Is Your Baby Going Through a Sleep Regression, a Phase, or Is It a Habit?

Is Your Baby Going Through a Sleep Regression, a Phase, or Is It a Habit?

A great client of mine sent me this idea for an article… How to know whether your baby is going through a sleep regression or a phase. This is the same client who is a strong advocate of Attachment Parenting. She contacted me over a year ago about her then 10 month old. She is now expecting a new baby, which is very exciting! This article will consider whether your baby is going through a sleep regression, a phase, or whether your baby or toddler simply has a bad habit.

One primary benefit I have over other parents is YOUR experience. What I mean by that is that, sure, I have my own personal experience with my son who inspired this website, but now that I’ve helped countless parents and have worked with families every day for 15+ years, I see patterns that most parents don’t have the luxury of seeing. I am very analytical, so I connect things that others may not. I benefit from your experience and know the potential pitfalls to look out for, not only from my own experience, but from all of yours, too.

When Might you See Sleep Troubles?

  • 4 months old – This is probably one of the biggest trouble spots for many new parents. The way your baby sleeps fundamentally changes. Sadly, it never changes back!
  • 8 months old – This one is another big one, but doesn’t always happen in the eighth month. This can be around 8, 9, or 10 months. It is usually related to a lot of development going on with your baby. This usually gets better a few weeks later, though it’s easy to develop new long-term habits trying to deal with it.
  • 11 months old – I hear about this one often enough to know I wasn’t alone, but not enough to say it’s a “big” problem for all families. Around 11 months old, I have found that some babies will start fighting one or both naps and then it will pass 2-3 weeks later.
  • 18 months old – This is a common age to hear from parents about their toddler’s sleep. Usually, it’s related to napping, night waking, and testing limits or discipline.
  • 2 years old – Around this age, I find many parents writing to me about naps and bedtime getting later.

These are all very common trouble spots. Are there other challenging times? You bet! I would say the first two years (sometimes three) are difficult, but around 7 months, your baby begins developing separation anxiety, teething, and other issues that come up. Some will simply be more sensitive to all the changes than others.

So, how do you know if you are seeing a sleep regression or a phase?

First, I should explain that a “sleep regression” has been a term that people have used to say “Sleep really messes up at this time, but don’t worry it will go back to normal.” In that regard, I would say only the “8 month sleep regression” fits the definition. 18 months is a close second, but if you aren’t careful, that strong independence-seeking stage can bleed into 2 and 3 years old and that’s a heckuva long “regression!”

At 4 months, your baby changes how he sleeps. While some will then begin to sleep better without you changing anything, he will never sleep the same. At 8 months, this is generally a “blip” due to rapid development and the simple inability to sleep with so much going on. As long as you don’t inadvertently make some new long-term habits, your baby most likely will get past this in 3 to 6 weeks and go back to how he was sleeping before. If it was bad before, though, that may not be very desirable!

Every other “blip” in your baby’s sleep, I would call a “phase.” Anytime your baby or toddler is working on a new developmental milestone (whether you can “see” it or not), it may affect his sleep. This is going to be quite a lot of “phases” in the first few years. They learn a LOT in a short amount of time! All of that development can make some babies feel unsettled, insecure, happy, tired, over-tired, excited, over-stimulated or all of the above! No wonder they can’t sleep, sometimes!

When is it a sleep habit?

There is no black and white as far as when to know that you have a sleep regression, phase, or a habit. My general rule of thumb is to give it about 1-3 weeks. If you have an abrupt sleep change, try to give your baby 1-3 weeks to see if something reveals itself. It could be a new tooth, a new developmental leap, or even an illness. There is no reason to feel alarmed that something has changed until it has “stuck.”

If your baby wasn’t sleeping well before and then starts to sleep worse, that is another reason to start working on sleep. Sleep may not become perfect until the sleep regression is over, but it could be a whole lot better if your baby WAS waking 3 times per night and is now waking 6-8 times per night. 6-8 times per night is excessive even for a sleep regression.

In the end, you know your baby best. Although you may be a new mom or on your third baby, your instincts will guide you more than you think. As soon as you start to feel resentment or that you can barely function or, worse, your baby can barely function, it’s likely time to do something about it. Although it may be your fault your baby won’t sleep doesn’t mean it has to stay that way. Only some will grow out of their sleep problems. I work with parents of toddlers (and older) all the time, who are still waiting for their baby to grow out of their sleep issues. 

All content of The Baby Sleep Site®, such as articles, e-guides, e-Books, advice, evaluative consultations, text, graphics, images, and other material contained on The Baby Sleep Site® (“Content”) are for informational and supportive purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always, always, always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your or your child’s medical condition(s), behaviors, feeding and sleeping habits, and environment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on The Baby Sleep Site®.

The Baby Sleep Site® is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other product affiliate programs. If you click on a product link and make a purchase, The Baby Sleep Site® may (but not always) receive a small commission from the company selling the product, but will not affect your purchase price. We only recommend products that we believe are quality products and are good for our readers.

Holistic Sleep Solutions from The Baby Sleep Site®

e-Book bundles

Do-It-Yourself: Just getting started with your research but you want to stop Googling? Choose from any of our e-book bundles for practical advice you can put to use TODAY!  

Become a VIP Member

Do-It-Mostly-Yourself: Would you like to continue learning with the option of getting answers from an expert sleep consultant? We have a perfect solution! Become a VIP Member for access to all of our premium content. This includes ALL of our e-books and bonuses, audio courses, access to our “ask the author” feature giving you answers to your pressing questions from an expert baby sleep consultant, and more!

Get a Personalized Sleep Plan

Work With a Sleep Expert: Tap into over a decade of experience with thousands of families before you! Get a Personalized Sleep Plan® just for your unique situation, get guidance and answers to all your “what if?” questions while you work through your plan, and benefit from expert support along the way. We can’t tell you how many times we’ve heard “I wish I had done this sooner!” Not sure? Read these stories from well-rested parents.

Don’t lose another wink of sleep — GET STARTED TODAY with our gentler, kinder approach to healthy sleep!

FREE Guide: Five Ways To Help Your Child Sleep Through the Night

Join over 500,000 parents for 15+ years & sign up today to receive the guide and Newzzz, our Baby Sleep Newsletter absolutely FREE!












 
12
Share to...