5 Physical Milestones That Can Disrupt Your Little One’s Sleep
I can clearly remember when my usually decently sleeping 8 month old daughter started to wake frequently throughout the night and during her naps. This was very confusing for me because she usually slept pretty well and didn’t need much assistance at all. One night, after she woke for what seemed like the umpteenth time, I sat in frustration trying to figure out why on earth this was happening. I looked at her on the baby monitor and noticed she was, once again, holding onto the side of her crib standing and smiling. Then it hit me… she had just learned how to pull herself up to a stand - this was what she did every time she woke! It seemed like my baby girl couldn’t get enough of her new skill and wanted to practice it when she should be sleeping!
Does this sound familiar? It may not be well known, but it is very common for little one’s to have their sleep disrupted while they are experiencing a developmental milestone - mental or physical. In this blog, I will be discussing 5 physical developmental milestones that can disrupt sleep, but I want to be clear that mental developments (developments that aren’t so physically obvious, but are happening) are just as disruptive to sleep, even though they aren’t as obvious to the eye. These can include the discovery of changing sensations, discovering that there are patterns, noticing transitions between sounds, objects, lights or people (such as light starting to dim), discovering our world is made up of events (such as when a ball drops, it will bounce back up), and so many other mental developments that start from birth and happen until 12 months old or so. So keep that in mind as well!
5 Physical Developmental Milestones
Rolling: this physical milestone can occur around 3-7 months old and is dependent on the weight of your little one and the muscle development they have at the time. The stronger the head, neck and back muscles your little one has, the easier it is to roll over.
Sitting up: this milestone can happen around 6 months old with assistance and around 7-9 months without assistance.
Crawling: this physical development will occur around 6-8 months, but some may skip this step all together or choose to scoot instead.
Standing: this milestone has 3 parts to it and starts off with a pull to stand which will occur around 6-10 months old, followed by being able to stand alone for around 2 seconds which will occur around 9-12 months old and then ends with standing independently which occurs around 10-14 months old.
Walking: this is perhaps the biggest physical milestone that your little one will make in the first year or so of life and will occur anywhere as early as 9-10 months and as late as 17 months, give or take.
These physical developmental milestones can all be very disrupting to sleep because your little one is discovering that they can use their body in new ways that they never knew they could do before. This is not only exciting to them, but also can be frustrating for them as they learn and experience new ways to move their body. It is most definitely a process for them and even though it can be frustrating it is best to try to be as patient as you can during this time.
What can be done during this time?
When your little one is going through a milestone of any sort, it is very helpful for them that you can be patient and compassionate during this time. I know that may be hard because their mood will more than likely be fussier and clingier than normal and their sleep may be completely off, but trust me when I say your mood and reactions to their behaviour will make all the difference. It is important to make sure you are being consistent with your sleep training methods and not start assisting them to sleep in any way as this will lead to more sleep problems once this milestone has been accomplished. Understand that this is only a phase and will pass - your happy, well sleeping baby will be back so just hang tight!
One thing that is helpful to do when your little one wakes from sleep and starts to practice their new developmental skill is let them be. Even if they start getting frustrated, it is a good idea to let them try to sort it out on their own - that is how they learn! If you feel like they are truly stuck and need help, you can definitely go in - but only to help them get unstuck! Once you have quickly assisted them, leave the room again and let them either go back to sleep or continue practicing their new skill. If they start to cry and you know they aren’t going to go back to sleep, you can bring them out and offer their next nap when needed.
Another helpful tool you can use to help your little one get better sleep is to allow them to practice their new skill as often as possible during their wake time. If they can get a lot of practice during the day, they will more than likely not feel the need to do it when they should be sleeping. So make sure to let them practice, practice, practice!
Noteworthy statement: I want to make it clear that the time frames listed of when a physical milestone will occur are only a guideline given so that you can know when your little one may start experiencing these milestones. They can most definitely occur earlier or later than stated and when they happen isn’t as important as the fact that they are happening. If your little one experiences these milestones earlier or later than stated that is okay! If you are having concerns that your little one isn’t hitting these milestones at all or way later than stated, then I recommend you speak with your doctor and get their expert opinion on whether this is normal or not.
If you liked this blog, please be sure to share it with other parents who may find it useful as well! I have a Facebook group called Sleep Little One where I give FREE weekly tips and advice to exhausted parents, like yourself, who are looking to improve their little one’s sleep. I hope to see you there!
I offer more personalized 1:1 sleep plans as well, to those of you who are looking to get individual help improving your little one’s sleep, that pertains to your specific baby, family and the needs you may require. If this is something you are interested in, check out the Packages I offer and then contact me for more info! Let’s get you on the road back to better sleep!
Talk soon!
