Baby Sleep Regressions: What They Really Are (And Why Baby Sleep Isn’t Linear)
- Mama Poe
- 30 minutes ago
- 4 min read
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I’m here to tell you the truth about sleep regressions, and you may not like it.
I don’t think they’re real.
I know, I know. But bear with me.
Truthfully, the only baby sleep regression that is rooted in science is the 4 month sleep regression.
This one is undeniably real. Babies quit being sleepy little potatoes between 4 and 6 months, and their brains begin having sleep cycles that more closely resemble ours. This change in sleep architecture absolutely can disrupt sleep. (But, don’t go straight to panicking! This only was a big issue for one out of my three babies).
Beyond that though? I think most baby sleep regressions are a myth. Kind of like the boogey man.
Here’s the nuance though: there are definitely things that will disrupt your baby’s sleep. Plenty of them. But you can’t typically slap a sticker with your baby’s age on it to label the true reason behind why they’re struggling. It’s way more complicated than that.
When the twins were going through their first year, we had a lot of different phases of baby sleep. And some of the hiccups were absolutely related to problems I was able to fix by focusing on the basics (like avoiding feeding to sleep, and trying to use age-appropriate wake windows).
But a lot of them? Time was the answer. Sticking to our routine was the answer. Trusting that we would figure it out and knowing it was temporary was the answer. That wasn’t usually my first instinct, though.
My first instinct was to go to the drawing board every. single. time. we had a hiccup.
Maybe they need more ounces of milk.
Maybe they need more time awake.
Maybe they need less time awake.
Maybe they no longer like white noise.
Honestly, I would Google myself crazy thinking there was a singular, magic answer that would get us back on track. I would beat myself up when it didn’t work. I even would resent my babies for just “not figuring it out.”
Now, I know better. I am literally writing this as I am having a bit of a setback with Cam’s sleep.
He is usually a wonderful sleeper with long naps and only one overnight wake (and equally as often, no overnight wakes at all), but we have randomly begun having 30 minute naps and multiple wakes overnight.
Old Gianna would’ve panicked. With the twins, I would've immediately assumed I had broken
their sleep. I'd have opened ten browser tabs trying to figure out which regression we were in.
And truthfully, maybe with Cam, I did panic a little at first.
But today, after his second nap only lasted 30 minutes, I calmly went in to check on him.
He just wanted to see me. That was it. He wanted me to rub his butt, and every time he felt himself dozing off… he popped his head up to make sure I was still there.
Sounds a bit to me like separation anxiety.
But, he’s also recovering from an illness.
He also just popped his first two teeth last week.
He also is getting older and wanting more awake time but still not quite ready for 2 naps.
He even is beginning to crawl around a bit as of this past week.
See what I mean? He isn’t broken. He isn’t struggling just because he is suddenly 7 months old. There’s a lot going on right now!
Here’s What Actually Disrupts Sleep – And It Isn’t Their Age
Here are the things that matter more than the day on the calendar:
Teething
Illness
Recovering from illness
Learning a new skill
Separation anxiety
Growth spurts
New environments
Undertiredness
Overtiredness
Medical issues like reflux
Gas
Notice something? None of those things magically happen because your baby turned exactly 8 months old.
Sometimes it’s one of these things, and sometimes it’s three or four of them happening at the same time.
Instead of Asking "Which Baby Sleep Regression Is This?" Ask Yourself These Questions:
Is my baby sick?
Are they teething?
Did they learn a new skill?
Do they seem like they are fighting every nap and may need more time awake?
Are they falling asleep before you even get them into the crib and may need less time awake?
Are they hungry?
Are they suddenly clingier?
Have there been any changes to your routine or their environment?
Now What Really Matters: How Do You Get Through It?
If you identify something concrete, great. Address it the best you can.
If you don't? Give it a few days before you overhaul your entire routine.
I've learned that consistency is almost always more valuable than panic.
Sometimes your baby really does need a schedule adjustment. Sometimes they need extra comfort. Sometimes they just need time.
The hardest part of parenting babies is accepting that sleep isn't something you solve once. It's something that evolves right alongside your child.
Looking back, I wish someone had told me that I wasn't failing every time my babies' sleep changed. I wasn't doing anything wrong. They were simply growing, and I needed to trust that we would get through it together.
If your baby isn't sleeping well right now, take a deep breath. Before you convince yourself you've broken everything, remember that babies change constantly. Sometimes the best thing you can do isn't find a new schedule—it's give your baby (and yourself) a little grace.
Posted from the heart,
Mama Poe
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