Understanding Sleep Regressions
Why They Happen and How to Cope
You were finally exhaling. After weeks (maybe months?) of broken nights, infinite bobbing, and clocking feeds and naps like an unpaid intern, you had hit your stride. Your happy baby was taking long naps and sleeping longer stretches at night, and bedtime didn't seem like a hostage negotiation. It was that elusive sweet spot that every new parent desires.
And then, out the blue — sleep collapsed. Naps became a battleground. Night wakings returned with all the force of a terrible sequel. Your once-peaceful bed time ritual was replaced with a tear-filled wrestling match with an angry midget. Sound familiar? Chances are you're experiencing the dreaded sleep regression, a totally normal (albeit annoying) stage of your baby's development. This guide will explain what causes them, when they're coming, and how to suffer each of them without entirely losing touch with reality.
What Is the Sleep Regression of Which You Speak?
Sleep regressions are temporary setbacks in your baby's sleep patterns during times of big developmental progress. Translation: your baby's brain is literally under construction — and at breakneck speed. As they develop and start new skills (rolling, crawling, talking or realizing you are no longer in the room), their sleep often becomes lighter and more fragmented.
Consider it in those terms: When your brain is humming with something new, whether it's language learning or a big move, it can encroach on sleep. Babies experience the same thing just with an utter inability to say, "Hey, Mom, I'm having a development leap right now so I'll wake up a little ago more this week."
Sleep regressions are more than just inconvenient — they're a sign that something important is happening, in fact. But yeah, they can also make you feel like you've lost every inch of sleep terrain you'd built up.
When Do Sleep Regressions Occur? (And Why)
Here's a guide to the most frequent regressions and what normally causes them:
4 Months
What's going on: Baby's sleep is moving away from the newborn pattern (which involved large amounts of deep sleep) and toward the adult pattern, with more cycles of REM sleep. That translates to more light sleep, and more chances to wake up.
What it is: Shorter naps, more night wakings, difficult settling down.
6–8 Months
What's going on: Milestones, lots of them—rolling over, sitting up, crawling—plus a new discovery that you actually exist even when you're not in the room (ever heard of separation anxiety?).
What it looks like: Requires extra comfort, resists naps, is more wakeful.
9–10 Months
What's going on: Standing, cruising, and developing motor skills make baby eager to practice … even at 2 a.m.
What it looks like: Push back at nap time, lots of dancing and wiggling away at crib time, sleep protests.
12 Months
What's going on: Some babies start trying to drop a nap too soon, in addition to being increasingly mobile and social.
What it looks like: Catnapping, skipping naps, pushback at bedtime.
18 Months
What's happening: Toddler brain, hello. Independence and language are reaching a crescendo — and so are opinions.
What it looks like: Bedtime refusal, new bedtime drama, potential night terrors.
2 Years
What's happening: Language explosion, increased independence and, often, a major transition (potty training, move to a big-kid bed, arrival of a new baby).
What it is: Stalling tactics, sudden wake-ups, bedtime battles.
Is It a Regression or Was It Just a Bad Week?
Here are six signs it's more than a fluke:
- Your baby is sleeping well and then isn't
- They are waking more often at night with no other reason (being sick, teething etc.)
- Nap lengths are shorter, missed, or erratic.
- They're fussy, clingy, or emotional
- You've eliminated illness, teething, and hunger
- Regular sleep issues combined with development changes? That's your regression.
How to Survive Sleep Regressions Like a Pro
Stick to Your Routine
Even if it feels like you're running in place, stick to the familiar bedtime cues — bath, story, snuggles, sound machine. In an unsettled world (from the point of view of baby), routines add predictability.
Avoid Panic and the Creation of New Sleep Crutches
Rocking them to sleep, feeding at every cry, or allowing them to crash in your bed may provide short-term solace but long-term challenges. Unless you're O.K. with keeping those habits, then try to avoid starting them now.
Respond, Don't React
It's fine to soothe your baby, but try for quick, relaxed check-ins. Pat their belly, say a few words of reassurance, then give them space. Sometimes overinvolvement can lengthen wake-ups.
Reassess Wake Windows
Nap and bed times get obsolete very quickly as babies grow. If your baby is suddenly fighting sleep, they may need a longer wake time or a later bedtime.
Put Your Own Sleep and Sanity Above All Else
You matter. Trade off bedtime, sleep in shifts, or just make it work for the short term to save your mental health during this regression. "A mother who has been able to sleep well is more trouble-shooting so when I turned up I was just fresh."
Real-Life Tips and Hacks
- Blackout curtains + white noise = your BFFs
- Use an app to track sleep, such as Huckleberry, to identify patterns
- Keep a "middle-of-the-night kit" (water, snack, lip balm, phone charger) next to your bed
- Commit to one consistent response method to night wakings—don't change your approach night after night
- When in doubt, wait at least a week. If that behavior is recurring other than that, re-evaluate and look into gentle sleep training methods.
Registry Regret Alert
No sleep "miracle" products. You don't need a $300 bassinet that has Wi-Fi to make it through a regression. Instead, stock up on:
- Good swaddles or sleep sacks
- Two loveys or more (have a back-up!)
- A reliable sound machine
- Additional crib sheets—accidents go up when regression comes to town
Bottom Line: This Is a Pause, Not a Failure
Sleep regressions are not a reflection on whether you are doing something wrong. In fact, they are frequently a sign that your baby is flourishing developmentally. These scratchy nights are blips on a very long screen. So take a breath, stick to what's working and give yourself (and your baby), lots of grace.
Print this guide. Save it. Send it to your partner. Better yet — pass it on in your group chat with the other moms who are secretly Googling "why won't my baby sleep" at 2 a.m. You're not alone — and you've got this.