Surviving Sleep Regression
No one enjoys this stage. It arrives unannounced and makes you and your baby sleep-deprived and grumpy. Don’t worry! This phase doesn’t last forever. We want to give you some tips to help you and your little one get through it together.
What is Sleep Regression? Sleep regression is a period of time where a baby stops sleeping as well as they used to, this usually occurs at different stages in a baby's development. A typical sleep regression usually lasts between 2-6 weeks and can occur at 4 months, 6 months, 8-10 months, or even 12 months and up. Sleep regression can affect your baby sleeping through the night as well as sleeping during their nap times.
Signs of Sleep Regression: The main sign of sleep regression is, obviously, lack of sleep. Your baby could be either waking up more at night, struggling to fall asleep or having abnormal and/or shorter naps. Because of this lack of sleep your baby will definitely be fussier (and so will you ).
Reasons for Sleep Regression: There are many reasons that could be the underlying cause of your baby's sleep regression. This period of time often lines up with your baby experiencing big milestones like rolling, crawling, or walking. It’s an exciting time for kids as their bodies are growing and learning how to do new things, but it can mess up their normal sleep schedule. Teething pain or other illnesses can also affect your child's sleep and, teething especially, comes right along with those big milestones. Separation anxiety can also be a big cause for sleep regression. It’s hard for your baby to be away from you and waking up in their crib without you can cause them to panic instead of self-soothing like they usually do!
Tips for Dealing with Sleep Regression:
1. Stick to your Habits (even when it’s hard)
When your baby isn’t sleeping well one of the easiest things to do is to get out of your normal habits. It’s so easy to hold/rock them to sleep, nurse them to sleep, check in on them every moment that they wake up etc. Don’t get us wrong, none of these are bad things! And if this is how you normally put your baby to sleep, keep doing what you are doing. But, if this isn’t your normal nap or night time routine, we would encourage you to try as hard as you can to keep things consistent. A normal/consistent bedtime routine and schedule is one of the easiest ways to help your child overcome their sleep regression. Changing things up when they're regressing, like rocking them to sleep and/or letting them self-soothe, can get them used to the new “normal” and make it even harder to get them out of that regression and back to their usual sleeping habits!
2. External Elements
Double check your baby's room; if the seasons have changed, is it too warm/cold? Is there light coming into their room earlier than before? Maybe the temperature or sunlight is keeping them awake or waking them up. Create a calm atmosphere before bed, maybe try doing a massage with your baby if you haven’t before, or give them a bath every evening to help them relax.
3. Negotiating Naps
Sleep regression definitely can affect your child's naps as well. For that 4 month old they are just beginning to develop their circadian rhythm so they will actually start to sleep a little bit less, this could mean dropping one of those daily naps and getting a few longer naps during the day. The same thing can happen at the 12 month stage when they are starting to transition down to one nap instead of two. When transitioning down a nap you can also adjust your child's bedtime to be a bit earlier since they are getting less sleep during the day!
4. Separation Anxiety
If your baby is going through some separation anxiety, the time before bed is a great opportunity for giving them some extra attention and cuddles before they have to spend the night without you.
5. Extra Feedings
For those kiddos meeting new developmental goals like rolling, crawling and walking they are using up lots of energy! This could mean they need a little bit more food during the day whether that's extra solids with dinner or a small feeding before bed. Some more nutrients might be just what they need to get to back on track with their sleep schedule.
6. Ask for Help
Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Let your spouse help with some of the bedtime routine or night wakings to help you catch up on some extra sleep. If you are a single parent this could look like your parents or a friend coming over to help and give you time for a nap.
We want to make sure you know that it’s absolutely ok to talk to your baby's pediatrician. Yes, sleep regression is normal, but it never hurts to ask your pediatrician for tips on how to help your child and to make sure there isn't something else messing with your baby's sleep schedule!
Parents, we know sleep regression is tough, but you got this! Pour that extra cup of coffee and take a snooze when you can. You are doing amazing!
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