The 18 Month Sleep Regression

Good daily rhythm, good sleep rhythm, sleeping through the night, it finally worked! And then all of a sudden nothing works again. Naps are short and difficult or, in the worst case, are refused. It takes a long time to fall asleep, your child wakes up more often at night and needs more reassurance to be able to sleep again. Hello 18 months sleep regression!

What is sleep regression?

A sleep regression is a phase where your child temporarily finds it more difficult to sleep again. If your child slept well through the night before, he will most likely do so again as soon as the sleep regression is over. Sleep regression usually occurs at around:

• 4 months

• 7-9 months

• 12 months

• 24 months

• 3 years

How do you recognize that your child is in a sleep regression?

• Often cranky

• More frequent waking at night and difficulty getting back to sleep

• Change in eating behavior

• Shorter daytime naps or refusal of daytime naps

• Seperation anxiety is a lot stronger

Development at 18 months

As with every sleep regression, a lot happens with this one too. Your baby is suddenly no longer a baby but changes into a real toddler. Your child will also notice this. The world is getting more and more exciting and there is something new to explore every day. It suddenly understands so much more. Your child is slowly developing a conscience and now understands quite well what is right and wrong and is happy to try it out.

The 18-month sleep regression is also strongly related to the mental and physical development that happens at this age. There are a few development milestones around the 18-month mark and these can lead to a temporary setback in sleep.

At 18 months, many toddlers become more independent and are better able to occupy themselves. Many learn to eat with a spoon, to undress themselves, to drink from a cup, to build with blocks. They would prefer to do everything themselves and can get angry if they are not allowed to do it themselves. This growing independence can lead to a stronger will, which means your child may put a lot of effort into crying/screaming/being angry and they don’t want to go to sleep or stay in bed.

The right hemisphere of the brain develops very strongly in the first 18 months. Then the left side of the brain takes over more and more. This is also where language develops, for example. In addition, most children’s canines and first molars appear around the age of 18 months. This can lead to discomfort and sleep disturbances.

If your child has not yet switched to 1 nap, or is in the process of switching, it can also cause additional disturbances.

Separation anxiety at 18 months

Separation anxiety is a huge issue at this age. Over the past few months, you’ve probably noticed that there are always phases where there is more alienation or separation anxiety than usual. In the developmental phase around the 18th month, this anxiety is greatly increased. Unfortunately, this often has an effect on your child’s sleep. Your child doesn’t want to leave you, needs more presence again or help falling asleep. It can happen that daytime naps are refused because your little one simply doesn’t want to leave you, at night it wakes up and cries because you are no longer nearby.

Tips and advice on 18-month sleep regression

• Remember that it is only temporary. It may feel like your child will never sleep well again. You will see that even after this sleep regression, your child will sleep well again.

• Do what works. Your child is now more independent and will definitely test you. And that’s okay. Nevertheless, set clear rules. Make sure you have a good day/bedtime routine and set aside enough time for this. And do what works best to get your child to sleep. Be prepared for some long days & short nights.

• Even if it’s difficult, make sure your child sleeps during the day. If it doesn’t work in bed, do what works so that your child sleeps during the day. If your child sleeps during the day, falling asleep at night will be less stressful and there won’t be as much of a struggle as if your child hasn’t slept during the day.

• Your child already understands a lot, so communicate with your child. Give them simple instructions and set clear boundaries so that they feel safe and understand what is right and wrong. Being consistent is particularly important now. Not only does this help to minimize sleep issues, but it also helps to develop a good foundation that makes this phase a little less “awful”.

• Your limits are tested and it’s not always easy to stay calm. Nevertheless, try to support your child as much as possible, because they simply don’t exactly know how to deal with these new skills and independence.

How long does the 18-month sleep regression last?

Like every sleep regression, this one also has an end. After a few weeks, your child will be back to the way they used to be. Unfortunately, it is not possible to give an exact time, but on average this sleep regression takes about 2 to 6 weeks. Every child is different. This also depends on how quickly your child can process everything and how quickly they master their new skills. For some children the worst phase is over after 2 weeks, for others it can take 4-5 weeks.

Does your child still have sleep issues after the sleep regression? Feel free to contact me I am happy to offer a free discovery call.