It was an absolutely gorgeous day in Los Angeles yesterday! The temperature reached the mid-80s! So I broke out my spring/summer gear and spent some of the day outside with my little family.
Molly had kind of a rough day yesterday. Well, I think she’s going through the 18-month sleep regression. So that, coupled with the fact that we just moved into a new house means she’s not taking naps in her crib these days. Well, at least she hasn’t for the last two days. On Saturday she had to nap in her stroller because she protested sleeping in her crib and yesterday she ended up falling asleep in my arms on our couch because she wouldn’t nap in her crib. But I have to admit, I kind of loved the fact that she fell asleep in my arms. This has literally never happened! So I was enjoying every second of it. She’s also waking up at about 5 AM which is an hour earlier than normal.
- EARRINGS | 2. FLORAL DRESS | 3. PURSE | 4. BRACELET | 5. FRINGE HEELS | 6. MOLLY’S BOOTS
So after she woke up from her mini nap on the couch with me yesterday, we headed outside to enjoy some of the beautiful day. However, it was getting so hot out (yes, I took off her tights) that I thought a cold treat would be nice for her. She’s never had ice cream or a popsicle so we thought we’d start out with something a little bit on the healthy side. We got her an all natural fruit popsicle. She’s going to have to wait a little bit longer before she gets an ice cream cone. But I’m sure that day will be soon. Anyway, she absolutely loved the popsicle! It was so adorable to see her taste it for the very first time, a bit unsure as to what it was or what she should do with it, but once she got her little lips on the popsicle she couldn’t get enough! And it just melted my heart that she kept holding out the popsicle to both me and Kevin to give us tastes of it. I love that my little girl wants to share with us!
So anyway, today’s blog post is 2 fold. Really I wanted to share these super cute photos with all of you guys. And I want to get some advice on the 18-month sleep regression! Anyone else experience this? It’s so much worse at nap time for us. She’ll go to bed at night a little easier, we are just getting a super early wake up time. Did you move nap time later to make your little one more tired? Did you leave them in their crib to cry? Did you get them out of the crib? Both days this weekend we gave in after about 20 to 30 minutes of crying and went and got her. But I’m wondering if we shouldn’t do that. I really don’t know what to do! Would love your advice!
And for those wondering, I’m wearing a size medium in my dress and they have it in 3 different prints. It’s so cute as non-maternity but totally works with my bump, and I think the length is great for moms chasing around their kiddos. And it’s only $55 which I love. And the reviews are really good so I’m not the only one who loves it! It would be a great dress for any vacays you might have coming up! Or just for this spring/summer. And almost all my accessories are Sole Society. The fringe heels I’m wearing are an absolute favorite of mine. I have them in both blush (what I’m wearing in these pics) and in taupe. You’ve seen me wearing the taupe ones on my blog before since I’ve had them for a little over a year now. Details on everything I’m wearing are below the picture below!
But don’t leave without giving me advice on what helped you with the 18-month old sleep regression in the comments below!!!
- EARRINGS | 2. FLORAL DRESS | 3. PURSE | 4. BRACELET | 5. FRINGE HEELS | 6. MOLLY’S BOOTS
- EARRINGS | 2. FLORAL DRESS | 3. PURSE | 4. BRACELET | 5. FRINGE HEELS | 6. MOLLY’S BOOTS
I’m not a Mum so I can’t give you advice, but what I can do is tell you how adorable these photos of you and your family are, Ali! ✨ I’m sure things will get better with Molly’s sleep! ❤️
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Thanks for always being so supportive Charmaine!
Girrrrrl, I am IN IT too. My little boy is a July 1 babe so pretty much molly’s age. We entered back into this dark sleep period a couple weeks ago. I had no idea there’s an 18 months sleel refression until I looked it up.No advice sadly, we’re just rolling with it and trying not to establish long term bad habits- running in to get him and making him stay in bed until a reasonable time. Naps are actually fine for us. It’s middle of the night wakings and early rising for the day :). Will check back for advice from other mama’s!
