Sleep Regression In Babies — Why It Happens And How To Deal With It

As parents of infants, many of you may have noticed that your little one, previously sleeping quite peacefully, is suddenly struggling to sleep soundly. This is a common experience that can be both frustrating and exhausting for parents. Sleep regression is a nighttime disruption where a healthy, happy, and otherwise good ‘sleeping’ baby suddenly wakes up frequently, anytime at night, with extremes of fussiness and mood irritability.

What is Sleep Regression?

Sleep regression in babies is a common phenomenon where a baby experiences a disturbed sleep-wake cycle. A baby who was sleeping well previously suddenly wakes up multiple times at night or has difficulty falling asleep. Sleep regression often coincides with developmental milestones. 

As babies develop an increased awareness of their surroundings, they tend to spend less time in bed and find it encouraging to play more often. This changes their sleep-wake cycle, leading to fewer naps, shorter naps, and waking up at night every one or two hours.

Your baby may wake up suddenly, quite often, and begin to throw tantrums when encouraged to fall asleep again. Sleep regression may continue for a few weeks; however, in most cases, sleep regression is a temporary phase that subsides in a few weeks without much worry. Although common, not much formal research was conducted on sleep regression. 

Signs of Sleep Regression in Babies

During sleep regression, the baby shows a backward or regressive trend to their already well-developed sleep patterns. These unexpected changes in a baby’s sleep patterns can be a cause of concern for parents. Sleep regressions usually begin by 4 months, when babies tend to change their usual sleep routine. 

It is common for infants to experience at least one sleep regression before their first birthday. Sometimes, these regressive tendencies can also continue beyond one year. Rather than being age-related, sleep regressions occur due to developmental milestones or changes happening in the baby’s daily life.

Some of the most notable signs of sleep regression are as follows:

• Increase in nighttime awakenings

• Fussiness or crying more often

• Struggles to fall asleep after waking up

• Resists short naps throughout the day

• Appears energetic after getting up at night

• Shows clingy behavior with one or both parents and refuses to leave them

• Sleep deprivation may occur due to incomplete night sleep, causing cranky behavior during the day as well.

When Does Sleep Regression Hit?

Sleep regression can happen at various points in a baby's first year and beyond. The timing varies for each baby, often aligning with their developmental milestones. The common sleep regression periods include 4 months, 6 months, 8 to 10 months, and at times,12 months. For some infants, sleep regression can also occur at 18 months and 2 years. Let us discuss all these stages in bite-sized detail.

4-month regression

Around 3 to 4 months, your baby may show sudden shifts in their sleep patterns. This happens due to their ability to wake up longer than before, and their sleep is becoming deeper and lighter like adults. At this age, their sleep tends to get lighter, meaning they can easily wake up with disturbances around. One important point to note in this stage is that not all babies are impacted by sleep regression. 

If your baby has learned to sleep on their own, then they tend to sleep longer. However, if they are in a habit of being helped with sleep such as by rocking in arms, fed, or otherwise, then the chances of sleep regression are higher. You’re more likely to see them waking up multiple times at night.

6-8 month regression

As this stage typically involves several developmental changes, sleep regression can be very common. During 6 to 8 months, your little one learns to roll and crawl, and some of them have already mastered the art of sitting with little or no support. Most infants become aware of their surroundings and can comfortably remain awake for long hours without sleep. Moreover, as they are growing bigger, nighttime feedings can increase. They may wake up multiple times because of hunger. Even breastfed babies need extra doses of food to stay nourished. All these factors lead to disturbed sleep at night. At 8 months, some babies struggle to sleep due to teething, as incisors pop up and they struggle to adjust to bodily changes.

10 - 12 month regression

Similar to the previous stage, regressions at the 10th or 12th month are due to several developmental changes. By now, babies have mastered several skills and are less interested in spending their time in naps and long sleeping hours. Sometimes, separation anxiety sets in if they sleep alone at night. This leads to waking up, crying, and tantrums in the middle of the night. 12-month sleep regression is an out-of-nowhere experience for parents. Most parents feel relieved that their little ones are pro-sleeping beings by now; thus, a sleep setback at this stage feels overwhelming to them. 

Some of the typical signs of 12-month sleep regression include:

• Trouble falling asleep even with assistance from parents

• Resists having short naps

• Loud cries when forced to sleep

• Once getting up at night, they may struggle to fall asleep again and seek constant parental attention.

• Long daytime naps may occur due to incomplete sleep at night.

• Increased clinginess to caregiver

Causes of Sleep Regression

Numerous factors are to be blamed for sleep regression.

• Baby’s rapid growth spurts require feeding multiple times at night, causing a break in the sleep-wake cycle

• They are learning bigger developmental skills such as crawling, sitting, standing, and even wobbly walking before hitting their first birthday.

• Teething can cause discomfort and crying.

• Disruptions in daily routine such as starting daycare

• Illness

• Increased awareness of their surroundings makes them more active, leading to short naps

• Feeling lonely at night, if sleeping alone in a crib

For How Long Does Sleep Regression Last?

This can differ from one infant to another as all have their separate developmental timelines. When sleep regression hits, remember that it’s just a passing phase. Your baby is growing normally, and these minor sleep issues at night will soon resolve on their own. Baby sleep regressions pass within a few weeks. In 2 to 4 weeks, your tiny one again develops sleep patterns unique to themselves. Once your baby adjusts to a routine or a developmental milestone, sleep setbacks normally go away.

Do All Babies Have Sleep Regression?

Despite a common assumption, there is a lack of scientific evidence to support the idea that all babies experience sleep regression. Sleep regression may or may not happen to your baby. 

Tips to Manage Sleep Regression in Babies

As parents, you cannot prevent sleep regression; however, you can easily manage this temporary phase of your baby’s life. Some of the quick-fix hacks that parents can follow are given here - 

• Stick to a routine sleep time every day. If nighttime begins at 8 pm for your infant, you should stick to the timeline strictly. 

• Avoid screen time completely with your baby 1 hour before going to bed. This allows them to doze off easily.

• Give them a good body massage and bath so that they feel relaxed and know that it's time to sleep.

• Playing soft music or singing a lullaby helps them to soothe easily.

• Have active waking hours for your baby. If they remain busy during the daytime, they’ll get tired by evening and will retire to bed without any fuss.

• You can practice sleep training every day so that a routine sets in

• Wait before responding to your baby’s cries so that they can help themselves fall asleep again.

• Avoid making them overtired, and help them have short daytime naps so that sleep deprivation doesn’t impact your tiny ones.

Sleep regression is not a developmental setback; instead, it’s an indication that the baby is growing well and has proper developmental milestones. Although it feels overwhelming, a little patience from parents can do wonders when trying to overcome this phase. By maintaining a consistent sleep routine and adjusting schedules that suit the baby, parents can navigate this phase without a hassle.