety may resurface around this time.
Separation anxiety peaks around 18 months, but it can appear off and on until your child is 5 or 6 (or maybe even after! Yikes!!) At age 2, separation anxiety can be based on actual fear; your 2 year old may be afraid to be left alone, or with people he doesn’t know. However, it can also come from a desire not to miss out on the fun! By now, your 2 year old knows that when you leave, you don’t just disappear. Instead, he knows that you’re off somewhere not far away, having (in his mind, at least) tons of fun without him. Understandably, he doesn’t want to be left out! If this separation anxiety surfaces as soon as you walk out the door during naptime and/or bedtime, it can disrupt your toddler’s sleep.
Nicole’s note:
“Many parents report they have to, all of a sudden, stay with their 2 year old as she falls asleep at nap and bedtime. This is SO common!”
3: Your 2 year old may suddenly stop napping.
Around 2 years of age, some toddlers abruptly stop taking an afternoon nap. You might find that when you put your 2 year old down for her nap, she spends the entire hour talking/laughing/singing/playing. Or, you may find that your 2 year old’s nap resistance isn’t nearly so pleasant — she may spend the whole hour screaming! As with separation anxiety, this sudden resistance to naps can come from your 2 year old’s desire not to miss out on anything. It can also be the result of her growing self-awareness and independence — she’s becoming more aware of what she wants, so if she doesn’t want to lie down for a nap, she’s going to let you know it!
We advise parents to treat this sudden naptime resistance as a regression, and not as something permanent. Most children won’t completely give up their naps until 3 or 4. It’s best to simply stay consistent with your 2 year old’s schedule and routine, and to not give up on the nap just yet.
Nicole’s note:
“All 2 year olds are different, of course. We, personally, had to stop allowing a nap around 2 1/2, because my son’s awake time approached 7 hours after nap and waking up at 3pm…well you can do the math. It was after my bedtime!”
4: Your 2 year old may be going through some transitions that disrupt sleep.
There are a few common transitions your 2 year old may be experiencing:
- Moving to a big boy / big girl bed: Although more children make this transition closer to age 3, some toddlers make this step at age 2. This new sleeping arrangement can make it harder for your 2 year old to sleep well at night and for naps, since the new bed is unfamiliar. You may also find your 2 year old taking advantage of his new-found freedom and getting out of bed often. This happens even when you’ve told him again and again to stay put! (A side note: Whether you do it age 2 or wait a bit longer, when the time does come to make the move to a big kid bed, we recommend that you toddler proof your toddler’s room carefully.)
- Potty training: Again, most children aren’t potty trained until age 3 (or even later.) But some parents begin the potty training process around age 2. If your 2 year old is in the midst of potty training, you may find her waking from sleep and needing to use the potty. Even those 2 year olds who haven’t begun potty training yet are becoming more aware of their bodily functions. It’s not uncommon for toddlers this age to wake early in the morning from a full bladder or needing to poop. And by age 2, most children are much more aware of the uncomfortable feeling that a full diaper causes.
- New sibling: Of course, this doesn’t apply to all 2 year olds, but around age 2, some children are preparing for or adjusting to having a new brother or sister around. This is a huge change for toddlers, and (as with all major changes) it can cause lots of anxiety for them. Couple that with the fact that the new baby is likely causing some anxiety for you, too (as you work to juggle multiple schedules) This can mean that no one is getting much sleep!
Nicole’s note:
“We potty trained around 2 1/2 with both boys (which was late for one and a good age for the other). You might remember my article about potty training my second son, here: 6 ways Potty Training is Like Sleep Training.”
5: Your 2 year old may begin having nighttime fears.
By age 2, your toddler is becoming much more imaginative. This makes for really fun and entertaining play, but boy, can it ever be a problem at night! Most 2 year olds’ nighttime fears are triggered by the dark, and all the things that come with it — spooky shadows, monsters lurking under the bed, etc. By this age, toddlers are growing more aware of the world and realizing that there are “bad guys” and things out there that can hurt them. These new nighttime fears can lead to things like nightmares, and even night terrors.
