Updated on September 12, 2024
A new day begins, and you're standing in front of the mirror – in zombie mode, once again. The exhaustion from last night is written all over your faces, and your mood is as low as those dark circles under your eyes. Neither you nor your baby has slept a wink – and it's already the third, fourth, or maybe even the fifth night in a row? You're too tired to remember. The thought of the coming hours fills you with dread; even the afternoon naps are a struggle. Bedtimes are missed, and rituals and routines no longer seem to work. Your baby just can't settle down – they're restless, cranky, and crying more often.
As you splash cold water on your face and put on your superhero mommy cape, you wonder: Why can't my baby sleep? Is it teething? Does it have a tummy ache? Gas? Am I doing something wrong? Questions all parents ask themselves after several exhausting sleepless nights. That’s the moment when you take a long deep breath. Your patience is needed more than ever because your baby is working hard. Spoiler: It's most likely processing newly acquired cognitive and motor skills – and this happens primarily while they’re sleeping!
The term sleep regression refers to phases in your child's life when their sleep pattern changes, and your baby or toddler suddenly starts sleeping poorly. Regression is another word for "going backward." Meaning: Children who previously slept well or had already established a regular sleep cycle may now have trouble falling asleep, wake up more often at night, or skip entire naps. But don't ya panic! A sleep regression in babies and toddlers is temporary, and despite this "setback," it’s not a negative development. On the contrary, it's actually a sign of progress and a normal part of your baby’s and toddler’s growth – your baby’s brain is working overtime!
Common ages of sleep regression in babies
Signs of a sleep regression often include growth and developmental spurts. Since these are most common between four and 24 months, experts often refer to the 4-month, 8-month, 12-month, 18-month, and 24-month sleep regressions.
Next, we'll help you determine if your baby is experiencing a sleep regression.
Want to learn more about your baby's or toddler's sleep patterns, growth, and developmental spurts? Happy Baby creates a daily sleep schedule tailored to your child's age and current needs.
You glance nervously at the watch. It’s been four hours since your baby’s last nap – time for the next one, you think. But after an hour of walking your overtired baby around the house, there’s still no success. Surely, your baby must be tired by now? All the signs of sleepiness were there: Yawning? Check. Rubbing eyes? Check. Even tugging at their ears? Check. You hold your baby tighter, gently rocking them back and forth while humming Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. Still, no luck.
Kommt dir dieses oder ähnliches Szenario bekannt vor? So steckt ihr vermutlich Mitten in einer Schlafregression.
Gehörtest du noch bis vor Kurzem zu den Eltern, deren Baby überall und zu jeder Zeit eingeschlafen ist? Doch plötzlich ist ALLES anders?
Many parents breathe a sigh of relief when their baby starts developing a day-night rhythm around 4 months and begins sleeping for several hours at a stretch during the night. However, this glimmer of hope can temporarily fade as a sleep regression turns everything upside down. The result? Your baby's sleep habits can change dramatically.
So, what does this mean for you and your baby? During this time, established sleep patterns may reverse, leading to sleep problems. Many babies struggle to fall asleep and wake up more frequently at night – some even wake up after every sleep cycle, which means every 60 to 90 minutes.
And what about naps? During the day, babies may also find it harder to fall asleep or sleep at all. Naps may be shorter than usual or skipped altogether.
How your baby behaves during a sleep regression is entirely individual – just like your baby’s development. The bottom line: constant sleep deprivation can affect your baby’s mood as well. So be patient and loving with your baby because they need you the most right now.
Difficulty falling asleep
Long bedtime routine
Light sleep
Frequent night wakings
Difficulty falling asleep
Short naps
Refusal to nap
Skipping naps entirely
This table shows how a sleep regressions affects your babies nighttime sleep and naptime
Can your baby lift their head – and maybe even hold it up? Have they smiled at you consciously or rolled over for the first time? Or perhaps they're already starting to attempt crawling? The first 12 months are an exciting time for both you and your baby. During this period, your baby is developing motor and cognitive skills at a rapid pace. Every newly acquired skill is special and worth celebrating – rightfully so. To achieve these developmental milestones, your baby’s brain is working at full capacity.
