I'm a pediatric sleep doctor, author, and in my day job I run the Yale Pediatric Sleep Center. I've been writing about pediatric sleep issues for tired parents since 2012. Join my newsletter to get the best information about sleep problems (and solutions) in children.
Are sleep regressions real? It doesn't matter in the middle of the night
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Here's a question I get asked all the time: "My child is having a sleep regression! What do I do?" I'm ambivalent about the term "sleep regression" as it implies that regressions (worsening of sleep in a child who had previously been sleeping well) are a predictable phenomenon at certain ages. Although there are a few milestones that consistently seem to muck up sleep (I'm looking at you, Walking and Potty Training), overall I don't believe in the 10 month sleep regression. Or the 2.57 years sleep regression. Or the "Mars is in Scorpio" sleep regression. For more on the slippery nature of this term, read this article: Are sleep regressions real? What I do believe in is the fact that your child is going to throw you curveballs every so often, most likely when you feel like you finally have things under control. This could be a bout of unexplained night wakings, or a nap strike. Such events may lead to traumatic flashbacks if you previously dealt with months of bad sleep prior to teaching your child to sleep better. Fortunately, there's a lot you can do to address these events. A subset of children will just start skipping their naps. I would characterize this as a special phenomenon called a nap strike. You can read more nap strikes (and what to do about them) here. If your child slept well previously, they will again. And it is a lot less work than sleep training the first time. If you find any of these articles useful, please share with your friends! It really helps. Craig PS: Still at a loss for what to do, check out my book It's Never Too Late to Sleep Train. I'll walk you through a stepwise process on addressing your child's sleep problems, whether she is six months or six years old. Get better sleep now. |
Craig Canapari MD
I'm a pediatric sleep doctor, author, and in my day job I run the Yale Pediatric Sleep Center. I've been writing about pediatric sleep issues for tired parents since 2012. Join my newsletter to get the best information about sleep problems (and solutions) in children.
When parents think sleep training, the often think about extinction or CIO sleep training. Although CIO sleep training works well for infants and younger toddlers, I prefer gentler methods for older toddlers and preschoolers, especially if they are anxious. The “Excuse Me Drill” and “Taking a break” are two simple, gentle techniques which work well for children two and up who need their parents to fall asleep. These are two of my favorite techniques, and in my book It’s Never Too Late To...
When parents think of sleep training, they are often just imagining extinction sleep training (commonly known as "cry it out" or CIO). Thus, they imagine lots of crying, tantrums, and battles when trying to change the status quo. The fact is, CIO doesn't work well for older kids anyway. That's why I love the Bedtime Pass. A simple yet effective tool for managing nighttime interruptions. Instead of battling wills, your child can use a "Bedtime Pass" for a trip out of their room or to call for...
It just got hot here in the Northeast, and the kids are at camp (one is a counselor, the other is a counselor in training) at our local day camp. There are a lot of things I like about camp for kids in the summer, especially if there is a bit outdoor component. The kids come home tired but happy. They have a lot of great stories of funny things that happen throughout the day (ESPECIALLY from my boy who is a counselor) They sleep terrifically well. Now, some kids have a less busy schedule...