Nicole’s note:
“My eldest (who inspired this blog) began to be afraid of dinosaurs, no matter how many times I tried to define the word ‘extinct’. 🙂 These aren’t always rational fears to us adults, but very real to them, so be patient and empathetic.”
As with any regression or phase, the best thing to do when you encounter these problems is to cope as best you can. Work hard to stay consistent, and try to remind yourself that it won’t last forever. 🙂 Keep in mind, too, that you don’t want your toddler to form any bad habits while you’re working on getting through the 2 year sleep regression, so let that guide your decisions about how you’re going to cope. As Nicole always says, “You don’t want to make or continue long-term habits for a short-term phase.”
Finally, if you’re doing your best to cope with your 2 year old’s terrible sleep but are finding yourself at the end of your rope, consider contacting us. We have the products and services you need to get your 2 year old sleeping well again.
Want FREE sleep help that you can put to use right away? Download a copy of our free guide, Toddler Sleep Secrets! The guide is available to download instantly, which means you can start using the techniques in it as early as tonight. So download now, and learn why your toddler is waking at night and resisting naps – and what you can do about it.
Steph says
We have a two year old who needs to hold hands to fall asleep – each time she wakes up. Sometimes in the middle of the night (she generally wakes at least 3-4 times), we will sit there holding her hand for half an hour to an hour, then slip out quietly. 10-15 minutes later she’s screaming again. She doesn’t really have an attachment to a lovey or animal that works to replace our hands… Help… She has always been a terrible sleeper. My husband wants to CIO but I don’t.
Neosha says
@Steph – Thank you for reading and for sharing with us! 2 year old sleep issues can be rather tough to break, so we feel your pain. It is possible your little girl has developed a sleep association with you all being near her and holding her hand while she falls asleep and she seeks to recreate that environment whenever she wants to fall asleep. If that’s the case, in order to help her stop doing this or wean away from it for ALL sleep, you may want to consider a formal sleep coaching strategy – a plan of action to help her wean away from the hand holding and rely on something else to help soothe herself to sleep and how you’ll handle any of the inevitable tears that will start when she realizes you’re asking her to do something different from what she’s become accustomed to doing. Consider a sticker chart or some other type of reward system as well. If you’d like more support as you work through this process, we’re here to help. Hang in there, Steph!
Angelica says
My 2.5 year old girl has never been the greatest sleeper but she was she was sleep trained and did great for a while but it’s always been on and off. For the last 4 months she wakes so many times throughout the night, she needs me to put her to sleep and it takes over an hr. She naps for an hr and a half at 12 ( trying to have her awake longer times between sleep but it’s not helping. I’m thinking she’s ready to cut out naps!! She naps greats but takes forever to fall asleep at night and wakes throughout. Please help!!
Neosha says
@Angelica – Thank you for reading and for sharing with us. 2 year old sleep can be tough! We do generally find that many 2 year olds do require much more wake time and have much later bedtimes when they are still napping during the day. Some families choose to cut the nap if the later bedtime isn’t working for their families’ schedules while others adjust to the later bedtimes to keep the nap as long as the toddler needs it. This will be a choice you can make based on what works best for your family. If you find you’d like more support getting through this decision and process, please consider connecting with one of our Sleep Consultants in our Members Area:https://www.babysleepsite.com/diy where you can live chat with them at least weekly. Hang in there, Angelica!
Gabby says
My two and a half year old (30 months old) has been having trouble falling asleep at night. We moved him to a toddler bed maybe 3 months ago. He has always been amazing at putting himself to sleep. In his crib, we would do our normal night time routine and I’d lay him down and leave, and he’d be fine. Sometimes it would take him a little longer but he wouldn’t cry he just knew it was bedtime and go to sleep. Now in his toddler bed I have to sit with him until he falls asleep. I’ve seen that this is very normal, but I’m at the point where I’d really like to not have to do that anymore. When I do try to leave, he just immediately gets up and comes to get me. I’ve seen a lot of people say their LO will maybe read, play with stuff in their room etc. but he just immediately comes to get me, I’ll lay him back down, leave and the cycle repeats. I was hoping to get some tips to help with that. Thank you so much!