Hopefully we both get some good advice!
My little boy has the same birthday! We moved in September and it’s been rough but at 18m the sleeping got worse. We are sleep training (again 😩) but trying our best to stick to it because we didn’t when the regression started and it only got worse. Stick to your routines and know it will work itself out, eventually!!!
Good morning Ali! My boys are 10, 2 1/2 and 13 months. Every time something like this happens I have to remind my self that it’s just a stage and will soon pass. My best advice is to stick to your routine as best you can and before you know it her sleep habits will be back to normal. I’m actually having the most trouble with my 2 1/2 year old. He can get out of his bed at night so if he wakes he is up and ready to start his morning routine because he can’t tell when it’s actually morning verses needing to go back to sleep since it’s still dark in the mornings. Good luck and Molly is so adorable!!
I guess my main question is – is she done with naps? Like is this her way of trying to tell us that she doens’t need them anymore? I REALLY hope not! She’ll be 19 months on Feb 6th.
Can I suggest the Moms on Call Toddler book? It will help you take a solid look at her schedule and dial into cues about when it is time to drop the nap.
Definitely not!! Most kids nap til 3 plus.
No! Kids need naps at least until they are around 5-6 then you may see them drop the nap. When my daughter went through this I started moving her nap back a little since she was down to one nap/day and then kept the rest of the routine the same. It will pass. And I don’t know what kind of baby monitor you have, but when our daughter wakes and it’s still nighttime instead of going in, we speak over the monitor to her and tell her it’s night-night time and to lay back down. Usually does the trick 🙂
Not 5 or 6, more like 3-4. Once they are five and six there are no naps in kindergarten and first grade. LOL
Guess it depends on where you live because in our county in Georgia kindergarteners DO take naps every day
She is def not done napping! Give it 2-3 weeks and keep using your routine! I’ve read almost every damn sleep book and I can say it has helped so much with my soon to be 3mo old and 2.5 year old. Give her time to adjust which is agonizing I know! Always remember it’s just a phase, and bring on the coffee! I always remind myself when the going gets tough that they grow up so fast and I try to enjoy the moments, even the crazy sleepless ones! 😘
No! Definitely not done with naps. My 2.5 yo has been napping on and off for a year. She will go through phases where she refuses to nap for a week or two, then goes right back to it. I did push nap a little bit later at 1.5, to 1pm instead of 12. Now she naps at 1:30. I give it one hour in bed and if she doesn’t nap, she can come out. Just be sure to move bedtime a little earlier if she doesn’t nap! They still need 12-13 hrs of sleep in a 24 hour period. It could be why she is waking earlier too…when they don’t get enough sleep, they have more wake-ups. Counter-intuitive, I know. Good luck! Just when you think you have it figured out, she will change again! lol
Ooh girl… Molly is definitely not done napping. All 3 of my children napped until they were 4 years old. Of course they’re going to protest and it will get frustrating and some days it’s easier to skip the nap because it makes life a little easier but, it is best to stick to your daily schedule as best as you can. It’s just a phase and she’ll get back on track before you know it! Hang in there, you got this!
It’s probably unlikely that she’s done with naps (some, but very few kids are at that age). One possibility is that she is just not used to the new place and having trouble adjusting. My niece was about the same age when they moved, and it was exactly the same.. she stopped naping the first week or two — I think she just was not used to the look of the new room (nights were fine, but it was dark then so I think that is why it didn’t matter). She would cry unless someone was there with her, in which case she would eventually sleep. I would just make bedtime 30mins earlier for now (if she did not nap), and hope she adjusts quickly. Blackout curtains also wouldn’t hurt.. Good luck!!
I agree with the rest of the ladies – she definitely still needs naps! For all three of my kids I read Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. I didn’t follow everything exactly, but definitely do the best I can and keep the philosophy in mind. She could be waking up earlier because she’s actually overtired from not getting a good nap during the day. Hang in there! I remember how it feels to be pregnant with a toddler!!!
