Picture this: sleep is going well with your little one. They are sleeping through the night (finally!), taking great naps throughout the day and going to bed easily at night… then suddenly their sleep takes a huge nosedive and some, if not all, of their sleep patterns, seem to be moving backwards and not forwards anymore. Welcome to another sleep regression, or as I like to call them a progression. Whether it seems like it or not, your baby is actually moving forward with their development - even if it seems like the complete opposite. I want to discuss why this particular regression happens and what you can do about it - so read on!

What Does It Mean?

A sleep regression usually occurs when a little one is making a “leap” in their development. Sometimes these are mental leaps such as imitating words, other times they are physical leaps such as learning to crawl or both types can be happening at the same time. This is precisely why I prefer to call them progressions, but since everyone knows them as a regression it’s the term I will use so as to not cause any confusion. The fact remains that your child is actually advancing in different skill sets and this can cause their sleep to take a bit of a hit. Just remember that this is completely normal and all part of the process of your child growing up. As hard as the regressions may be for the short time they go on, they are proof your child is growing and learning and that is something to be celebrated!

How To Tell If It’s A Regression

If you have a little one that was sleeping through the night, sleeping well for naps and settling for sleep easily and then they suddenly started to revert back to poor sleep habits then you are probably experiencing a sleep regression. These two months (6+9) are coupled together because the root causes of them are the same: teething and learning a new skill set. Around 6 months old is when a baby may start to develop teeth and this can be painful for them, which can in turn mess with their sleep. Team that up with a developmental leap and it spells disaster. You may have a grumpy baby on your hands who is not cooperating with sleep for a few weeks. But hang in there, this won’t last forever!

How To Survive This Regression

This is simple to say, but not so simple to follow: stay consistent. I know that a lot of parents cave when sleep starts to go in a downward spiral, but when a child is going through a sleep regression it is KEY to stay consistent. Stay consistent in their routine and schedule and most importantly stay consistent with your sleep training methods. This is not the time to start rocking to sleep or feeding to sleep or laying with your child to get them to sleep. If you do, it will create a sleep habit that you will have to break long after the sleep regression is over. Your little one will be experiencing so much change mentally and physically during this leap, so it will be imperative for them to have their sleep routine stay the same. It will be one thing that isn't changing for them. No new sleep habits should be formed during this time - do not start assisting your child to sleep - regardless of how hard it gets. If you can stick to your guns, the regression will eventually end, and you will be so happy you didn’t start any new sleep habits along the way! It will pay off, I promise!

If you liked this blog, then you would love my Facebook group called Sleep Little One where I give advice and tips to exhausted parents who are desperate for sleep for their baby and themselves. I would love to see you over there! I also offer my sleep consulting services where you can get 1:1 personalized sleep plans and all the assistance you need through the whole sleep training process!

Thanks for reading,