Developmental milestones, often referred to as regressions or progressions, occur when your baby learns a new skill 🔤, experiences a growth spurt 📈, or has a leap in brain development 🧠. These significant changes in their physical and mental development can temporarily affect their sleep 😫🆘
It is also common for your baby’s sleep to become disrupted a few weeks before* they start show signs of their new developmental skill, such as learning to crawl or walk 🕺🏻. A study revealed that babies were MORE challenging to settle at bedtime and experienced increased night wakes two weeks BEFORE reaching a developmental milestone 😫. Therefore, it is important to maintain consistency in your approach to avoid inadvertently introducing a negative sleep association during the process 🤞🏻
The most common sleep regressions occur around 3-4 months, 8-9 months, 12 months, 18 months, and 2 years, coinciding with significant leaps in their development. Recognising these common ages can help you determine if their disrupted sleep could be associated with an upcoming developmental milestone 🏆
If your baby continues to wake frequently overnight and you need support in consolidating their sleep, book a consultation or download our sleep essentials guide via our website to help restore sleep for you and your family 💫🩷🌸