I also recommend Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child; I’ve used it as a bible of sorts when it comes to sleep training, in addition to your first blog posts on the subject. My son is one month younger than Molly and has been all over the place with naps lately. There’s a section of the book (pgs 308-312) that cover this time period exactly and talks about how to help our littles through this. I’m determined to wake up tomorrow and get back to being consistent and giving Dax his needed sleep. We got this, mama!
She may well be done. I had one of my kids drop all naps at age 2. Thankfully, she was my only one who did that! (I have 3 kids, all grown with kids of their own). Some just stop earlier than others. But we did still have a quiet time, where she had to rest and look at books. While I was at work, she went to a preschool that started at age 2, so she had to learn to lay quietly even though she did not sleep, because most of the other age 2s did nap. It did make for an earlier bedtime; we ate dinner around 6-6:30 and she was frequently out by 7:30.
We have girls the same age and absolutely no on giving up the nap. It’s a quick phase and she’s probably just a bit freaked out with the move. It happens and very normal. We went through that too with our oldest. Give a little tough love when it comes to her nap. Leave her in there for an hour (obviously as long as shes not hysterical). It’s still her quiet time and extremely important for her and you. Stick it out and it will be over before you know it. Get it handled before number 2 comes. Trust me you will need some time after that happens. God bless and good luck.
No way… she is just going through something. It could be the House change and new room on top of the regression. I would do your routine everyday and give her time in her crib and if after a certain amount of time she doesn’t fall asleep/settle down then go in and do whatever it takes to nap. I had to rock my 18 month old during nap time this week and he eventually got back on track. Toddlers need naps especially around this age.
Do not move your routine!!! No, she’s not done with naps. Keep everything normal, hang in there for a bit, and this will pass. It’s just temporary. If you move stuff around to accommodate HER, she’ll get used to it and never go back. And also she’ll be in control. Which is not what’s happening here – you’re in control. Just keep reminding yourself that it’s just temporary!
My son nick is about 3 weeks younger than Molly but we just went through this, although around 17 months. Same as you, naps were the worst. This was coupled with anxiety if a new baby due mid-February, which I know he doesn’t understand but probably senses. Push through it. We had a few three day weekends in a row (my son is otherwise usually at his Montessori school 815-430 and naps there), which made it hard. I asked his teacher’s if he was fighting naps at school and learned he was not, which made me think perhaps the 18 month regression is more about them asserting independence and testing boundaries and less a function of not being tired. We made sure to limit other things in the morning (particularly being in the car for longer than 15-20 mins) so that he wouldn’t get a short nap there and skip it later, and it passed after three (long) weeks. Wishing you the best!
Good idea about making sure he doesn’t get a short nap before. We do the same! Molly WON’T nap if she gets even a short 10 min car nap! So we already do that. She’ll be with a sitter during nap time today. So we will see how that goes.
All 3 of mine gave up naps around 18 months. But slept12-14 hours at night so we accepted and moved on as the only time they woke up in night if sick.
If our 2.5 year old gets a nap then bed time is trickier but still sleeps 13 hours. Older kids are Age 6 and 8 now and they still need sleep- 10 hours these days.
Ugh! This is what I was afraid of. I’m REALLY not ready for that nap to go! I was hoping she would nap until 3!!! WAHHHHHHH!!!!! HA!
Don’t give up Ali…I’ve heard you should push through, and if it is important to you definitely do!!!! My almost 2 year old is constantly having minor sleep changes but yeah we just stick to it and he usually doesn’t cry, if he does, usually for a reason (water, he threw his doll out, etc!) So we just do a quick visit…this too shall pass!!! Hoping he’ll nap til 3ish, recently he’s pushed the start of it to a bit later, 1230 instead of 1130.
Definitely keep working on the nap. They need one until ages 3-4. Mine went through stages of fighting the nap.
