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.

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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.