What is a Sleep Regression?

During a sleep regression that lasts an average of 3 to 6 weeks, a baby or toddler who was sleeping fine suddenly starts waking at night, taking short naps, and/or skipping naps for no apparent reason. Typically, these time periods start without warning and leave parents exhausted and confused. The good news is that it means your baby is developing properly and if you handle them properly, they don’t have to last forever. Sleep regressions happen around 4 months old, 6 months old, 8 to 10 months old, 11-12 months, 15 months, 18 months, and 2 years old.

You may also be interested in:

• Sleep Regressions: Ages and Everything You Need to Know
• Sleep Regression or Growth Spurt? Or, Both?

15 Month Sleep Regression: How Is It Different?

Most sleep regressions happen during developmental milestones. However, the 15-month sleep regression isn’t a change in how a baby sleeps like the 4-month sleep regresson. And, although some toddlers start walking around this age, it’s not as much tied to developmental milestones as the 8-10 month sleep regression.

At 15 months old, this regression typically occurs because your toddler is likely changing their schedule. This is especially true if they’ve already been walking for a while. My older son started walking around 11 months old, for example. When a toddler first starts walking, it can be exhausting. But, once they’re up and running (literally!), their schedule often changes.

How to Get Through the 15 Month Sleep Regression

If your toddler is struggling with the 15-month sleep regression, there are a few ways to get through it. Here are my tips:

• Increase Wake Windows – If you’re still using a typical 12-month old schedule, consider increasing your baby’s wake windows to 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Although it might feel like there’s not much different month-to-month, schedules can change quickly. Check out our toddler schedules by month here. Also, keep in mind if your toddler is still taking two naps, nighttime sleep could decrease down to 10 to 10 1/2 hours. But, that doesn’t mean it’s a bad schedule. You might simply need to shift it forward by an hour or so.
• Increase Solid Food – Active toddlers who are also growing at lightning speeds have very fast metabolisms. I know many of us worry about healthy weights for our children but keep in mind that it can feel like your toddler is eating more than you are on a regular basis! Be sure to offer three solid meals plus 2-3 snacks AND 16-20 oz of milk a day. Your toddler will indicate when they are done with their meal by signaling or refusing to eat. Toddlers also tend to graze a lot. You’d be surprised how often we figure out a toddler is hungry at night and that’s why they are waking up!
• Promote Independent Play – Separation anxiety has peaks and valleys throughout childhood so if your toddler is exhibiting uneasiness, be sure to promote independent play throughout the day. If you are only separating from your toddler at night, this can have negative consequences. Try leaving the room during the day for short durations so you can show them you always come back.
• Transition to One Nap – If your toddler is already awake 3 1/2 to 4 hours between naps and waking frequently at night or for a long period of time in the middle of the night, it might be time to transition to one nap altogether. Transitioning from two naps to one nap can be bumpy but within 2-3 weeks, your toddler should be sleeping much better at night.

Can I Do Sleep Training?

What about sleep training? Keep in mind that sleep training is NOT the answer to every sleep problem! There are many reasons babies and toddlers wake up at night. If you do sleep training such as Ferber or Cry It Out, you run the risk of having long periods of crying without success.

However, if your baby or toddler has always been a troubled sleeper, adding sleep training into the above-mentioned tips can help your child sleep through the night.

You May Also Be Interested In…

• Gentle Sleep Training + 5 Strategies
• The Ferber Method Explained: Age, Separation Anxiety, Is It Harmful?, and Example Session
• 11 Cry-It-Out Do’s and Don’ts
• 5 Ways to Help Your Child Sleep Through the Night

The post 15 Month Sleep Regression: Why It Happens and How to Get Through It appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

We have written so much about sleep regressions here at The Baby Sleep Site^®. SO MUCH. So so so so so much:

• 4 month sleep regression (and here and here)
• 8/9/10 month sleep regression
• 12 month sleep regression
• 18 month sleep regression (and here)
• 2-year sleep regression

Now, there’s a reason for all of these regression articles: there are no less than FIVE sleep regressions within your child’s first 2 years of life. That is a lot of problematic, headache-inducing, exhaustion-producing regressions to deal with! So understandably, parents need resources to learn more about these stages and to learn how to cope with them.

