Emma’s Diary Feature: How To Cope With The Many Sleep Regressions

One of the most divisive subjects in the world of parenting babies is sleeping – or lack of it.

If, like me, during pregnancy, you suffered from lack of sleep and you had droves of people telling you: “just you wait” you’ll love this post.

I had my baby and he seemed allergic to sleep!

I HATED the “just you wait” people, they drove me insane. I would always reply with a sarcastic comment or an eye roll.

This post is the opposite of that; it’s a post created to help you smile when you’re dog-tired, laugh when you’re dreading bedtime, and take a deep breath when sleep feels like a myth.

You’ve Had Your Baby, Now What?

I don’t think I’m alone in saying that I found the whole baby sleeping/not sleeping thing quite stressful in the early days.

There I was, recovering from an emergency caesarean with a hungry newborn and feeling so incredibly tired physically and emotionally overwhelmed.

Once Jack was born, I counted backward and realised that I hadn’t slept in over 3 days… and I was on the brink of a lot less sleep!

If you’ve ever been told NEVER to wake a sleeping baby, you would be wrong.

My midwife encouraged me to wake Jack before the 3-hour mark to get him latching and establishing feeding. We weren’t able to leave the hospital until we’d demonstrated this and shown that we completely understood that we weren’t to leave him to sleep while still so tiny.

So, dutifully and willingly, we woke him every three hours on the dot, counting from the moment breastfeeding began to change (to wake him further) and feed.

Every three hours, day and night.

Before I had a baby, I had no clue about this but it was SUCH a huge part of establishing our feeds, regulating my milk supply, growing our bond, and ensuring that he had a full tummy, and was growing.

Settling Into Sleepless Nights

Until you have a baby, nothing can prepare you for sleepless nights. Now that Jack is a year old and (fairly consistently) sleeping through the night, I can look back and smile while feeling less horrified and worn out…

Read The Full Post Here…

Find more of my Emma’s Diary Features…

EMMA’S DIARY FEATURE: PLEASE DON’T BUY MY SON A 1ST BIRTHDAY PRESENT

EMMA’S DIARY FEATURE: THE JUXTAPOSITION OF MOTHERHOOD

EMMA’S DIARY FEATURE: WHY I WASN’T READY FOR MY SON TO GO INTO HIS OWN ROOM

EMMA’S DIARY FEATURE – 5 THINGS THAT MADE MY BREASTFEEDING JOURNEY EASIER

EMMA’S DIARY FEATURE – I LIKE MY BABY BETTER NOW HE’S NO LONGER A NEWBORN

People Also Ask…

What ages are the sleep regressions?

While some sleep experts take note of regressions around four, eight, 12 and 18 months, the most well-understood and biggest regression is the four-month sleep regression. The four-month sleep regression may happen up to a month early, or a month late. And for some babies, it might not happen at all.

How do I know if my baby is having a sleep regression?

The most obvious sign of sleep regression, of course, is your baby suddenly waking up more often at night. Other signals include: Increased fussiness. Think of how you feel when your sleep patterns get disrupted.

How long does the sleep regression phase last?

Sleep regressions typically last 2 – 6 weeks. Improving sleep after the 4 month regression depends on how quickly a baby is able to develop healthy sleep habits and be physiologically ready to link sleep cycles on their own.

Do babies go back to normal after sleep regression?

If your baby has been sleeping, but suddenly stops with their normal patterns, it can be frustrating. The good news is, sleep regressions usually last anywhere from two to six weeks, and then your baby’s sleep patterns return to normal as suddenly as they changed.

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