Simple Tips To Help You Get Through Any Sleep Regression

Sleep regressions are typically not the funnest time for most parents and although we wish we we didn’t have to deal with them, unfortunately they aren’t going anywhere. In fact, a little one will go through many sleep regression in their lifetime with most of them occurring in their first two years of life. I know that sleep regressions are tough, but trust me when I say this is a good thing. It is a sign your little one is growing, learning and developing and it’s actually wonderful! Instead of a REgression, think of this time as being a PROgression for your child’s development. Trust me when I say that positive thinking can go a long way in this type of situation. 🤣

If you have a child aged 4, 8-10, 15-18 or 24 months and their sleep is suddenly going haywire and you have no idea why - it could be a sleep regression. Don’t worry though, I got you! In this blog, I will discuss the signs your little one is going through a regression so you can be sure this is what you are experiencing. I will also give some tips and advice on how to make this time as easy of a process as possible for everyone involved. 

Signs of a Sleep Regression

Sleep regressions can be tricky because they seem to happen suddenly when in fact it’s usually a slow process that takes form and shows itself when the symptoms are at their worst. You see, a lot of the time sleep regressions can happen when a child is learning a new set of skills, which are sometimes referred to as developmental “leaps”. Leaps are a sign your little one is growing, learning and developing and they can have a drastic affect on how they are sleeping. Most children would rather be playing and trying to work on their newly discovered skill than they would be sleeping and this can drive a parent mad. Their newly sleep trained, or very well sleeping, little one has suddenly taken a hard pass on sleep and it’s not only confusing for parents, but it’s also exhausting and frustrating. Sleep regressions usually last around 2-6 weeks, more or less, so hang in there and keep in mind that this won’t last forever. 

The sign of a regression that I’m going to list off are typical of all regressions, but each regression differs in its own way depending on what your child is going through developmentally. For example, the 4 month sleep regression is much different than the 24 month sleep regression because your little one is learning totally different things. At the 4 month regression, your little one’s sleep is permanently changing as they start to sleep more like adults and wake after each sleep cycle. Naps may start to shorten and only be 30-45 minutes long due to this brain development. Whereas, the 24 month regression has more to do with dropping or shortening a nap and FOMO. Your little one may sit in their crib singing and fluffing around, totally happy and content. Therefore, some signs of one regression may look totally different at their next regression - it is age dependent. That being said, the typical signs are always there. They may not be experienced all at once and they may not experience all of them, but these signs are the most likely to happen during all regressions. 

Here are 8 typical signs of a sleep regression:

• Early morning wakes

• Refusing naps

• Short naps

• Developmental “leaps” or learning a new skill

• Growth spurts or increased hunger

• Frequent night wakings

• Bedtime battles or not settling well for bedtime

• Fussiness and/or crying

If your child has been experiencing these symptoms consistently for 5 or more days they are most likely going through a sleep regression. 

How to Get Through This Rough Time

First, I’d like to say that a sleep regression can be easy with some children and with others it may be more on the harder side but regardless there are steps you can take to help ease the situation. If you’re anything like me, you’re gonna want to read these. 

My best tips on making this time as smooth as possible:

⏰ Stay consistent! Now is not the time to start changing their schedule or routine. If you start letting them sleep at different times or shorter or longer than usual this will completely throw them off and can actually add to the regression. This may make the regression last longer and be harder to deal with. It’s very important to stick with your regular routine and schedule.

🙅🏻‍♀️ Speaking of staying consistent, it is equally important to not create, or go back to, any dependent sleep habits/associations that will be harder to shake off later. These habits are ones that are dependent on you including rocking to sleep, feeding to sleep, bouncing to sleep, etc. - anything that requires assistance from you. If you give in and start assisting them to sleep, you will have to break that habit after the regression passes, which can be hard and only adds to any exhaustion and stress levels. 

🥰 During sleep regressions you may notice that your little one is fussier than usual. Give them extra love and cuddles during this time to help reassure them that they are going to be okay and that you are there for them during this process. 

🧠 Allow for lots of physical and mental stimulation during their awake time in the day so that they can get that out at the proper time - rather than when they should be sleeping. 

🌙 Ensure that your little one’s room is set up to foster good sleep habits, such as a pitch black dark room as this can help release the sleep hormone melatonin, which will help put your little one to sleep and keep them in a deeper sleep. Also, make sure there is white noise, such as a fan, going in your child’s room as this can help comfort them, put them to sleep and keep them asleep longer. 

🛏 Have a good bedtime routine in place. Little one’s love routine and knowing what is going to happen next, so when you have a good bedtime routine for them they will know when it’s time for sleep and be more accepting of and ready for it. 

⛈ If you absolutely must offer your little one support in regard to settling, make sure that you are always giving them the chance to self settle on their own before doing so. 

Most importantly always remember that, like all storms, this too shall pass. 🤗

If you liked this blog, be sure to share it with another parent in need! I have a Facebook group called Sleep Little One where I give weekly tips an advice to exhausted parents looking to improve their little one’s sleep without losing their mind in the process. We’d love for you to come join us and hope to see you there!

If you would like a more 1:1 personalized plan from me to help with your little one’s sleep then be sure to check out the Services page on my website. Send me an email and we can do a FREE 15-minute discovery call to see what is the best fit for your family’s needs.

Thanks for reading!