We are in the same right now where sometimes my son will refuse to nap and has been waking up between 5-530am 🙁 torture (and I am pregnant again as well)!! When he refuses to nap or naps too early we do an early bedtime like 6-615 and it really helps him to at least sleep until 6 am, which is small progress! When he sleeps that little bit later it seems to make naps easier too. Good luck but don’t drop the naps especially with a second on the way!!!!
You never know! I had one that gave up naps at 4 and then one that gave them up the minute he turned 2! You’ll know after a few weeks after trying to shift her nap a bit and not getting her out of the crib in the AM when she wakes up …
Krystle and Monica are right…..some do give them up way early. All babies are different. I hope for your sake she is not done with naps, but you can encourage a quiet time, too, to give you a little break. My oldest was done with naps right at 2, no matter what we did. She just simply didn’t need the sleep. It was tough, because I also had an 8 month old. None of my other kids gave up naps until 3ish, when they were in preschool. You’re getting lots of good ideas, but it may just be her sleep requirements aren’t as much. Good luck to you!
We are going through the same-sleep regression. Today it was her first day without her nap so I’m wondering if she’ll wake up at night (she does that since month ago). I’m not ready with her giving up herbal… but if she’s ready tan I will accept that. Good luck Ali. Kisses from Poland.
Ali.
Can you pls share what you feeding Molly. What’s her schedule is like. Once you mention she eats very healthy. Can you pls share?
Thank you
She sleeps 7pm until 6am usually. And she normally naps for about 80 mins around 12:30pm. And she eats everything! We just gave her mostly veggies from a young age and it stuck with her! The key is to start early!
Hi Ali, I have read that when babies start getting older their sleep needs decline. So maybe try putting Molly to bed a half hour later (7:30pm) and see if that helps some?
Thank you. Ali. You are honestly the only person that answer questions. Which is so nice.
My son eats healthy too (fruits and veggies etc) but we let him have ice cream once in a while. 😀 he is 21 months.
Maybe try adjusting nap earlier? 6-1230 might be too long awake time? Maybe 12? Then she has plenty awake time before bed too?
Hang in there 18 mo sleep regression was worst of them all. Cause they know how to go to sleep, know how to sleep but protest it
Hi Ali,
I was thinking the same thing. Maybe put her down a little later like 7:30/8 for bed time and then push nap time to about 1. The main thing is consistency! As far as waking up and putting her to bed. I always have my husband go in there to rub her tummy and say “shhh” the key is DO NOT PICK HER UP! At that point you are just teasing her and then walk out. Do that every 20 minutes if she’s still crying. Do not give in! She will learn. It’s super hard trust me but it pays off!
Hi Ali
My little guy also went through that. I too was pregnant so I actually let him nap oh me and soaked up the 1:1 time. I loved laying in a recliner snuggling and soon it won’t be just the two of you anymore. I finally did have to re-sleep train him at nap time. Luckily it only took a couple days to get him back on track and it was with it to me 🙂
Enjoy!
Hi Amy. How old was he when he went through this? I’m wondering if I need to call my sleep trainer!
He was around the same age as Molly. I let him nap on me for a couple months. It probably wasn’t the best decision but I just loved that time. We’ve been stricter with sleep schedules now that we have two though 🙂
Hi Ali, we also used a sleep consultant, and I call her during any big transition. It’s so hard trying to figure it out on your own as a working mom. According to all the sleep charts I’ve seen, they still need their one nap a day for a while. As you know, using a sleep consultant takes the guess work out of navigating baby/toddler sleep on your own. So grateful for our sleep consultant.
Agree HT! I need to call ours today!
Please give us an update once you call your sleep trainer!
This is not a sign she’s ready to give up her naps. Seriously. My boys napped until they were 3-3.5! Timing those naps is the tricky part though. You don’t want to be letting them sleep too long or too close to bedtime.
