Life
Big milestones can turn your nights (and maybe even your days) upside-down when they disrupt your child's sleep. One of the biggest milestones? Learning to walk, which happens right around age 1. There are some things to know about sleep regression in 1-year-olds that can help you understand why it is happening, and how to get your cranky baby back to sleep.
"Certain milestones (like learning to walk, or toilet training) may be associated with temporary sleep disruption," explains Dr. Craig Canapari, a pediatrician and author of It’s Never Too Late to Sleep Train to Romper over email. "The former does tend to occur around one year of age."
That is, what are often termed "sleep regressions" are not developmentally as hard-coded as you might think. Although, says Canapari, "Telling this to a tired parent whose baby had previously slept well is not particularly helpful."
Even though it can be a nightmare to deal with a baby who is waking in the night, the good news is that sleep regressions are totally normal, and usually short-lived. "Just when you have a handle on a certain behavior (feeding, sleeping, toilet training), your child will change their routine and you will be scratching your head," says Canapari. By the same token, they will leave behind a difficult phase and return to being the sound sleepers you remember.
If you are in the middle of a sleep regression, or if your baby is approaching their first birthday, here is some helpful information you will want to know.
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Know That This, Too, Shall Pass
"Parenting sometimes feels like an exercise in putting out fires," says Canapari. "Just when you have a handle on a certain behavior (feeding, sleeping, toilet training), your child will change their routine and you will be scratching your head." While sleep disruptions may seem profound, keep in mind that you are not in thrall to some greater phenomenon. "We want to impose a narrative on what may be random events," he explains. Sometimes there are just some bumps in the road.
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Use This As An Opportunity To Sleep Train
"Teaching your child to fall asleep and stay asleep independently pays great dividends for parents and children," says Canapari. "If you have previously established good sleep patterns in your child, restoring them tends to be easier." And if you haven't, now is a good time to help establish self-soothing capabilities via some good, old-fashioned behavioral interventions.
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When In Doubt, Ask Your Pediatrician
It's normal for your toddler to change their sleeping schedule as they age, but, says Canapari, a sudden worsening of your child's sleep is worth a visit to the pediatrician to rule out any medical causes. Otherwise, stay the course!
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Experts:
Dr. Craig Canapari, a pediatrician and author of It’s Never Too Late to Sleep Train
Studies referenced:
Iglowstein, I., Jenni, O., Molinari, L., Largo, R. (2003) Sleep duration from infancy to adolescence: reference values and generational trends. Pediatrics, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12563055
Berger, R., Miller, A., Seifer, R., Cares, S., LeBourgeois, M. (2013) Acute Sleep Restriction Effects on Emotion Responses in 30- to 36-Month-Old Children. Journal of Sleep Research, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3258474/
Snell, E, Adam, E., Duncan, G. (2007) Sleep and the Body Mass Index and Overweight Status of Children and Adolescents. Child Development, https://srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2007.00999.x
McDonald, L. Wardle, J., Llewellyn, C, van Jaarsveld, C., Fisher, A. Predictors of shorter sleep in early childhood. Sleep Medicine, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1389945714000410
Haucka, J., Zott, G., Felzer-Kima, I., Adkinsa, C. (2018) A comparison of low-intensity physical activity, growth, and sleep behavior in 6-month old infants. Infant Behavior and Development, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0163638318300432
Larzelere, R., Knowles, S. (2015) Toddlers Need Both Positive Parenting and Consistent Consequences from Mothers. Oklahoma State University Presentation at the Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2015/08/toddlers-parenting.pdf
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