Are Sleep Regressions Even Real?

But here’s something funny: every once in awhile, a client emails us a link to an article or video by one sleep consultant or another who claim that sleep regressions don’t exist. These sleep consultants call them “myths”. Some sleep consultants even posit that the term “sleep regression” is one we parents have coined to “get us off the hook” when sleep derails, and to help us shift the “blame” for bad sleep onto our babies.

Um….what??

Needless to say, this isn’t a line of thought that we support. But we also though thought it was high time we wrote an article to “debunk the debunking” of sleep regressions.

Sleep Regressions: What Are They Again?

Let’s establish a working definition of the term “sleep regression” before we get started. We’ve shared this definition before, but it seems helpful to share it again now: a sleep regression describes a period of time (anywhere from 1 – 4 weeks) when a baby or toddler who has been sleeping well suddenly starts waking at night, and/or skipping naps (or waking early from naps) for no apparent reason.

Now, I would add that the “no apparent reason” is just that – it’s usually not an apparent reason. The underlying reasons for these regressions are almost always developmental. Your child is learning a new skill, going through a period of brain growth or development, becoming more socially aware, developing the capacity for imaginative bedtime fears, etc. You may be able to observe the cause of some regressions (if your child is learning to walk, for instance, and is not sleeping well, it’s pretty easy to trace the cause!). But some regressions are caused by development that is all but invisible to us parents.

Sleep Regressions: Very Real, Generally Very Time-able, and Somewhat Research-Supported

So are sleep regressions real? Our answer to that is a big fat yes. Yes, sleep regressions are real. And while the term “sleep regression” may be one that we parents have come up with after decades and decades of observing the same sleep challenges at the same stages of development, research is beginning to catch up and to bear this out. For example, did you know….

• ….that a 2015 study confirms that learning to crawl disrupts babies’ sleep?
• ….that a baby’s brain grows 64% larger between birth and 3 months of age? (Right around the time that many parents start seeing early signs of the 4 month sleep regression….. 😉
• ….a 2015 study revealed that the circadian rhythms of toddlers who still take an afternoon nap tend to shift in such a way that bedtime may be needed as much as an hour later than normal? (This is that no doubt part of that classic 18- and 24-month bedtime fighting that we see as part of those regressions, thanks to recent and impending nap transitions.)

These developmental milestones (and many others) are real. They are quite time-able. And the havoc they wreak on sleep is real, too.

And here’s what’s funny: you won’t find a single sleep consultant worth her credentials who disagrees. Even those consultants who call sleep regressions myths will agree that developmental leaps and milestones have a profound impact on sleep. One consultant in particular who wrote an article debunking sleep regressions ended up outlining all the ways that the incredible leaps a baby makes at 4 months add up to make the fragmented, disrupted sleep we experience as part of the 4 month sleep regression.

Yep, that’s right: even those consultants who will go out of their way to tell you that sleep regressions aren’t real agree that developmental milestones at specific periods in a child’s life will interfere with sleep.

Sleep Regression: It’s Not A Bad Word

So what’s the deal, the, with the articles calling sleep regressions “myths”?

I suspect that, in the end, these consultants take issue is with the term itself. Many read negative connotations into the term “sleep regression” (connotations which in fact are not there). For instance, in one consultant’s article, she points out that during a developmental leap, your baby is progressing, not regressing. And this is true; during a developmental milestone, your baby is learning an important new skill and/or undergoing critical new brain development. Progress indeed!

