Is This A Sleep Regression?
We’ve all been there - for months, your baby or toddler was sleeping great (or at least ok) and suddenly everything falls apart. Now they are waking up in the middle of the night, crying loudly upon waking, and taking forever to return to sleep. Is this a sleep regression? Or something else? And more importantly, how can we can get your child’s sleep back on track?
A sleep regression can happen anytime in your child’s early years - for some, there is a sleep regression around 3-5 months, and for some, this happens later in infancy or toddlerhood. A sleep regression means your child is having a hard time sleeping. That’s it. So if you find your child is struggling to fall asleep or stay asleep, yep, that can be called a sleep regression.
I find parents tend to see sleep regressions as long, grueling battles they must endure. Parents speak about sleep regressions the way farmers speak about drought. “It’s been going on for months,” “We haven’t had a good rain in two years,” “It’s just something we have to get through,” “I guess we’ve seen worse.”
But sleep regressions are not like a drought - it’s not inevitable. There is a lot you can do to help your child start getting lots more high-quality sleep, and you can get started tonight! Unlike a drought, this is all within your control.
So how do we end a sleep regression? A few simple steps will go a long way to helping your child get back to getting lots of good quality sleep.
How To End A Sleep Regression:
Help your child catch up on sleep with a much earlier bedtime, around 6-6:30pm. You read that right - your child might need to go to sleep as early as 6pm. This is temporary, it’s just for a week or two while your child is catching up on sleep. Once your child is well-rested, you can go back to the normal bedtime (although I would recommend always making sure your child is in bed for the night by 8pm at the latest)
Make sure your child’s sleep environment is dark, boring, and there is a fan or sound machine on. The space should be dark enough that you can’t read a book without turning on a light. The sound machine doesn’t need to be deafening - just loud enough that you would need to speak over a whisper to be heard. And minimize the distractions in the bedroom - it’s a sleep space, not a play space, so you don’t need many toys in the child’s bedroom. Just a few stuffed animals and a dozen or so books for bedtime stories is all you need. Adding more will just distract the child from sleeping.
Make sure your child is sleeping in a safe space - if they are under 12 months, this means following the ABCs of safe sleep. (A = the child is sleeping ALONE, B = placed on the BACK for sleep, C = the child is sleeping in an empty CRIB or bassinet) The beauty of a safe sleep space is that you know your child is perfectly safe in their bedroom alone. You can trust that your baby is ok to sleep by themselves in their crib all night - nothing bad can happen to them in there. If your child is over 12 months, make sure the room is thoroughly baby-proofed.
Trust that your child is capable of getting enough sleep. Just give them enough time and space to sleep, and your baby will take care of the rest! Less is more when it comes to sleep for young kids - less effort on behalf of the parents tends to lead to more sleep for the child. So get out of your child’s bedroom, and let them go to sleep!
If you have tried everything, and your child has been struggling with sleep for more than two weeks, it’s probably time to hire a sleep consultant. No need to keep dealing with nighttime wakeups and a crying child at 3am for months on end - there is help available!
Sleep regressions are a part of childhood, but they shouldn’t last for more than a week or two. Implement these simple strategies and your child will be back to sleeping soundly through the night soon enough. And when in doubt, hire a professional!
Sleep Tight,
Alexa Lee
My All-Time Favorite Sleep Sack
It all begins with an idea.
We all want our babies to have safe sleep environment, and we also want them to be warm and cozy while they sleep. A sleep sack is a great way to do both of these things. A sleep sack is basically like a wearable blanket - it stays on the child’s body without riding up over their face or head, so they stay warm and their airways stay open.
As a sleep consultant, I get asked all the time about my favorite sleep products. My all-time favorite sleep sack is the Woolino 4 Season Ultimate Baby Sleep Bag. I recommend this product for a couple of reasons:
The sizing covers a wide age range, from 2 months up to 2 years, making it a one-time purchase that will fit your child for multiple years. I’ve even seen very tall kiddos wear a Woolino sleep sack past their 3rd birthday.
They are warm but breathable - your child will be cozy and warm while they sleep, but not hot or sweaty.
They last FOREVER. I’ve seen families use the same Woolino for multiple kids, and even pass it down to cousins or friends, without a hole or a snag in sight. I love long-lasting products!
This is not a paid ad or partnership, I just genuinely love these sleep sacks!
If you are struggling with your child’s sleep, I’m here to help! You don’t have to do this alone. Your child is capable of getting lots of good quality sleep, I promise.
Cheers,
Alexa Lee
Child Sleep Consultant