Sleep regressions can happen throughout our little ones’ lives. Our once perfectly sleeping babies now have multiple wakeups at night, early morning wakeups or those pesky short naps may start to make an appearance. We, as parents, often wonder if we will ever sleep again. It can be frustrating, exhausting, and the guessing game is endless.
The When
The most common sleep regressions occur at 4 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months, and 24 months. Your little one might awaken in the middle of the night, be ready to start the day at 4 a.m. or go from taking lengthy naps to short 30-minute naps. These sleep regressions can happen a month before or a month after the previously mentioned time frames. Sometimes, our babies will snap out of it and go back to how they were sleeping previously. Other times, Mom and Dad need a little extra support to help their kids and the entire family get the sleep they need.
The Why
Sleep regressions are associated with a child’s development. It is so exciting to see them roll over, sit up, crawl, stand up, and walk. Our little ones are so excited about their new skills that they often have a hard time shutting it off, so they may spend their naptime or nighttime sleep practicing these skills. We also cannot forget those adorable baby teeth that make their appearance or the occasional separation anxiety, both of which can affect sleep.
What To Do
If our little ones are trying to master a new skill, we want to give them plenty of time during their wake hours to practice this skill. If it is teething, you can talk to your pediatrician about what pain relief they recommend. Melissa, founder of The Cradle Coach, also wrote a blog post for Southern Mama and Child about tips to help your child sleep while he or she is teething.
If your once perfectly sleeping baby is now waking up throughout the night, waking up early in the morning or taking short naps, you want to make sure you do not create unhealthy sleep crutches during this time. Meaning, you do not want to rock, hold or feed your little one to sleep. We want to make sure they are always going down in their cribs or beds awake. And if you are still having issues, The Cradle Coach would love to walk alongside you and help you and your little one get the sleep we all need.
Check out these real-life stories from “Cradle Coached” mamas:
“Tonight, I laid Halle down in her crib at 7 p.m., awake, swaddled and with no pacifier and WALKED OUT. Bye, girl. I have a glass of wine with my name on it. And by 7:20 (now wine + Netflix) she was asleep, on her own, with no crying. I 100,000% attribute it to this amazing friend of mine, who I have known for almost 11 years! Anna is a super smart mama of two cutie boys and an official sleep coach and consultant with The Cradle Coach. When I found this out, I RAN (not walked) to get her help because Halle made it very clear (very early) that she wasn’t going to be the have-no-plan-do-everything-wrong-and-still-end-up-with-an-easy-sleeper, like her sister was. BOOO. But! Not to fret, because Anna came to the rescue. I could literally talk all day (but not all night because I sleep now) about how Anna has helped us. If you have a baby or toddler who doesn’t sleep (or was and now is not), this is your girl!” –Not-So-Tired Mama
“At five months, Ezra didn’t know how to fall asleep on his own without being nursed or rocked/held. He was still in a bassinet in our bedroom, and never slept in his own nursery in his crib before. He also never took naps or had any sort of schedule whatsoever. Ezra now sleeps 12 hours a night in his crib with usually one wakeup where he is able to soothe himself back to sleep — which means no more night feeds!! He is doing well with his morning and afternoon naps. I really thought it was wishful thinking that a baby could be on any type of schedule. Ezra was severely under-sleeping (nine hours a day most likely) when he should be getting 15. I misinterpreted fussiness for hunger when really he was just tired. By providing him with structure, his mood is so much happier! We are so impressed and thankful for Cradle Coach, in particular Anna! Thank you!” –Happy Mama
For more information on the sleep packages and tips offered for parents of newborns to 4-year-olds, visit TheCradleCoach.com. Photo credit: Maria Berlin
About the Author
My name is Anna Linster, and I am so thankful to be married to my college sweetheart and the most amazing husband and dad. We have two of the sweetest, full of energy little boys. I am one of six kids and have always been around kids and big families. My love and passion for children is one of the reasons I became a Pediatric Registered Nurse. I am now honored, thankful and blessed to now be apart of the amazing Cradle Coach team. I am passionate about helping families get the sleep they need and helping the entire family experience the freedom, joy, and peace that comes when the entire family is rested and at their best!