But hold up: the term we use around here isn’t “baby regression”. We take no issue with the idea that babies are progressing beautifully during developmental leaps. We use the term “sleep regression”, because while baby may be progressing, sleep seems to be regressing in a big way. A baby who was starting to sleep 5,6, or 7 hour stretches at night and to nap consistently is suddenly up every 2 hours and taking micro-naps around the clock. In other words, that older baby is suddenly sleeping just like he was as a newborn.

And THAT, folks, is where the word “regression” comes in. Regression is not a bad word; it simply means (in this case) “to return to an earlier state or form”. When we call a developmental period a sleep regression, we are highlighting that during this time of exciting and necessary development, sleep seems to move backward, back towards newborn sleep habits. Parents often report feeling like their baby takes about 15 steps backward during a sleep regression.

And that’s okay. That’s normal. But let’s call it what it is. That’s a regression. As your baby is progressing in some fun and exciting ways, her sleep is regressing in some normal but very exhausting and discouraging ways.

Sleep Regressions: Not Your Baby’s Fault, and Not Your Fault

Some consultants also believe that parents who support the idea of sleep regressions are “blaming” their babies for these break-downs in sleep. These consultants suggest that the very concept of sleep regressions is an “escape hatch” that parents have created to blame their babies for new sleep problems and to escape any responsibility themselves.

This one actually makes me chuckle. Why? Because I would suggest that blaming parents for blaming their babies is still playing the blame game. And by engaging in this blame game behavior, these consultants are actually much closer on the “blame spectrum” to those parents they are attempting to criticize than they may realize.

I’d push back here and ask why on earth “blame” has anything at all to do with the conversation surrounding sleep regressions. Why does anyone have to be at fault here? NO ONE is to blame for sleep regressions. Not parents, and not children. (If you just need to have something to blame for sleep regressions, then you could blame basic human biology, but I don’t know if that will make you feel better!;)

In truth, there is so much about your baby’s growth and development that is beyond your control. What’s more, as a parents, we are limited by little things like, you know, BEING HUMAN. Feeling exhausted and cranky if you’re running on too-little sleep, losing your temper when you’re tired, turning on the TV for your child when you “should” be reading to her because you just need to lie down for awhile…it’s all part of the package. So how much better would it be to abandon this idea that anyone is “to blame” for sleep regressions and the sleep fall-out they can cause, and to instead accept that this is a normal and exciting (and exhausting) part of baby care, and that everyone just has to do the best they can with the resources they have to get through it?

Here’s your answer: it would be so much better!

Sleep Regression: They Are Real, But How You Handle Them Is Flexible

I think a fair summary of the sleep regression issue is this: sleep regressions are very real. Sleep will be impacted at least slightly when your child is going through a major developmental milestone.

That said, how you think about and deal with sleep regressions is totally up to you. If you decide that you want to do anything and everything you can to help your child sleep during these regression periods, that’s fine! It may mean new sleep habits you have to undo later, but if you are okay with that, then it’s all good. If, conversely, you want to get through a sleep regression without creating any sleep issues you’ll have to work through later, that’s fine, too. Lots of parents who have worked hard with sleep coaching are understandably discouraged when a sleep regression pops up, and they want to preserve the gains they’ve made so far with sleep. We get that, and we support it completely!

Your turn: have you observed sleep regressions in your child’s life? How do you think through and deal with sleep regressions? Scroll down to share tips, to ask questions, and to hear from other parents like you!

The post Are Sleep Regressions Even Real? appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

You might think that having a 2-year old at home means you can finally (FINALLY) kiss the exhaustion and drama of sleep regressions goodbye.

But sadly, you’d be wrong.

The truth is, there is one final sleep regression you’ll have to contend with when your child reaches 24 months. You’ll have to tangle with the 2 year old sleep regression. Now, the good news is that this sleep regression is indeed the last! So once you get through this, you’re done navigating true sleep regressions. But the not-so-good news is that the 2 year old sleep regression can be a tough one to overcome if you don’t know how to deal with its unique sleep challenges.

