what is sleep regression?

Sleep regression occurs when a child begins to deviate from their established sleep patterns, reverting back to old behaviours such as struggling to fall asleep, waking up in the night, or waking up early.

· Sleep regression can occur at any stage, whether your child is a baby or a toddler and it’s usually caused by irritations such as teething, changes to their environment or illness.

· While the best way to solve sleep regression is to give your child time to adjust to any changes to their sleep pattern, you can help them through any issues by making their room a sleep-friendly place and creating a flexible sleep routine.

It’s an experience many parents go through: you’ve endured the initial sleepless nights, disrupted evenings and your baby is sleeping beautifully but this can all change.

There are many reasons that your baby may start experiencing sleep regression and return to old, disruptive sleep habits you thought were gone. It’s a perfectly normal part of your baby’s sleep development and growth. But that’s not to say sleep regression can’t be frustrating because how your baby sleeps can have a huge impact on your nights’ rest too.

If you’re looking to help your little one deal with sleep regression, our sleep experts have put together this guide to help support you and your child for a more restful sleep.

what is sleep regression?

Sleep regression is the unofficial term typically used to describe sudden changes in a baby’s sleep behaviour, when a little one may start slipping back to habits they used to have when they were a newborn. Struggling to fall asleep, disturbed nights and waking up very early in the morning are all common indicators of sleep regression.

what causes sleep regression?

While most infants and toddlers will go through some form of sleep regression, the causes of sleep regression can vary between children. In fact, there are numerous reasons that your baby may be starting to show signs of sleep regression:

· Sleep schedule changes: Fewer naps in the day or changes to their bedtime can cause sleep regression as your child struggles to adjust to a new schedule.

· Teething: Sore gums caused by new teeth coming through can cause pain and irritability, especially around bedtime, sparking disrupted sleep.

· Illness: As infants begin exploring the world around them and interacting more outside the home, they’re likely to pick up a cold or other common illness. This can cause congestion and discomfort, making sleeping difficult.

· Overexcitement before bed: Exploring their environment and developing new skills and experiences is often very exciting for your baby. However, as they start to learn and discover more, they may feel too excited to fall asleep at bedtime.

· Environmental changes: Any changes to your baby’s sleep environment (e.g. moving house, holidays, new childcare arrangements) can disrupt their settled routine and lead to sleep regression.

sleep regression ages explained

The causes of sleep regression can usually be attributed to their experiences at a certain age and stage of their development. Here’s a quick summary of the most common ages that sleep regression may occur and what might be causing nighttime disturbances at each stage.

· At 4 to 6 months, sleep regression is very common and is often caused by changes to their sleep environment and routine. This often includes fewer naps in the day and the start of separation anxiety.

· At 7 to 12 months, teething is likely to be causing your child a lot of discomfort, especially at night. Your child will have likely moved into their own bedroom at this point which can cause further separation anxiety and discomfort at night.

· At 13 to 18 months, your child will likely only be napping once in the day which may lead to sleep regression as they adjust to their new schedule.

· At 2 years, your child will be going through a lot of changes, from moving out of their cot into their first bed, to starting nursery. All these factors can cause nighttime disturbances and lead to sleep regression.

It’s important that parents understand that these age ranges are simply a guide. Every child is unique in their sleep and development, meaning that it’s unlikely that all babies will experience sleep regression at these exact ages.

how is toddler sleep regression different from baby sleep regression?

While your child is equally likely to experience sleep regression whether they’re a newborn or a toddler, the cause of the disturbance and how you deal with it is likely to be different. For babies, teething and overtiredness due to changes to routine are the most likely causes of sleep regression.

Toddlers are still likely to be overtired on a night, as well as dealing with changes to their schedule however, getting them to settle down may become more difficult. As your toddler starts to push their boundaries and look to set their own bedtime, sleep regression may start to disrupt your sleep more too.

how long does sleep regression last?

There’s no set duration for how long sleep regression can last as some children may experience slight disruptions to their sleep routine, while others go on to experience longer periods of disturbed sleep.

is sleep regression a problem?

Sleep regression is often viewed by parents as a problem as it doesn’t just result in a tired, irritable child, it can have the same effect on parents too. Stalled bedtimes or middle of the night disruptions will often have your whole house suffering when it comes to sleep.

Not only does sleep regression disrupt your baby’s sleep routine, but it can also disturb yours. Evenings that would be spent winding down after family time may suddenly involve negotiating with your child to get some shut-eye.

While sleep regression may lead to short-term disturbances, that doesn’t necessarily make it a problem to be solved. You may feel frustrated or doubt your abilities as a parent when your child is struggling to sleep, as many do, however sleep regression is simply a natural part of every child’s development.

When every day is spent surrounded by new experiences and developments, it’s guaranteed to have an impact on your child’s sleep. Rather than looking to ‘solve’ the problem, you should instead look to make your child’s sleep transition smoother, giving you both a better night’s sleep.

how to deal with sleep regression

While there’s no way to prevent or stop sleep regression, we do have a few tips for you to make any changes to your child’s sleep habits easier:

tip 1: create a flexible sleep routine

We all know that a bedtime routine is important for any child and this is especially true when it comes to sleep regression. However, it’s important that you keep your baby’s sleep schedule flexible. If you’ve put your baby down for the night and they start crying for attention, rather than leaving them to fall asleep, try repeating the last step of your nighttime routine again. Whether that’s picking them up and rocking them or reading to them, this extra attention may put them at ease and help them fall asleep.

tip 2: make their bedroom a sleep-friendly space

Associating the bedroom with sleep is key for getting your child of any age to get ready for bed. If they are struggling to sleep, or are waking up in the night, being surrounded by toys, games, and activities will certainly make getting some shut-eye much harder. By making a clear distinction between play areas and sleep areas, you can ensure they avoid unwanted mental stimulation before bed. For more information, read our guide on making your child’s bedroom a sleep-friendly place.

tip 3: design the space with sleep in mind

Keeping your child’s sleep space quiet and dark is important for making sure that if your baby wakes up in the night, it’s easier for them to fall straight back asleep. Or, if they’re scared of the dark, a night-light or other gentle light source will help them feel calm at night. You should also make sure they’ve got the right bedding to keep them warm in winter and cool in warmer months. Check out our newborn bedding guide to learn more.

explore a better night’s sleep for your baby and you with silentnight

Sleep regression may seem like a scary prospect with the idea of your child slipping back into their old ways conjuring visions of sleepless nights and early mornings. But there’s no need to worry, any signs of sleep regression are simply part of your baby’s growth and development, as they adapt to new experiences around them.

We’re here to help you support your baby through changes to their sleep behaviours, to help your whole family sleep a bit better. To discover even more sleep tips designed for little ones and adults alike, check out the rest of our guides for parents