The 18-Month Sleep Regression: Expert Advice to Guide You

You've come a long way since your newborn days. But if you found yourself googling Why isn't my 18 month old sleeping? You may have found yourself in the middle of a milestone you've been hoping to skip: the 18-month sleep regression. So what does it give? If this is your first sleep regression, we are so sorry and congratulations on making it this long without a regression! Can you fix their sleep and make sure everyone is well rested again? We spoke to three baby sleep experts to find out how exhausted parents can quickly get back on track.

Is there an 18 month sleep regression?

Yes and no. "The concept of sleep regression has not been established in the scientific pediatric sleep community,"

Dr. Craig Canapari. , a pediatrician and director of the Yale Pediatric Sleep Center, adds that — while it's not a scientific term — he thinks the term "sleep regression" is a good one to name the various sleep disturbances children experience as they grow.

18-month sleep regression

Classic parental complaints during sleep regression, according to Super and Canapari, are as follows:

• Your toddler is fussier or fussier than usual, perhaps because he is not sleeping as well as usual
• Your toddler wakes up earlier in the morning than you would like
• Your toddler is waking again at night, or more than usual
• Your toddler is fighting bedtime, his normal routine has gotten longer and now it feels like a battle.

What causes 18-month sleep regression?

Although there is no set time when your toddler is expected to experience sleep disturbances, 18 months can be an age marked by changes in sleep needs and developmental milestones, and these can sometimes be accompanied by sleep disturbances. Similar to a 12-month regression or even an 8-10 month sleep regression, here are some classic causes of sleep regression after 18 months, according to Super, Canapari:

• A decrease in sleep or a problem with the length of sleep
• It's too early to sleep.

How long does an 18 month sleep regression take?

The million dollar question, of course, once you find out you're dealing with sleep regression, is how long the 18-month sleep regression will last. Friends, we finally got to the good news.

Maybe your kids have something on their mind and they can't express it to you because their cognitive abilities often exceed their ability to communicate with you. Sleep regression shouldn't last more than a few days, he explains. If sleep regression lasts more than a week, Super recommend seeing your pediatrician.

The 18-month sleep regression: What to do when your toddler's sleep goes haywire

You've probably already decided on sleep training—whether it's right for your family or not, and what method works for you. Whether you've opted for the Ferber method (also known as “graduated extinction”) or yelling, Canapari reminds parents that “the practices that got you here will carry you through. 

If your baby slept through the night before, he's going to sleep through the night again, and probably sooner than you think." Meanwhile, if you've ruled out illness or a one-day bump and you're pretty sure you've got sleep regression on your hands, Dubief tells parents to be they're just curious: “Look at their sleep schedule. Is your 18-month-old telling you he needs less sleep than he did six months ago? We may have to make some adjustments. In 18 months, several things could have happened to us.