The Truth About Baby Sleep Regressions: Myths vs. Facts
"My baby has started waking up more at night."
"Oh, that’s just another sleep regression!"
“My baby is waking up shortly after falling asleep at bedtime”
"Oh, that’s just another sleep regression!"
“My toddler is resisting his nap”
"Oh, that’s just another sleep regression!"
And so on and so on!
Sound familiar?
You’ve finally managed to get your little one’s sleep somewhat under control, and suddenly it takes a nosedive. You have a moan to someone only to receive that ‘helpful’ comment!
In the world of baby sleep, it seems like there’s always another regression around the corner—six weeks, three to four months, six months, eight to ten months, twelve months, eighteen months, and even two years old. The list goes on. It’s almost as if any time your baby’s sleep gets a little off track, it’s labelled a "regression." quite often with an air of inevitability—as if your baby’s sleep will never be the same (especially as some sleep trainers would have you believe, if you don’t do something about it!)
But before you start worrying about the next "regression," let’s unpack what’s really going on.
The term ‘regression’ suggests that your baby’s sleep is going backwards. But this simply isn’t true. I like to see it more as a hurdle. I see this as a much more positive and empowering term than "regression." It suggests that these challenges are something temporary and surmountable, rather than a step backward. Yes, sleep isn’t linear, there are peaks and troughs but there is no going backwards.
The Four-Month Sleep Regression: The Only True Regression
The truth is, there’s only one scientifically-backed sleep regression: the four-month sleep regression. However, this is not truly a regression—it’s a natural sleep progression. During this phase, your baby’s sleep patterns are evolving from those of a newborn into more complex, adult-like sleep cycles. This change is permanent and indicates that your baby’s sleep architecture is maturing, but it doesn’t mean they’ll wake up frequently forever. You might have heard claims that if you don’t teach your baby to self-soothe during this period, they’ll never learn. This is simply not true! Therefore, it’s more accurate to refer to this as the four-month sleep progression.
Developmental Progress, Not Regression
As for the other so-called regressions? These typically coincide with major developmental milestones. Your baby might be learning to roll over, sit up, crawl, or even walk. These changes can temporarily disrupt sleep as your baby’s brain is hard at work, but they aren’t true regressions. The term "regression" implies that your baby is going backward, when in reality, they’re progressing—developing new skills and growing rapidly.
Labeling these phases as regressions might make them sound more dramatic, but it also suggests that something is wrong and needs fixing. Call me a sceptic but many sleep trainers like the term ‘regression’ because it’s giving a label to a period in a baby’s life when developmentally something, which is quite normal, is causing sleep to have a blip.
By calling it a ‘regression; it’s creating a problem, which actually might not even exist
And of course a problem needs a solution which a sleep trainer can sell to you. Think of it like being told your baby has an ear infection that needs antibiotics; it’s reassuring to have a name for the issue, followed by a straightforward fix. But baby sleep isn’t always so simple. It’s not a case of one single action that will resolve the situation quickly.
It’s all about looking at the root cause of the sleep disturbance. It’s not just about looking at the disturbed sleep in isolation - that’s the symptom.
We need to know the ‘why’? Why is your baby now waking more frequently in the night.
Just saying ‘regression’ is not helpful. There isn’t a one fix all solution to a regression. Some reasons why your baby has started to wake more frequently - too much daytime sleep, separation anxiety, discomfort to name just a few. It’s about looking at the whole picture - not just the sleep.
Understanding and Managing These Phases
It’s important to remember that these disruptions are normal and temporary. They’re a sign that your baby is growing and developing as they should. Rather than viewing these periods as setbacks or problems, it’s more helpful to see them as milestones in your baby’s development.
While it’s true that these phases can lead to more frequent night wakings and disrupted naps, it’s not something that needs to be "fixed." In all honesty if you do absolutely nothing at all then your baby’s sleep will eventually get on track. It’s just for some babies it can take longer than others. And in these situations it can make life incredible hard and for some families unsustainable. If this is you don’t feel that it’s your fault, or you’re giving up, some babies who are just more sensitive and are therefore harder work. Or it could be your circumstances are more challenging than other families.
If it’s all becoming overwhelming or unsustainable, there are gentle adjustments that can be made to your baby’s sleep routine to help ease the transition, and still allow you to be as responsive as you wish.
Remember sleep regressions or hurdles are all part of the journey, and it doesn’t mean your baby’s sleep is doomed.
If you’re finding it tough to manage, support is available.
Book a 1:1 consultation with me, and together we can create a personalised, gentle, and effective sleep plan tailored to your little one’s unique needs.