2 Year Old Sleep Regression: 5 Reasons It Happens

1. Separation Anxiety – Separation anxiety can strike at any time, but there tends to be a resurgence of it around 2 years old. This 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! 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.
2. Disruptive Life Changes – There are a number of big, life transitions that tend to converge around the time your toddler is 2 years old. Specifically, many families of 2 year old toddlers are working on potty training. Or perhaps working on the transition to a big kid bed. In addition, some families are welcoming new babies around this time, too! These transitions, while natural, can cause major sleep disturbances.
3. Longer Awake Time – 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.
4. Misleading “Nap Transition” – 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.

5. Nightmares, Night Terrors, and 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.

2 Year Old Sleep Regression: 5 Tips To Help You Cope

1. Offer comfort, but don’t form new (bad) sleep habits. If your toddler just won’t cooperate at bedtime, or is waking often at night, it’s fine to offer lots of comfort and cuddles. But avoid forming any new (bad) sleep habits that you’ll have to undo later. In general, be sure that your child is still falling asleep without much help from you, and is sleeping in her own sleeping space.
2. Consider putting off potty training or transitioning to a big kid bed. If you can tell that transitioning to a new bed or potty training is at the root of your 2 year old’s sleep regression issues, consider putting off the transition for a few months. It can be a great idea to wait and then try again later, when your toddler is a few months older.
3. Adjust your toddler’s schedule as necessary. If you need to incorporate more wake time in your child’s day, adjust the schedule so that you allow more time between the end of the afternoon nap and bedtime. You can shift the nap earlier or shift bedtime later to accomplish this.
4. Institute a rest time to deal with your 2-year old’s nap strike. If your 2-year old is on a nap strike, don’t rush to give up the afternoon nap. Instead, institute rest time. Put your toddler in bed with a few books and toys. Let him know that while it’s fine if he’s awake, he needs to stay in bed. This ensures that if he does get sleepy, he’s already well-positioned to fall asleep.
5. Give your 2-year old tools to cope with nighttime fears. Nightmares and nighttime fears are normal at this age. Fortunately, there are many ways to help your child cope with these fears. This 2-part blog series on nightmares and night terrors is a great resource. It lays out a number of strategies you can use to preserve your toddler’s sleep.

Free Toddler Sleep Help – Available Instantly!

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. Download now, and learn why your toddler is waking at night and resisting naps! And learn what you can do about it and how!

Toddler Sleep Help That Really Works – Guaranteed!

Struggling with your toddler’s sleep (or lack thereof)? Tired of trying to solve the problems by yourself? Wish you could get some expert advice that’s personalized to your situation? Guess what…you can! Our consultants are ready to help you with your toddler sleep challenges. You can connect with us today, get your Personalized Sleep Plan™ in the works, and start your journey to better toddler sleep!

 
Browse our list of consultation package options here.
 

Once you make your choice and purchase, you will immediately receive an e-mail with your Helpdesk login information. You’ll be able to log in and get started right away. It’s that simple!

Want unlimited access to our huge library of sleep coaching resources? Join our VIP Members Area! The VIP Members Area is 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 VIP member, you’ll also enjoy a weekly chat with an expert sleep consultant.

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 a 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.

 
For those persistent toddler sleep struggles, check out The 5 Step System to Help Your Toddler Sleep. This e-book helps you and your toddler sleep through the night and enjoy a better daytime schedule.
 

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

Are you struggling through the 2 year old sleep regression?

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The 4 month sleep regression is a doozie for most new parents – it seems to come out of nowhere! Just when you think your baby’s sleep is improving, and that you might be “out of the woods”, sleep-wise, BOOM – sleep falls apart completely.

It’s easy to see, then, why the 4 month sleep regression is such an incredibly popular topic with our readers! We hear from numerous parents each month who want to know how they can prepare for the 4 month sleep regression, what to do during the regression, and then how to recover from the 4 month sleep regression and get sleep back on track.