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Gabby, thanks for writing to us. I’m sorry you’ve been struggling with your toddler coming to get you right away as you put him down. I know (from experience) how challenging that can be, so hang in there! First off, here is a link to a free guide with tips on toddler sleep that may help: https://www.babysleepsite.com/toddler-sleep-tips
I know what really worked for us when my son was that age (and I’d just had a new baby and he had serious fear of missing out so was constantly coming out, having once been a champion sleeper) was investing in an “OK to Wake Clock” which I got off amazon. It may take a little bit of time for him to grasp the idea but you set the clock and when your child is allowed to get out of bed (say 7am) the clock lights up green. It’s subtle enough that if he slept in it wouldn’t wake him and it stays lit for I think 30 minutes after it turns on. It was a game changer for us, and it also has a nap timer. We still use it and he’s 4 1/2. Pairing that with some of the tips (perhaps a sticker chart or something) hopefully you will be able to transition out of the room sooner than later. Hang in there and let us know how it turns out or if you need any more help.
Miranda says
My sweet baby girl is 2, she moved to her toddler bed a few months ago and we never had an issue, all of a sudden this last 2 weeks has been horrible, she gets out of bed, and as soon as I say good night or we walk into her room she starts crying, but after 10 mins I go in her room lay her back in bed and tell her night night and do everything all over again. The next time I wait longer and then if I have to go in again it’s even longer period of time, hoping she will just fall asleep, this is so new for me, she’s always been a great sleeper… where did this come from? HELPPPP
Debbye @ The Baby Sleep Site says
Hi @Miranda –
Thanks for writing, and we would love to help! If your daughter was sleeping well previously, I would suspect developmental changes disrupting her sleep. Developmental milestones which are so prevalent in the first years do have a tendency to temporarily disrupt even good sleepers, and sleep issues are very common right around the 2nd birthday. Here is a link that may help ease you through this:
https://www.babysleepsite.com/toddlers/toddler-sleep-regressions-explained/
And here is a link to our sample toddler schedule, to use as reference to be sure she is sleeping at generally good times. A 2 year old that is offered sleep at the right times will tend to sleep better: https://www.babysleepsite.com/schedules/toddler-schedule
We can definitely help more with this issue, and if things do not smooth out, please consider one of our Personalized Sleep Consultation packages, where we will work with you on a detailed plan- one that you can commit to and feel good about.
You can read about all of our sleep consultation packages and purchase directly online here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/services/
Hang in there Miranda and keep being consistent!
Louise says
I have a 23 month who will no longer sleep. She use to be amazing sticking to her 7.30pm bed time and sleeping through until 8am. Now she has a small hour nap around noon and wont go to bed until well after midnight and this is only in our bed. Once she is asleep my parnter will try to move her to own bed and she wakes up screaming. Lie her back down next to me and she is straight back to sleep. As we both work full time with myself starting at 6am we are starting to struggle with the 3 4 hours of sleep we get. She was induced and found out they got the scan wrong and they brought her on to early so she is very small for her age and just clings to me. We have tried everything we can think of to get her to sleep at a normal time and nothing is working. We need help before we both go crazy
Aparna says
Hi all,
I am so sure that i am the only one who is having the unique situation i am in. My daughter now 26months has never been good sleeper. But this one is next level. for almost a 10months she never slept before 2 am (which seemed liked a blessing compared to now) and now she doesnt sleep the whole night amd finally sleeps at 7am! Her day is night and vice versa ?
We co sleep even now. have got her own bed woudlnt even sleep for 5 mins in it.
Her sleep pattern is that she sleeps 9 hrs then around 3 hrs after waking she needs to nap and nap duration varies between 45mins to 2 hrs. She then stays awake for 8 hrs straight. wont sleep a min before it.
bedtime is always a struggle. will find every reason to stay awake.
Cause of this crazy schedule cant take to any nursery or play parks.
To keep her enetertained within the four walls at night for 8 hrs is an uphill task.
Any help is much appreciated.
