Toddler Sleep Regression: Why It Happens & How to Handle It

Thank you to our guest author, Kim Corley, Cherished Sleep

Whether you’ve previously had a good sleeper, or it’s always been a bit tricky, toddlerhood is when sleep may get messy again. Understanding toddler sleep and what’s going on can help you manage these tumultuous years with a bit more finesse.

Understanding Toddler Sleep Regression

There is a LOT of change and development going on at the toddler stage and the irony is that toddlers don’t like change! Talk about a double-edged sword. All these changes may mean sleep goes awry (with bedtime battles or new night wakes) simply because:

They are learning new skills and want to practice. Language is a big one around 2 years of age, but don’t discount taking clothes (and sleep sacks) off.

All this new learning means your child can get tired quicker (and thus overtired quicker): making sleep harder to come by.

They have big emotions and seek more comfort from you. Especially if sleep is a bit off

They start testing you as they learn they are an independent being who can say “No”.

They get out of bed now, just because they can.

There is a new sibling in the picture.

What you can do to help

The official “toddler” age of 18-months to 3 years of age is a great time to really make things super structured and black and white for your child. This way they know exactly what to expect and can relax into bedtime. Here are 6 things you can do to help:

Ensure they get enough outdoor physical activity during the day. Toddlers are very active and have a high need for physical movement.

Create a predictable bedtime routine. Ideally this is around 30-minutes long with the same steps in the same order every single night.

Offer limited choice within the routine. Offer “this or that” choices to give your toddler a sense of control. This can really help for things in the routine they may resist.

Stick to your limits – i.e. if you’re reading in the routine, stick to the same number of books each night, despite your toddler asking for more. When things change, toddlers feel more overwhelmed.

Empathise with big emotions but continue to stick to your limits afterwards. State that you hear they are [insert big emotion here] and sit with them in that moment. Letting them know you hear them and are there for them is often all they need. Toddler emotions are very intense (but usually very short lived!). When they are calmer, move on with what is needed.

Let them know exactly what you expect of them when they are in their cot/bed. Give them some rules to follow. But make sure they understand them and can follow through.

Living with a toddler and being a toddler is very, very difficult if the toddler isn’t well rested.

Great sleep during toddlerhood IS possible and often takes a few little tweaks. It’s common for it to get messy, but it doesn’t have to be like that! Toddlers understand much more than they can verbalise and you can work on sleep in a fun way.

Sleep well.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kim Corley works with all ages to solve sleep issued and create healthy sleep habits. She is a Mum of two, Certified Sleep Sense ™ Consultant and mentor for new sleep consultants around the world. Kim has been running Cherished Sleep for 8 years+ and has a number of blogs for all ages on her website Home | Cherished Sleep.

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