Well, wonder no more – we’re sharing all this information (and more!) in our 4 month sleep regression checklist.

What To Do Before The 4 Month Sleep Regression Hits

• As a newborn, her sleep patterns are very different than the more “grown up” sleep patterns she’ll have after the 4 month sleep regression is done, so we do have to keep realistic expectations. There are some gentle sleep coaching tips for newborns, but don’t get your hopes TOO high for stellar sleep around this time.
• Don’t assume anything about your newborn’s sleep is permanent. If your baby sleeps through the night a few times, you may assume the worst is over, and that your sleep worries are done. While that might be true (it is for a few lucky families), most parents report that sleep patterns are very inconsistent in the first 3-4 months of life – and the 4 month sleep regression tends to disrupt even the most champ sleeper’s sleeping habits!
• Rest up! While it’s a great idea to gently build a foundation of healthy sleep habits for your newborn, you don’t want to exhaust yourself striving for perfect sleep, since much of the progress you do make may be impacted by the 4 month sleep regression.

What To Do During The 4 Month Sleep Regression (a.k.a. How To Survive Without Losing Your Mind!)

• To begin, remember that this is a temporary phase – your baby won’t always be waking this often at night, or napping so poorly! These are just the effects of a burst of growth and development on your baby’s part.
• If your baby is in daycare, alert your daycare provider that the regression is underway, and give your provider details as to how they should handle the extra fussiness, and the missed or shortened naps.
• Don’t expend much energy on trying to improve your baby’s sleep during the 4 month sleep regression – its usually best not to sleep coach during a sleep regression, if you can help it, as your baby’s brain is just too preoccupied with the tremendous growth and development that’s happening at this time to really learn new sleep habits.
• If you’ve already worked on self soothing, and putting your baby to bed awake, before the 4 month regression strikes, you can either continue in your usual sleep routines (if your baby’s sleep disturbances are manageable), or you can suspend your efforts and go back to putting your baby to sleep any way you can (if your baby’s sleep is falling apart completely due to the regression).
• Be prepared for naps and feedings to change during the 4 month sleep regression – increased nighttime waking and missed naps can lead to overtiredness, so don’t hesitate to offer longer, or extra, naps, or an earlier bedtime.
• Get extra sleep yourself, if you can manage it! Your baby isn’t the only one whose sleep suffers during this regression; the extra night waking can take a real toll on you, too.

What To Do After The 4 Month Sleep Regression: Establishing New, Permanent Sleep Habits

• It can be tough to know exactly when the 4 month sleep regression is over – for some families, it seems to last less than a week, while for others, it lasts more like 6 weeks! As a general rule, however, you can expect the regression to last 2-3 weeks.
• Once the regression ends, you may notice that your baby’s sleep calms down, and returns to a semi-normal state. This is a great time to start sleep coaching. However, some families tell us that it feels like the 4 month sleep regression never ends – their babies are still just as fussy months later! In those cases, you can consider the actual regression over after about 6 weeks, and then start sleep coaching at that point.
• You don’t have to sleep coach the moment the 4 month sleep regression ends; some families prefer to wait until their babies are 6 months old. 6 months of age is when sleep tends to consolidate and your baby’s naps tend to become longer and more predictable; this is also the point at which it’s easier for most families to achieve a fairly consistent daily schedule.
• Contact The Baby Sleep Site^® for help! I couldn’t end without throwing this point in. 🙂 Getting sleep back on track after the 4 month sleep regression can be tough, but a Personalized Sleep Plan^® from The Baby Sleep Site^® can make a huge difference. Our team of expert, caring sleep consultants is standing by, ready to craft a Personalized Sleep Plan^® just for your baby – one that accounts for your baby’s unique temperament, and your own parenting style and goals. Even better – your consultant can walk you through every step of implementing the plan at home, and answer all your questions!