The catch: During this time, your baby is learning more than they can process. This heavily impacts their sleep. Newly acquired skills, information, and experiences are primarily processed during sleep and stored in long-term memory. This can lead to your baby waking up more frequently and suddenly sleeping poorly for several weeks – also known as a sleep regression.
In short, growth and developmental spurts can contribute to a sleep regression. But don't worry. Sleep issues are a sign of healthy development in babies and toddlers.
Now to the burning question every parent asks: How long does a sleep regression last in babies? The good news is that a sleep regression is not permanent. The bad news? Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The duration depends on your child's age and individual development. Some babies return to peaceful sleep after just a few days, while others may take several weeks to adjust to the physical changes. Remember, every baby is unique, and so is their development. But there is a general timeline that parents can refer to – phew, what a relief! I know.
The first sleep regression – known as the 4-month sleep regression – is the shortest, typically lasting around two to four weeks. The subsequent regressions usually last four to six weeks. Sleep regressions are temporary sleep disruptions, and after a regression, your baby's regular sleep cycle should settle back in.
This is where your patience and perseverance come into play, dear moms and dads.
Predicting exactly when a sleep regression will start is just as difficult as predicting how long it will last. A common precursor is often a growth spurt. Growth spurts typically occur around the 4th, 8th, 12th, 18th, and 24th months.
4-6 months
Development of two additional sleep cycles
Learn new skills, such as turning and setting
Increasing self-confidence.
8-10 months
Possible transition from 3 to 2 naps per day.
Crawl and get up.
Development of hand-eye coordination.
Record voice. Learn object permanence.
Start of separation anxiety.
12 months
Possible transition from 2 to 1 nap per day.
teething.
Take the first steps. Speak the first words.
Greater awareness of the surrounding area.
New independence.
Afternight fears and nightmares can begin.
Important life changes, such as the onset of daycare anxiety and nightmares
18 months
Continuous adjustment of sleep needs. Transition to 1 nap
Greater mobility, including running, climbing, and jumping
Exploring the language. Increasing independence.
Persistent life changes, such as adapting to daycare
24 months
Start potty training.
Increasing separation anxiety.
Night fears and nightmares may persist.
Further teething, with the opening of the molars.
Continuous life changes, such as adapting to daycare
Sleep pattern & development spurts ages & stages
Congratulations, your baby is now four months old! You’re likely in the midst of the first growth spurt. As proud parents, you’ve probably noticed all the incredible things your baby has learned in this short time: At four months, your baby is more alert, curiously exploring their surroundings and likely discovering their hands. They’re consciously reaching for toys dangling above them or are busy trying to roll over. To refine these cognitive and motor skills, your baby is practicing diligently—both during the day and at night. And along the way, your baby is also learning how to sleep. In other words, a new sleep pattern is emerging, with longer sleep-wake cycles that resemble those of an adult. That’s when parents notice for the first time a change in their baby’s sleep behavior during this phase; this is known as the 4-month sleep regression. However, parents whose baby hasn’t yet developed a regular sleep rhythm may not notice this phase as much.
Knock, knock – who’s there? The 8-month sleep regression. Your baby is probably becoming more mobile and is in the midst of a growth spurt. Happily, your little one is scooting across the floor on their bottom, crawling over to the couch, or exploring the house on all fours. To achieve this, they’ve had to train their muscles and practice movement patterns for months and weeks – not just during the day, but sometimes at night too. This hasn’t gone unnoticed by you. Your baby is rolling all over the bed at night, tossing and turning restlessly, or kicking at invisible walls. Once again, their brain is busy processing newly learned motor skills, and once again, it’s "Sleepless in …” for you.
But on the bright side, your baby can now explore the world on their own and even begin to categorize it. They recognize animals, people, and objects, and start grouping them into categories. So, if you find a tiny foot repeatedly hitting your face at night, don’t hold it against your baby. They’re just trying to integrate a lot of new information at once.
