Sleep Progressions. When and Why?

What are sleep progressions?

Sleep progressions occur when a child is going through mental leaps and working towards new milestones. This is exciting but they can often affect sleep and that is why they can be referred to as sleep “regressions.” However, a regression is defined by a “return to a former or less developed state.” This is just the opposite, babies and toddlers are moving towards new milestones which is why they are more like sleep progressions. These sleep progressions occur around 4 months, 8 months, 10-12 months, and 14-18 months. 

Often these progressions can be mistaken for teething discomfort…but teething is actually rarely the cause for poor sleep. And if teething is the issue, it should only last a day or two compared to sleep progressions that can affect sleep for a week or longer.

If as you are reading through this blog and you start to feel like these progressions can really wreck havoc on your child’s sleep, just know this can be helped! Don’t get discouraged, just reach out for help. You can check out my instagram for tips, check out my free nap guide (has information about the sleep foundations), or free schedule a discovery call! All links are at the bottom.

Here is what is happening during each progression:

4 Month Progression:

At four months we can expect a shift in baby’s’ sleeping habits. Sleep cycles are changing and circadian rhythm kicks in to drive these sleep cycles. Circadian Rhythm is driven by light and darkness, so babies start to understand days and nights better than when they were in the newborn stage.

Physically, babies can be attempting to roll over, they may be reaching for objects, they may start to laugh and smile, and they may have better head control, especially during tummy time. 

Although these progressions can affect sleep, if your baby’s foundations are in place and strong, your baby’s sleep should return back to normal quickly. If these progressions are wreaking havoc on your baby’s sleep for more than a few nights then you should evaluate your baby’s foundations and make any necessary changes. 

Foundations of sleep is a concept from the agency My Sweet Sleeper. Rachel Mitchell is the owner of this company and has developed the concept of these four foundations and why they are so important to pay attention to. If you want more information about the four foundations you can check out my nap guide Nap Guide and Foundation info or follow me on instagram for more info there too! Follow My Insta For More Tips!

6 Month Progression: 

At 6 six months your baby is gaining more weight, they might be rolling over, and they are starting to tell the difference between family members. At this age your baby may start holding their own bottle and their naps will start to consolidate and start to lengthen. 

I want to stop here and chat about naps for a second. At this age day sleep can start to consolidate that. However, we still need to set our children up for success. If you are interested in a lot more information about getting your child to take solid naps, check out this nap guide!

Click here for the Guide to solid naps!

Solid foods may be introduced at this age and your baby may enjoy tasting and playing with their solid foods. It can be messy but this sensory “play” is very important!  At 6 months your baby is starting to make strong associations. If up until this point your baby has been put to sleep with the same association (this could be breast feeding, bottle feeding, rocking, etc.) you may want to switch it up so that your baby is not dependent on just one association. It may also be a good idea to try to put your baby down slightly awake. Practicing this skill will help your baby become more of an independent sleeper in the long run. 

8 Month Progression: 

At eight months your baby may be sitting up, babbling syllables, banging objects on surfaces and they may be starting to crawl! Your baby may start teething and although this has a reputation for affecting sleep, if your baby’s foundations are in place and strong this should not affect sleep greatly. At eight months your baby could be transitioning to a two nap schedule (if they haven’t before) and they can sleep for longer stretches, yay! 

10-12 Month Progression: 

At this stage, your baby is starting to grab objects and they could be attempting to pull themselves up on things like furniture and trying to walk while holding on. Your baby could start standing up in their crib so it’s important to lower your crib to the lowest level. If this is still an issue, try a sleep sack to prevent the climbing.
At this age your baby could start imitating sounds and words. Naps are more predictable and it’s likely you can follow a “by the clock” schedule with predictable nap times and bedtimes. Near twelve months your baby can start transitioning to cow’s milk, if you wish to do so. This should be a gradual process, while you should still continue breastfeeding or formula feeding until they are at least 12 months old. 

(If naps are still an issue, check out the free nap guide linked at the bottom.)

14-18 Month Progression

At 14-18 months your baby is most likely gaining some independence and acting more like a toddler by pushing some boundaries. Your baby may start walking and communicating more. Their molars could be popping through, which again, should not derail sleep for a long period of time. Keep consistent with your schedule and routine and your baby’s sleep will return to norm soon. The two to one nap transition will be happening between 15-18 months (can happen sooner for some babies) and this nap transition can take around 4 weeks to solidify. So don’t worry if it takes your baby a long time to transition, this is normal. 

Wrap Up

Progressions can seem scary, but trust that as long as your sleep foundations are in place and you stay consistent with your schedule and routine, your baby will return to their normal sleep habits quickly.

In the case where your child’s sleep is definitely off and you have know all foundations are in place, you might just need to ride it out and know that it will turn around. In the mean time try to not add any extra sleep props that were not used prior to this progression. This can include rocking completely to sleep (rocking is of course fine, just not all the way to sleep), feeding baby to sleep completely , introducing co-sleeping, allowing a much later bedtime, etc.. Again, I am saying try not to add any props that were not there before. If certain props work for you and your baby prior to this progression, by all means, use them!

Progressions are also exciting times because your baby is learning new skills! Just remind yourself that the effects on sleep will not last forever. Stay consistent and celebrate these new leaps in your baby’s development. You got this! 

If you are reading this and feeling like these progressions are wrecking havoc on your family, it’s likely your child’s foundations need to be worked on. You can check out my instagram for more tips or you can schedule a free discovery call with me to find out more.

Here is a link for the discovery call Free Discovery Call - More Info

If naps are an issue and your baby is 4+ months check out this free nap guide! Guide to Solid Naps!

Click the icon bellow and follow me on Instagram for more tips!

References 

My Sweet Sleeper