Debbye @ The Baby Sleep Site says
Hi @Aparna – Thank you for writing to us! I assure you that you are NOT the only family experiencing a very “off” schedule! We have helped many families where the baby is sleeping in the day and ready to party all night! We understand how tough this must be for you and would love to help! Flipping her schedule around could be quite a transition to take on, and I would recommend getting help from one of our expert sleep consultants who has helped thousands and thousands of families.
You can see a full description and purchase any of our consultation packages here:
https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-toddler-sleep-consulting-services?utm_source=crs&utm_medium=desk
There are essentially two types of packages: email only, and e-mail plus telephone support, and we have packages to fit every need and every budget.
Our most popular package is our Deluxe E-mail Consultation Package; it provides a Personalized Sleep Plan (written just for your family given your specific history you share with your sleep consultant) plus four follow-up email consultations.
Once you purchase, you will automatically be sent the details for logging into your Helpdesk account where you can first fill out the Family Profile. Then you will click on “Sleep History” in the top menu to complete and submit your sleep history questionnaire, and your sleep consultant wil get to work on YOUR Plan, and support you along the way whenever you need it! Hang in there Aparna, and if you have any further questions, or need any assistance at any time, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
Megan Sirdefield says
My son is nearly 3, he has never been a good sleeper he had always woke up mulitple time in the night, but the past month he is waking more then normal crying when he is a awake and won’t go back to sleep unless I lay with him it’s the only thing to calm him down, as soon as I leave his bed he wakes up crying for me again. I can’t get him out of this habbit. I don’t know who I go to talk to about this. But it’s such a struggle waking up 4-6 times a night with him. If you have any advice please let me know
Many thanks
Danielle says
Hi Megan,
Thank you for using The Baby Sleep Site as a resource! I’m sorry to hear you’re struggling with these night wakings. It sounds like this might be a combination of some sleep associations and possible a scheduling issue, contributing to overtiredness. We have some resources I hope will help. Here’s an article on transitioning away from co-sleeping: https://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-training/co-sleeping-transition-how-to/
And here’s our series on sleep coaching, with a number of methods you can use at home to create a coaching plan that will work for you: https://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-training/sleep-training-from-no-cry-to-cry-series-part-1/
If you need more support, please consider one of our consultation packages, so a sleep consultant can create a plan for you and support you through the transition: https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-toddler-sleep-consulting-services/
I hope this helps – hang in, and good luck!
Christine says
My 32 month old starts screaming from 10pm to midnight and needs a hug from me to go back to sleep. Around midnight my 2.5 month is up. I get maybe a couple 20 min naps after midnight or crash together in the recliner. The oldest is in bed between 8 and 8:30 and youngest is in asleep at 7:30 to 8 pm. I am bearing the baby, but I want to ship away the toddler.
Danielle says
Hi Christine,
Thank you for using The Baby Sleep Site as a resource! I’m so sorry to hear you’re struggling so much with sleep – please hang in there! We would love to get you some resources to help. Could you please email us at [email protected] with a brief write-up of your toddler’s schedule and how long this has been going on? Hope to hear from you soon!
Lily says
So my 23 month old is suddenly crying and screaming when I put him to bed I try everything but all he wants to do is stay with me weather it is holding him or bringing him in my bed. He has been a perfect sleeper until like 2 days ago. I don’t want him to get used to sleeping with us every night but i don’t know what to do about his crying he was literally crying for like 2 hours and half asleep but would not sleep without me holding him or being next to him. He is pretty stubborn and hasnt listened to talk and is just really starting to want to talk so there is no way that he can tell me what is wrong.
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Lily, thanks for sharing what’s been going on with your son, I’m so sorry to hear that! I have a 24 month old and can definitely relate to this on many levels. It is so hard when they so want to communicate but can’t! Here is a link to a free guide with tips to handle toddler sleep which may have some ideas you haven’t tried yet: https://www.babysleepsite.com/toddler-sleep-tips
Hopefully this passes for him soon and things get back to normal for you guys, but if you need more help let us know. We have a handful of other resources that can help and I’d be happy to point you in the direction of more of them should you need. Feel free to contact us directly anytime at [email protected]. Hang in there!