I don’t have any golden tips, but we always just tried to be consistent. Our boys would both want to get up and go downstairs for the day (at 2am) and we would have to take turns just sitting in their rooms, while they laid in bed awake with the lights off and calmly telling them it was still time to sleep.
My second son was better at just laying in his bed awake and playing, but my oldest always needed us there sitting in the room. It was exhausting but we survived and no bad habits were formed!!
I think that’s key. Just be consistent with whatever you are doing.
Hey girl! I love your blog 🙂 The best thing we ever did was to not even allow the option of nap time ‘going away’. We fought our way through the sleep regressions but the one thing that remains consistent in our house is nap time, no matter what. I have an almost 4-year-old boy and a 16-month-old girl. Even if my son is not tired, he is to be in his bed resting for quiet time and he does not get out until we tell him nap time is over. This may sound rigid, but little ones don’t know what their bodies need, we do! So even when he says he’s not tired, most of the time he ends up falling asleep anyway during quiet time. This is just such good down time for them. Those two hours a day are pivotal in our house – we ALL need it! 😉 Both of mine are still excellent nighttime sleepers and we think it’s because they get good rest during their days too. Hang in there! xo
I think that’s a great idea! I am hoping she will go back to taking her one nap. I’m sure she will. I just don’t want to start any bad sleep habits (aka. going in to to get her when she cries for 20 mins straight), but I don’t know what to do. Should I just let her skip the nap?
Honestly, we do a variation of let them cry, then rock them in the chair for a bit and then lay them back in their crib and repeat until a satisfactory amount of “nap time” has taken place. The point is that we want to send the message that this is nap time, not play time, so we will be resting until rest time is over. I hope that makes sense. It’s usually pretty labor intensive on us as parents, but like another mama said, this too shall pass – it always does!! 🙂
I would suggest reading Richard Ferber’s books on sleep training. His method of 5 min / 7 min / 10 minutes was the only thing I ever read that helped me KNOW what to do during the crying episodes. He suggests going in every 5/7/10 minutes for 1 minute only to rub their back, say soothing things, etc. but don’t take them out of the crib. Once you reach the 10 minute mark, you continue to go back into the room every 10 minutes for only 1 minute. Stand by their crib and help them fall asleep with your presence, soft words, and comforting touch. But they need to actually fall asleep on their own, without you picking them up. Prior to reading his method, I did NOT know what to do during those times of constant crying. Sit and listen to it? Ignore it? Go in there? His advice gives a clear path on exactly what to do! Read his book Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems. My son is only 13 months, so not as old as Molly, but his methods really helped us during some early sleep regressions. Hope it helps you too! And gives you confidence on what to do during those crying bouts.
We did this exact thing for my son who is 15 months old and it worked like a charm. We sometimes pick him up and rock/comfort him for a bit and then lay him back down and tuck him in with Elmo so he feels secure. I’m sure you could try the same thing for Molly. Good luck!
I would agree with this. We definitely do a variation of this and picking up to soothe, but falling asleep on their own has never been an issue for either of mine.
Yes!! I agree. My girl will be 4 in May. And we have “relax time” every day. If we don’t, she is so crabby in the evenings! And she sleeps 13 hours every night. If time gets away from me that day, she will usually come to me and tell me that she wants to relax because she’s tired. In my opinion, it’s all about consistency.
Ali! I understand how frustrating the early wake ups and no naps can be. Lately, my 18 month old has been waking up an hour earlier than usual. To combat this, we cut his nap shorter at an hour and a half. I noticed that when he sleeps longer than that he will wake up at the crack of dawn the next morning. So far, limiting nap time has worked for us. He’s also getting his molars in so this probably also had a lot to do with early wakeups. I bet the new bedroom was a huge change for Molly. This could have everything to do with the changes she is experiencing with her sleep.