For even more 4 month sleep regression help, check out these resources, available in our Members Area:

• The 3-Step System To Help Your Baby Sleep e-Book (members enjoy unlimited access to this ebook ad no additional cost)
• Sleep Regressions tele-seminar with Nicole Johnson (features tips for 6 week, 4 month, 8 month, 11 month, 18 month, and 24 month regressions)
• 4 Month Sleep Regression Case Study

Have 4 month sleep regression questions? Any 4 month regression tips to share? We love hearing from you; chime in with questions and tips below!

The post 4 Month Sleep Regression Checklist: What To Do Before, During, and After the 4 Month Sleep Regression appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

Oh, parents – I’m so sorry to have to break this news. After three (yes, THREE) sleep regressions, you’re not done yet. 🙁 And the 18 month sleep regression? Yeah…it’s one of the worst second only to the 8 month sleep regression.

BUT that doesn’t mean that you’re powerless in the face of the 18 month sleep regression – not at all! We’re always here for you, readers – even in the face of one of the toughest sleep regressions you’ll face.

18 Month Old Toddler Sleep Regression: What It Looks Like

Basically, you’ll know you’re facing the 18 month sleep regression when your toddler, who was sleeping just fine, thankyouverymuch, is suddenly NOT sleeping so fine. You will probably see shorter and more erratic naps, more bedtime drama, increased night waking, and/or really early-morning wake-ups.

Since lists are nice, when you’re trying to troubleshoot, you can also be on the lookout for these signs:

• Increased fussiness and crying (aka major crankiness!)
• Changes in appetite
• Extra clinginess and a need for more cuddle time

18 Month Old Toddler Sleep Regression: Why It Happens

If you remember, the 8/9/10 month sleep regression was the result of a ‘perfect storm’ of circumstances – at that age, your baby’s mobility and physical skills were just exploding, which led to disrupted sleep. Well, 18 months presents another ‘perfect storm’ – only this time, it’s a perfect storm of discipline issues! At 18 months, your toddler is no doubt learning that she can say ‘no’ to mommy and daddy (and say it LOUDLY at that) – and that defiance most definitely carries over to bedtime. While this growing independence isn’t all bad, by any means (this independent streak is also what will prompt her to learn how to put on her own shoes, and feed herself with a spoon), but it can lead to way more battles of will over things like bedtime and nap time.

And here’s what’s SUPER tricky about this: these two elements (your toddler’s newfound sleeplessness and your toddler’s newfound stubbornness and defiance) can end up influencing each other. Your toddler’s willful behavior can lead him to refuse naps or to shriek stubbornly for you each time he wakes at night. And of course, the lack of sleep caused by this regression can make your little one cranky, which leads to more tantrums and temper fits. It can turn into a vicious cycle of overtiredness and tantrums.

No wonder so many of our clients with 18 month olds report feeling like they’re nearing their breaking point!

Of course, the 18 month regression isn’t just about behavior issues – there are other factors in play here, too:

• Teething could be to blame. Around 18 months, children are cutting the 4 canine teeth as well as their first molars. This can cause discomfort that leads to disrupted sleep.
• Separation anxiety is still an issue for toddlers at 18 months. Most babies begin experiencing separation anxiety around 7 or 8 months, and for most babies, the anxiety is strongest from 10-18 months. This can lead to disrupted sleep as well — your baby may resist naps because he doesn’t want to be away from you, or he may wake at night and become upset that you’re not in the room with him.

18 Month Old Toddler Sleep Regression: 10 Survival Techniques

We first shared our 7 tips for 18 month sleep regression survival over on hintmama.com – check out the full list there!

For a quick, at-a-glance list of 10 tricks you can use to survive the 18 month regression – keep reading!

