Sleeping is an essential part of life. Good sleep is vital for toddlers physical and mental health. Sleep regression is a phenomenon that alters the sleep routine of children. Both mothers and children become restless due to changes in sleep patterns. Many factors contribute to this, and we have taken a deep dive into this issue to enable you to manage this situation effectively.

Reasons for Toddler Sleep Regression

Sleep regression in a child is a result of both personal factors and the environment in which they live. They cannot be understood in isolation from each other.

Parents’ behavior also contributes to toddler sleep regression. It’s their role that can trigger or control sleep regression to a great extent. Below, we created a set of guidelines so parents are aware of the issue and the main catalyst responsible for poor sleeping patterns

Growth

Growth brings a lot of changes in the physical and mental abilities of toddlers. It triggers an element of self-discovery in the child’s personality. This feeling of self-discovery becomes so overwhelming that toddlers become restless and indulge in playful activities that begin to dominate their sleeping patterns.

As the child started to grow, the parents began to distance themselves from the toddlers. This creates a sense of separation in the mind of a toddler. Anxiety began to develop due to the feeling of being left out, overburdening the child to gain more attention, which disturbed the sleep routine.

Sickness

Sickness is the most common cause identified by mothers for changes in toddler sleep regression. Medication is a common means of overcoming sickness. But we fail to realize the importance of sleep in this context. Poor sleeping will lead to physical fatigue; hence, the effects of medication are more likely to get diluted.

This situation demands increasing the comfort level of the toddlers. Sickness makes the mom’s routines more hectic as the frequency of baby feeding changes a lot. This makes it difficult for the mother to maintain an adequate balance between the child’s comfort and adherence to frequent medicine intake requirements.

Cribs Transition

When parents are expecting a new addition to their family,. They shift the bay from cribs to beds. This type of transition is not suitable for some of the babies. The arrival of the new baby should not be considered a benchmark for shifting the baby to bed.

The new arrival of the baby should also not be an indicator of child maturity. If the baby is shifted too early from the crib into the bed, the baby will get out of the bed more frequently. The baby may consider this new transition as a playful activity leading to restless nights.

Life Changes

Things that we consider of the least importance make a big impact on the little lives of toddlers. Even shifting the toddlers to the new beds can lead to sleep regression. Any new addition to the family can create a sense of loneliness, as parents are more likely to divert their attention to a newborn.

Shifting to a new place, like a new house or a new daycare center, will also lead to sleep regression. As a child, you fail to develop a new association with a new place or people. This will create a feeling of restlessness in the child’s personality, leading to toddler sleep regression.

Overplay

We know toddlers get tired very often. This is not only due to their indulgence in play activities. Our attitude also counts a lot in this situation. For instance, there is a perception among parents that we keep the children engaged in playful activities. Eventually, they will get tired and sleep very well throughout the night.

This can push the toddlers beyond their physical limits. A high level of engagement of kids in play activities is good, but you need to have a broader focus on recreational activities than a sole focus on sleeping concerns.

Tips for Handling Toddelr Sleep Regressions

Go to Bed Awake

Don’t bring a sleeping child to their bed to avoid sleep regressions. Put your kids to bed when they are awake; this will develop a habit in toddlers to sleep on their own.

You can also set a time limit for their toddlers to go to sleep. In this time-limit routine, you can establish a quiet time so toddlers can concentrate on their sleep. Try to accompany them with their favorite stuffed animal to overcome the feeling of loneliness. This will make them more comfortable and give them a deep sleep.

Dark Exposure

If the toddlers have developed the habit of early rising, this can lead to sleep regression. It can be a result of exposure to sunlight coming from windows. Put thick curtains on the windows to reduce light exposure. This will help your toddlers get more comfortable, and they may not fear the darkness outside the windows.  

Health and Comfort

Focusing on the basic health of the child is important. Make sure that the toddlers are free from any kind of sickness that leads to pain and uneasiness. Ensure proper hygiene to avoid common issues stomach aches, etc.

Comfort is also an important area that can help overcome sleep regression. Comfort stems from several factors. If you overburden your kids with too much clothing during the night, it will make them uneasy, leading to poor sleep.

Night Light

Night lights are simple objects that can enhance sleep, but we often ignore them due to already-installed lighting options in child rooms. Many plug-and-play nightlight options can be easily installed on the existing fixture.

Night lights can bring a soft tone to the room. This will change the mood of the toddlers, and they will get more comfortable. Make sure the night light is switched only at night; otherwise, its effectiveness will perish with time.

Consult a doctor

If your toddler is not sick and you have taken all the necessary steps to ensure comfort, but sleep regression continues, it is time to consult your doctor. Snoring, heavy breathing, and frequent nightmares are some of the factors that need to be considered for doctor consultation in cases of prolonged sleep regression.

Motivation

Motivation is very important to retain positive sleep habits and to control sleep regression effectively. It should be exercised in a manner that does aid sleeping behavior, but many supportive habits strengthen the whole process.

If the toddlers do not call the parent while sleeping, encourage the toddlers with words that they are super kids and can sleep on their own. Similarly, if the toddler remains quiet before sleep time, appreciate them with some sort of gift like a smiley sticker; this will keep them interested in deep sleeping routines.

Conclusion

The physical and mental health of toddlers is dependent on a good night’s sleep. Managing sleep regression is very important to ensure a good night’s sleep for toddlers. It not only improves the health of the child but also makes it more comfortable for the mother to manage childcare activities.