Phoebe’s Sleep Journey: 18 Months - 2 Years 9 Months
Phoebe is now 2 years and 9 months old and she naps every day from 1.30-2.15pm.
Let’s look at how and why I have changed her routine over the last year.
I have gradually reduced Phoebe’s nap from 2.5 hours over the last 12 months when there have been clear signs that her nap is too long or at the wrong time of the day.
Timing is important because children need time to build up their sleep pressure (adenosine hormone) before bedtime so they can manage a long stretch overnight.
If they nap too long or too late in the day it can cause several challenges.
These signs (for P) were:
Early waking (around 5am - no thanks)
I class anything before 6am as an early wake. Some children are early birds but pre-6am is not acceptable in our house!
Split nights
This is when children wake in the night for a prolonged period of time and seem wide awake are really difficult to settle.
It usually happens at the same time each night. Often in the early hours when sleep pressure has depleted.
Long sleep latency at bedtime
Sleep latency is how long it takes for someone to fall asleep.
The average is a big range - 5-25 minutes.
If you notice that is usually takes your child 10 minutes to fall asleep and that’s now consistently 30 minutes, it’s likely they aren’t tired enough to go to bed yet and need a routine change.
When we had these signs consistently for a week or more then I would move her nap or cut it down by 15 minutes at a time. It’s then worth waiting a few days to see the impact of that change before changing anything else.
A Note on Regressions
You may have noticed that (other than the 4 month one) I have not mentioned the word regression. Sleep can and does regress (sometimes) when babies and toddlers are learning new skills. They may want to practise and it disturbs their sleep.
However, there is no set time when this can happen. All babies develop on their own timeline. I often see, particularly on social media, this narrative around regressions happening at fixed times e.g. the 8 month sleep regression (not a real thing!). There is no scientific evidence to support this.
I find this narrative really frustrating because it invokes fear in parents that there is a regression coming up and then they stress about it. Any app that can “predict” when your baby will go through a regression is also worth deleting. It is impossible to guess when sleep may regress because of development and having an impending “leap” in your diary can only bring on stress we just don’t need to carry. Free yourself from it!
Other than the 4 month regression (which is a physiological change in how babies sleep) there is no schedule of regressions. You may also have noticed that any problems in P’s sleep were resolved by changing her routine to make it appropriate for her age. It is really common to put your baby's sleep issues down to a “regression” that you hope will just pass but often it’s actually a routine change that’s needed.
I would also be wary of anyone telling you that your child’s sleep challenge is down to a regression (unless it’s the 4 month one as I explained above). I’ve seen literature on social media relating to: 6 month, 8 month, 9 month, 12 month, 18 month and 2 year regressions. They’re not a real thing - your child isn’t going through a regression because they are a certain age. If they were real your child would be in a constant regression!
If your baby or child is clearly going through a period of development e.g. learning to crawl, walk or speech has come on a lot, then give it a week to 10 days to see if the sleep issue passes. If it doesn’t, it may be time for a routine change.
Recommended Products
18 Months - 4 Years Sleep Guide - My ultimate toddler guide covers everything you might come against in this age range. It also covers routine changes, has an example routine and how to adapt it and tackles bedtime battles. There’s also some bonus sections on behaviour and nutrition and how they impact sleep.
Free Nap Guide - If you just need a bit of guidance on naps, this guide can troubleshoot your problems and guide you to a solution.
If you would like some 1:1 help with this I offer a one off Confidence Call that comes with a Basic Sleep Plan - find out more here.
