Tell me if you've done this (no judgment!)
Have you googled 'sleep regressions'?
And if you did, what did you find?
That Google says there's a sleep regression for almost every month for the first 1-2 years of
your baby's life!
AHHH!
So here's the thing-
There are some key milestones in the first two years of your baby's life that can disrupt sleep.
For example:
4-month sleep changes
8-10 months
18-24 months
The 4-month sleep regression is a true change in your baby's brain!
They go from newborn sleep, where they spend more time in deep sleep.
This is how they can be moved and touched, and sleep in the living room while you watch TV and do dishes, etc.
Around 16-20 weeks after birth, their brain goes through changes, rearranging.
They spend less time in deep phases of sleep, and spend more time in the light phases of sleep (just like us!).
This is why we can see such drastic changes in our baby's sleep during this time: short naps, difficult bedtimes, up every 2 hours in the night, etc.
8-10 months is commonly when we see some separation anxiety- and it's due to a developmental milestone where object permanence is being established.
Basically, when you leave the room, your baby doesn't know if you still exist- hence the crying and freaking out when you leave.
18-24 months is commonly seen when there's an increase in language skills!
Learning physical skills such as rolling, sitting, standing, and walking, can disrupt sleep as well.
But that doesn't mean that poor sleep should go on and on for months!
Keep these things in mind:
Keep your bedtime routines in place!
Increase play and outside time
Take your time responding to night wake ups- give them a chance to settle
If you've cut down on night feeds, or have no night feeds- don't go adding a bunch of feeds ( I see this allllll the time)
So the next time someone talks about the 7-month sleep regression- just know that you can help your baby sleep, and work through a variety of changes in the first 2 years of their life.
Have questions?
Hit reply and let me know!
Here for you,
Melody Patton
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