Therese Coats says
Hi! I am hoping this is still active. My youngest child just turned 2 and has never slept through the night! She was on oxygen her first 6 months of life and during that time she was an amazing sleeper, however I had to always wake her at least every 4 hours (dr’s orders) to feed etc. She got very, very attached to her bottle. From about 3 months old she started vomiting multiple times a day and continued vomiting at least 4 times a week for 18 months. She only recently started going months at a time without vomiting. We discovered the cause was likely both lactose intolerance and egg allergy. But during those long 18 months she would wake up screaming, vomit and then need a bottle for comfort and nourishment because her entire meal was gone. So we always gave her a bottle which put her back to sleep. So it naturally became her comfort object. And big time sleep association. Now at 2, she has been well for a few months, still undergoing some testing and awaiting a scope to rule out eoe or other causes. We have successfully switched her off the bottle and onto the nuk sippy cup which has a slower flow silicone nipple she loves. But she uses it to go to sleep just like she did the bottle. I tried watering it down to wean her off it but once it gets to half water half milk (lactaid) she demands new milk or screams forever. I give in because my husband must have his sleep and letting her cry it out is not an option. There is no other way to get her to sleep but milk! I am at a loss now because she is regressing. She’s up every hour with a high pitched scream followed by “mommy where are you?” Then when I go to her she demands milk. Last night I kept talking to her and she kept saying “door” and crying. I asked her today why she screams all night. She said “scared.” Could it be she is really just afraid and wants the sippy of milk, because it is so comforting to her? If we work on the fear, could she let go of the night milk? Or am i so far gone stuck in the cycle of milk for sleep that the only way is to tough it out cold turkey replaced by water? Or do I need to try to change away from that sippy she is so attached to? There is no other she will take. I am exhausted. So is my husband. He has health issues that make sleep too important. I don’t want to wear him out and have him end up in the hospital. Which is why I always instantly give in to my daughter. Luckily her siblings sleep through anything but i am at wits end what to do and hope someone has a creative fresh idea. Thank you.
Debbye @ The Baby Sleep Site says
Hi @Therese – Thanks for writing and I am sorry to hear that sleep has been so tough for your 2 year old! It is great to hear that she is no longer vomiting and that her health is improving! It is common to see some separation anxiety at this age, so working to calm her fears is a great first step! Hopefully things will smooth out once she feels a bit more secure! Check out this article for tips too:
https://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-training/baby-toddler-sleep-separation-anxiety/
You may have to work on weaning the milk at night too, but one step at a time is okay, especially if you want to work on limiting tears! Good luck Therese, and please contact us if you need any assistance!
Hollie says
My two and half year old has recently started resisting bedtime and nap time BIG BIG time. I have tried multiple times to put her down at 7:30-8:00(has always been normal bedtime for her). She will literally scream at me, hold on to me and does not like for me to be out of her sight. I have done the singing to her, reading, rocking(normal that we have always done) when she is finally asleep I will lay her down and she instantly awake and crying for me. I have tried shutting her door and just letting her cry it out but that can last for a half hour to an hour even if I go in there to calm her down! I need sleep and help!
Debbye @ The Baby Sleep Site says
Hi @Hollie – Thank you for writing, and so sorry to hear that bedtime and naps have become so rough for your 2 year old! With toddlers, it’s all about setting limits and being consistent. I am hoping that this resource will be helpful for you to get things back on track a bit:
https://www.babysleepsite.com/toddlers/sticker-chart-tips?utm_source=crs&utm_medium=desk
For additional help, I would recommend that you consider our e-Book, The 5 Step System to Better Toddler Sleep. It is written specifically to help parents of toddlers with all types of sleep issues. The book includes a number of detailed sample schedules, as well as an explanation of the various sleep coaching methods you can try at home. It also contains several sleep planning worksheets and sleep logs.
You can find out more about this ebook, and order the book directly online here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/5-step-system-toddler
I hope that things smooth out soon Hollie!! Good luck and feel free to contact us if you would like further assistance!