Are you unsure if your child is experiencing a sleep regression and want to better understand their sleep patterns? Happy Baby learns from your child’s sleep and provides you with a personalized sleep schedule for every day. This will help you both to navigate through these challenging phases.
At one year old, your baby has now crossed the threshold into toddlerhood. Over the past few months, they have learned an incredible amount – and have slept more or less during this time. Starting at the first year, toddlers continue to sleep a lot, around 15 hours in total, divided between a nap and nighttime sleep. If your child hasn’t been sleeping through the night yet, they might start doing so now.
But… as children go through significant cognitive and physical developmental milestones between the 11th and 13th months, temporary sleep disruptions might occur again.
Why? At this age, your child is learning to make connections between things and mimic sounds like "woof woof" or "meow meow," while also developing emotionally and physically. Up, down, up, down – and on repeat. Your child is like a little tumbler toy. They pull themselves up on furniture, fall back onto their bottom, pull themselves up again, and stand up. All of this practice is leading up to taking those first steps – if they haven’t already transitioned from crawling to walking!
No matter what developmental stage your child is in, the increased physical activity is a major challenge for their brain. That’s why children at this age often experience sleep problems again. Additionally, separation anxiety and teething can also contribute to your child suddenly sleeping poorly.
Knock, knock – who’s there? You know the drill. Your child is now 18 months old and fully immersed in the toddler stage of development. Another sleep regression is on the horizon. At this age, your child is making remarkable strides in physical, mental, and emotional growth. That’s why they still need up to 14 hours of sleep to process the massive amount of information they’re taking in.
At 18 months, your child becomes more mobile and communicative. They’re eager to explore the world on their own and are starting to build a vocabulary. This is when you’ll start hearing the word "No" more often. Your child now knows what they want – or don’t want – and isn’t shy about letting you know. For the first time, your toddler is recognizing their "own self" and understanding that they have their own will, which they naturally want to assert.
Separation anxiety intensifies, and the first nightmares may also begin during this phase. It’s no wonder that your child’s sleep might suffer as a result.
Your toddler is a whirlwind of energy – climbing, jumping, and engaging in focused play are now part of the daily routine. Your child is also making significant strides in language development, consciously speaking and even contradicting you. It’s no surprise that sleep takes a backseat, and your child may again struggle with falling and staying asleep. Since children at this age need longer periods of wakefulness to become tired, it’s important to put your child to bed at the right time.
Happy Baby learns from your child’s sleep and provides you with a personalized sleep schedule for every day. This will help you both to navigate through these challenging phases.
Growth spurts & causes of a sleep regression by age at a glance
These tips can help make this challenging time more manageable for you, your baby, and your other children. Remember: You’ve got this together!
Make sure to take care of yourself. Go for a workout, take a walk around the block, or treat yourself to a short break at a café. Your calmness will also transfer to your baby.
Avoid development charts that can increase anxiety—every child develops at their own pace
Ensure your baby feels comfortable in their sleep space. For example, you can darken the nursery to reduce stimuli. Dress your baby appropriately, not too warm or too cool, and maintain the right room temperature – the recommended temperature is around 65°F (18°C).
During a sleep regression, babies are particularly clingy and need plenty of closeness and comfort. Cuddling, gentle stroking, and nursing are even more important now than before.
Consider using white noise, relaxing music, or other soothing sounds to help your baby fall asleep.
Stick to your baby’s usual nap schedule during the day to help them process stimuli in advance.
Avoid developmental milestone charts: These can sometimes create unnecessary anxiety. Remember, every child develops at their own pace.
Sleep regressions are phases in which baby's and toddler's sleep pattern can temporarily change due to growth spurts. This is a normal part of child development and often occurs around four, eight, twelve, 18, and 24 months of age. During these phases, babies and toddlers may have difficulty falling asleep and sleep poorly - at night as well as during the day. Fortunately, sleep regressions are not permanent; after a developmental leap, your child's sleep should return to normal. Parents can help their child navigate a sleep regression with a personalized sleep plan, along with consistent routines and rituals.
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