Definitely do NOT give up on naps at this age! Is she napping once or twice a day? At 18 months she’s likely ready for one nap a day. I’m not sure how much time she typically has between the time she wakes from nap and bed time, but since she’s skipping naps I’d get her to bed much earlier than usual to make sure she doesn’t become overtired – which will create a vicious cycle for you – keeping her rested is key! Otherwise, just stay consistent in whatever approach you did when you sleep trained and it will pass. Milestones can definitely impact sleep as well. Hope this helps! The article below may be useful.
https://wellrestedbaby.com/category/18-months/
She’s been taking only one nap since 13 months old. She dropped it pretty early.
One of my three kids, my oldest, dropped all naps at age two. Molly may drop early, especially since she went down to one at an earlier age. Some babies just don’t need as much sleep. We still had ‘quiet time’ with books and puzzles, though and she had to sit on her bed. (I moved her to a bed on her second birthday because I needed the crib for my second child). I agree the move may affect her, too, give her a little time to adjust. Even us adults sometimes feel different sleeping in a new place! She is simply adorable, by the way.
My son is 20 months. He would take two naps for a total of 3 hours every day. He eventually dropped one nap around 2-3 months ago. He naps a total of 1 1/2-2 hours a day. If he played hard maybe it’ll be one 3 hour nap. I let him determine the nap he needs. Her pattern is probably changing a little bit. I would just go with it, but keep your routine. Babies love a routine.
She will get back on track. Give it a few days. She’s probably trying to figure out what’s going on with the move. We move on Thursday so I’m curious how my son will handle the change. Kids are resilient. I don’t think we give them enough credit. Good luck!
I think the move has a lot to do with it. And we don’t have proper black out shades in her room in this house yet!
Cardboard boxes will block out a lot of light! I am sure you have plenty of those 😉
She will get back on track. It’s hard not worry. You’re doing great!! Maybe the extra cuddles is just what she needs during this time of change.
We use these paper blackout shades when we travel to help make sleeping easier/more consistent for my 19 month old: https://www.amazon.com/Original-Blackout-Pleated-Shade-6-Pack/dp/B000SDROMG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1517428242&sr=8-3&keywords=paper+blackout+shades
Let her spend lots of time in her new bedroom so she gets comfortable with it and feels like it is ‘her’ room and a safe place to spend quiet time. Maybe add a favorite stuffed animal to her crib so she can snuggle it if she wakes up? Hang in there momma!
Hi Ali! My daughter is just about to be 18 months and always hits things early so we hit her regression at 17 months. We had her on a sleep training program and we just adjusted it to her needs. When she fights naps sometimes I go in snuggles and shush a little longer and lay her back down. It’s a short season so let them cry until the desired wake time helps them know you won’t get them until that time and once the regression is over they usually go back to normal if they weren’t completely thrown off. I know my daughter napped in my bed a couple times because she needed me and then went to sleep in her crib the next day takes time! I hate hearing her cry so this was really hard for me but we are due with our second and we need our sleep as well haha!
Hey Ali – I bet Molly’s sleep issue is due to your move to a new house. We moved when my daughter was 13 months and we essentially had to sleep train all over again 😫. It was a pain, but she did eventually get back on track. Definitely keep her schedule and be consistent. Naps were worse for us than nighttime, too, but she did get there. She’s definitely too young to give up naps completely, so I’d just stay consistent and stick with it and she will eventually get adjusted. 💜
I think you are right. It has a lot to do with the move. I will just stick it out and hope she starts napping again. My biggest concern is reinforcing bad sleep habits though
Yeah totally understand. I read the Moms on Call Toddler book which discusses toddler boundaries and behaviors. Their view on naptime is to basically leave them in their crib for a pre-determined amount of time whether they sleep, cry or play. It’s definitley easier said than done, but it is what we did and it did work. For us, it was worth 3-4 days of her screaming to get the naptime routine established. My daughter just turned 2 and still naps 1.5 to 3 hrs a day.
