Just when you think you have your child’s sleep routine under control, a sleep regression may occur. Although this may feel like an unexpected setback, sleep regressions are actually part of baby development and should be expected.
Infant sleep regressions often accompany periods of great developmental transition or nap transitions such as the 4-month sleep regression and 12- to 15-month regression periods. Their sleep associations may also change during these times, making it harder for them to settle themselves to sleep independently.
1. Overtiredness
If you have done any online searching or follow sleep trainer/coach Instagram accounts, the term “overtired” has likely come up numerous times when discussing issues related to sleeping, since tiredness is something many babies (and their parents!) struggle with.
Babies have highly sensitive circadian rhythms that allow them to only handle so much awake time before their bodies overload and require restful sleep. When babies don’t get enough restful slumber, their natural daily pattern of cortisol release disrupts, leading to poor napping habits, disrupted overnight restfulness and early morning awakenings.
Overtiredness is often at the core of four month sleep regression, as this is typically an age when babies begin shifting away from light sleep cycles (which require less restful slumber) toward deeper, longer lasting restful patterns that take more time to reach. This often results in difficulty falling asleep, frequent wakeups and needing their mother for comfort or breastfeeding to help settle them back to sleep more easily.
However, this does not indicate an impending sleep regression; instead it means your little one needs additional restful zzz’s and needs help managing their day/bedtime routines in order to obtain sufficient rest.
Management can be challenging as it’s easy to miss your baby’s early sleepy signs such as gaze aversion, loss of interest in play or going quiet. A great way to prevent overtiredness is creating a routine which limits the length of the awake window before bedtime so they don’t stay up too late.
As they transition into toddlerhood, this can change as they seek more independence and resist bedtime more regularly than they’re used to being awake for. At this stage, separation anxiety often kicks in along with increased nap needs – this is all part of a normal and healthy process known as 12-15 month sleep regression.
2. Resistant Naps
Baby napping resistance can make bedtimes much harder as they struggle for restful slumber. This may be an indicator that they are going through an 8-10 month sleep regression phase which is notoriously challenging! At this time, babies may experience developmental milestones which will impede their rest such as crawling or sitting up for the first time; and this often coincides with increased separation anxiety levels.
At this stage, children’s circadian rhythm will begin to shift, leading them to wake more frequently during the night and require additional restful sleep. Their wake up times may also change from earlier to later which could alter napping patterns significantly; to help ease through this phase, it may be beneficial to maintain their current napping routine as a way of staying on schedule during this transition period and possibly avoid long term issues afterwards.
Parents often struggle with toddlers resisting afternoon naps, which is difficult. But it is necessary to allow time for recharge – typically around 15-18 months old they are ready for one final nap of the day.
Sometimes children refuse their nap because they are overtired due to staying awake too long – this could be caused by oversleeping, delayed bedtime or changes in routine that has them too worn-out to go back to sleep.
Navigating this stage may be challenging, with much crying and tantruming likely occurring! However, it is essential to remember that this stage is part of their development – they won’t always act this way!
Sleep regressions tend to be temporary and typically last no more than three to six weeks. To address them more effectively and reduce any further disruptions from growth spurts or teething, stay consistent with their routine, try different techniques for falling asleep quickly, and adjust bedtime timing as necessary – this will help your baby return to regular and manage these unfortunate sleep regressions more successfully.
3. Night Waking
When your baby has been sleeping well day and night, a sudden decrease can come as quite a shock. While worrying or panicking may arise from this development, remember that whatever changes your child is going through are completely normal!
Erratic sleeping at this time may be related to developmental milestones and growth spurts; babies may be progressing rapidly through crawling, pulling up, cruise control or walking and may become overtired from trying these tasks – leading to night waking, reduced nap durations and crankiness at bedtime.
Night waking may also occur as your baby transitions from catnaps to longer sleep cycles, when their schedule shifts between catnaps and longer cycles of restorative sleep cycles. At this time, they will likely wake frequently between sleep cycles but need extra assistance falling back asleep later due to catnaps not providing as much restorative benefits than full naps do.
Finalely, this four month sleep regression period can also provide the ideal opportunity to teach your baby self-settling skills. Self-settling refers to being able to fall back asleep without being fed, rocked or patted back to sleep – many parents find it challenging getting their babies to learn this ability at an earlier age so it is wiser and simpler to implement this change sooner rather than later.
At times when your baby has difficulty sleeping, external factors could be to blame – this includes itchy pajamas, bright lights in the room or cold symptoms. It might be wise to discuss with their pediatrician or hire a sleep consultant in order to gain expert advice.
As difficult as it can be to watch your baby struggle with sleep, it’s important to remember that these “phases” are part of a healthy development process and need not last forever! With patience, consistency, and plenty of love from you and other caregivers around them, your little one should soon get through these periods and return to their regular sleeping patterns again!
4. Anxiety
Parents need to recognize the impact that sleep regression can have on a baby’s anxiety levels and take steps if their child appears distressed by this emotion. If their child seems distressed by anxiety, seek professional assistance immediately for them if need be.
These challenges may stem from anything, such as teething, changes to their sleep environment or routine, and even teething itself. Navigating this phase is difficult for all involved; however, parents need to understand there are numerous strategies they can employ in supporting an anxious child, as well as seeking professional assistance if necessary.
One of the main challenges associated with sleep regression is an increase in feedings, often as a result of transitioning to solids, or related to other nutritional deficiencies. Parents can help their infant manage this challenge by making sure he or she gets fed adequately during the day and by maintaining an established bedtime routine.
Many parents are experiencing what Nested Bean refers to as the 4-month sleep regression or, more euphemistically, as the “4-month growth spurt.” During this phase, babies begin developing new sleep cycles which will serve them for life; it can be quite challenging for families; it’s important to remember this stage is entirely normal and every baby responds differently.
If your baby is going through a sleep regression, don’t fret; it is perfectly normal and they probably are doing nothing wrong. To ensure an uninterrupted night’s rest for all concerned, identify what caused it and take steps to address it so as to have more restful nights ahead. It doesn’t matter if they wake frequently or experience other difficulties – most regressions pass eventually – while keep these helpful tips handy to make your journey smoother during their next sleep regression.https://www.youtube.com/embed/YxgDqQnGvak