1. Try a sticker chart to increase bedtime and nap time cooperation. Stickers hold great weight with most toddlers, so try using them as an incentive to help your toddler cooperate at bedtime and at nap time.
2. Strengthen your bedtime routine, and give it a definitive end. Good bedtime routines are fairly short and VERY consistent. They also have a definite end – you might end with the same short song, or the same good night phrase. This is a strong signal to your toddler that it’s time for sleep.
3. Try a lovey. If you haven’t given your toddler a comfort object, or a lovey, yet, this is a great time to start. If your 18 month old has something to keep in bed that feels cozy and comforting, it can minimize how often he calls for you at night or at nap time.
4. Be prepared to offer extra naps (if she skips her usual ones) or an earlier bedtime. Part of the 18 month sleep regression involves fighting sleep (because what self-respecting toddler wants to sleep when she can play? ;)), so be ready to help your toddler compensate for missed sleep, in an effort to avoid overtiredness. (Just be sure that all naps are over by 6 p.m.).
5. Offer a bedtime snack. Sometimes, a legitimate growth spurt can overlap with the 18 month sleep regression, so offering a high-protein bedtime snack can help to ward off middle-of-the-night hunger. Just make sure to brush teeth after snack time, and before bed!
6. Offer a nightlight. By 18 months, your toddler may start having nighttime fears, so a very soft nightlight can provide a little reassurance.
7. Offer simple explanations. Your toddler obviously isn’t at the age yet where you can hold real conversations, but it can be helpful to give your toddler reasons for WHY he needs to go to bed and get enough sleep. Keep your explanations simple, of course, and avoid over-explaining yourself (remember, your toddler is the king/queen of “but why?”) – but some simple explanations can help defuse sleep time drama.
8. Don’t undo all your hard work. That is to say, if you’ve worked on sleep training, don’t go back to old sleep associations! Instead, comfort your toddler by doing mini-versions of whatever they find comforting. For instance, maybe hold your toddler when he wakes fussing, but hold him for a few minutes, instead of holding him all the way to sleep. Or lie down with him in his room, but be sure to leave before he falls asleep. This will provide comforting without creating new, bad sleep habits.
9. Create firm ‘will’ and ‘will not’ boundaries, and then reinforce them for your toddler. For example, if your toddler isn’t allowed to sleep in your bed, then be sure to reinforce that even in the midst of the 18 month sleep regression. If you’ve decided for yourself that when your toddler cries for you at night, you’re going to wait 5 minutes before going into her room, then stay consistent with that.
10. Be prepared to re-train, if necessary. Even small things, like a short cold, can throw off your child’s normally-great sleeping patterns. So it’s no wonder that a big sleep regression can do big damage! Don’t worry, though – you can get back on track. Give the regression a few weeks to sort itself out; at that point, if your toddler is still struggling with sleep, do some sleep training to get things back on track (trust me, it will most likely be a lot easier this time than it was the first time around!).

For more details on handling the 18 month sleep regression, check out our special VIP members-only resources in our Member’s Area:

• Top 4 Toddler Sleep Questions Answered
• 17 Month-Old Case Study – Transitioning from CoSleeping
• Sleep Regressions Tele-seminar
• The 5-Step System To Better Toddler Sleep e-Book

18 Month Sleep Regression Help That’s Guaranteed To Work

Toddler sleep problems are definitely solvable – but they can be TOUGH to solve on your own. So why not connect with one of our caring, compassionate sleep consultants, and get expert answers to your nap questions today?

Browse our list of consultation package options here.

Once you make your choice and purchase, you will immediately receive an e-mail with your Helpdesk login information. You’ll be able to login and start your Family Sleep History form right away – it’s that simple!

Want more information about how personalized help works? Check out our FAQ page here, and get answers.

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.

Or, join our VIP 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 VIP member, you’ll also enjoy a weekly chat with an expert sleep consultant.

How have you dealt with the 18 month sleep regression? Any tried-and-true survival techniques that we didn’t mention here? Share with us – we love hearing from you!

The post 18 Month Old Toddler Sleep Regression: 10 Survival Techniques 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.

The post Sleep Regression, or Something Else? appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

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!

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