12-Month Sleep Regression: How Infant Sleep Patterns Change

The 12-month sleep regression is a change in a baby's sleep schedule that occurs around the time they turn one year old. Sleep regression can seemingly appear out of nowhere. Even with consistent sleep training, a baby can suddenly develop adverse sleep habits that lead to crankiness, fussiness, and sleep deprivation.

Signs of 12-month toddler sleep regression include altered sleep patterns, frequent night wakings, inconsistent naptimes, and cranky behavior during awake times. Such behavior is natural, and learning how to handle your toddler’s short-term sleep problems will help you develop better napping and bedtime routines.

A true sleep regression typically involves at least three days of consistent behavioral changes, and it can affect a young child's sleep for days or even weeks. By describing the changes to your child's physician or to a sleep consultant, you may be able to better anticipate further changes that await your one-year-old's sleep habits.

The causes of sleep regression stem from a baby’s rapid development over the first year of their life. Infants of this age go through growth spurts and rapid mental development, and they learn new skills nearly every day. This promotes growth and transformation in the infant brain, which, in turn, causes changes in sleep behavior.

New parents have many tools at their disposal for addressing a child’s 12-month sleep regression.

1. 1. Establish consistency. Newborn babies thrive on routine, and a reliable way to develop a good sleeper is to put them to bed at the same time every day. This includes morning naps, afternoon naps, and nighttime sleep.
2. 2. Proactively plan for tiredness. The cause of much infant crankiness is a lack of sleep. Take proactive steps to ensure your child always gets enough sleep, whether this means setting an earlier bedtime or adding a second short nap to your child's routine.
3. 3. Monitor separation anxiety. Your child instinctively craves your presence, so offer cuddles around naptime and tend to your crying infant in the middle of the night.
4. 4. Keep the child stimulated during the day. A child needs mental stimulation and physical activity during the day to build up the fatigue needed to sleep through the night. Keep your baby active in order to encourage healthy sleep.
5. 5. Build positive sleep associations. As part of a bedtime routine, establish certain behaviors, like a warm bottle, a bedtime story, cuddles, and familiar songs. This sets the child's mind at ease and mentally prepares them for sleep.
6. 6. Seek medical advice as needed. If you’re concerned by your baby’s sleep regression, consult a pediatrician for specialized advice.

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