Sleep Regressions (and why you don't need to fear them)

11 Nov

One of the most common reasons for disruption to baby sleep is the ‘sleep regression’. Ironically, this should actually be called a ‘normal sleep progression’ or ‘developmental progression’.

Due to the fact that a sleep regression often leads to less hours of sleep (and more broken sleep) for baby and parents - at some stage these normal periods of change were called regressions (which sound very scary and negative!).

For the purpose of this blog post, I’ll use the term sleep regression however will explain why they are anything but that! I'll be covering all the sleep regressions your child might experience from birth to 3 years of age. I have written a separate blog post for each regression to make it super easy for you find the information you're looking for. Now... the list of sleep regressions may seem long and daunting however each is linked with some very exciting and normal developmental changes for your baby which show they are learning, growing and developing!

Having an understanding of these approximate timings for sleep regressions in your child’s life can assist parents in identifying the cause for any sudden changes in their baby’s sleep and how to help them settle back into a restorative and healthy sleep pattern after a few days to a few weeks. I hope that reading this post alleviates some of the fears or concerns you may have about sleep regressions your child may encounter.

The ages when your child may experience a sleep regression:

- 4 months
- 6 months
- 8/9/10 months
- 12 months
- 15 months
- 18 months
- 2 years

** Note: the regression can happen at any time in the month or two around these ages e.g the 4-month sleep regression can actually occur anytime from as early as 8-10 weeks and as late as 5 months of age **

For each sleep regression, I'll be covering why it actually happens, what changes you might expect to see in your child's sleep (so you can identify what is happening!) plus - how to help your child move through these regressions and get their sleep back on track.

Hope you find the information helpful.

If you need any additional information or support please feel free to book in a FREE 15-minute phone consultation to discuss what is happening for your baby and family.