The 18 month sleep regression is real!! Our daughter is just coming out the other end of it, she literally STOOD in her crib for over 2 hours one day protesting her nap, eventually fell asleep standing with her face pressed against the crib. I felt like such an awful mom, but now she’s back to her usual 2 hour crib nap- 3 weeks later. Her mornings start earlier than usual still but we’ve push her bedtime back 30 minutes and she sleeps in 30 minutes later. Apparently you are not supposed to let them drop their nap until they are 3 or 4 years old, no matter how much it seems like it. Plus I think us parents need that time to recharge too!
Stick with the schedule and I bet Molly will go back to napping. These sweet little girls practicing defiance is a lot for a momma but so worth the sweet cuddles after the wake up refreshed from a good nap and a good night sleep.
Ah… I feel like we are in the same boat, but it’s the 9 month sleep regression. A week ago we could lay our little one down for naps and walk away she would be out instantly. Then two teeth emerged… nap and bedtime were a struggle, but we were back on track for a week. Now we are 9 months tomorrow, she is on the move more than ever, and she refuses to go to bed! Naps and bedtime are hard, but naps are way harder. I resorted to indoor stroller rides at nap time because I just can’t get her down. We will try for a full hour and nothing so then the stroller ride happens indoors (it’s freezing in Michigan). I’m worried we’re doing it all wrong, but she is a monster if she doesn’t get her naps. If you find something that works for you, I would love to hear about it! We’re up at 5 or 5:30 every morning now too. HELP! Hope you make it over this hurdle.
My son (now 2) went through the 18 month sleep regression hard! We also had moved into a new house at the same time so I think that made it extra worse with all the change! He would cry going down for nap, which he never did before. And if he fell asleep, his nap would be super short. He was also waking up around 5:30/6, which was almost 2 goes earlier than normal. So he was very cranky! His sleep regression lasted about a month. But he finally went back to being a great sleeper! We did sleep training when he was a baby and had to resort back to that and let him cry it out at nap times. It was so hard because I wanted to go get him but knew it would make it worse by teaching him if he cried, he didn’t have to nap. A couple times I made him lay down in his crib and I’d lay on the floor next to him and sing songs until he fell asleep, then I’d sneak out. Not sure if that’s the right thing to do, but at least he understood that I was not getting him out of his crib and he had to fall asleep. Don’t worry, I promise it will get better! It’s just a phase 🙂
Hi Ali, my daughter was born on July 8th so we are in the 18 month sleep regression too. it literally started the day Camden turned 18 months! Some days are better than others, but we try to stay as close to our normal routine as possible. I don’t think Molly is done with naps all together, but it may be a combo of the regression and moving into a new place. A blog I read said to try “crib hour” during nap time. Leave Molly for an hour in her crib and see if she will fall asleep. If she doesn’t fall asleep within that hour, pick her up and try again in 30 minutes. I hope this passes soon for us! We are dealing with early wake-ups too, but I’m hoping it will be back to normal soon!
Hey Ali! My daughter is 19 months old and just came out of the dark cloud of the 18 month regression. She would wake 45 minutes into her nap screaming like a dying cat and would only go back to sleep if I held her. Night time she would go down easy, but wake at 4:30 am EVERY morning for 3 weeks standing and screaming. We tried CIO and she cried non stop for 1.5 hrs. It was AWFUL. I am also 18 weeks pregnant with our 2nd so I would cave and bring her into bed with us so I could get a couple more hours sleep. I have no advice except I think she was asserting her independence. Good luck! There is light at the end of the tunnel.
So she’s back to her normal naps now? Did it just work itself out?
She is back to her normal naps now but is still waking up slightly early in the morning. She use to sleep from 7ish-6:30am and now she’s waking at 6. I’ll take it as a win since it’s much better than her screaming at 4:30am daily!
I feel like I’m reading the story of my life this past week! My son is almost 17 months and going through the same thing. He’s been a great sleeper, but we moved 3 weeks ago, which threw him off. He goes to bed at 7:30 and wakes EVERY morning at 4:30 screaming! He used to sleep until 6-6:30. I can barely console him, so I give him warm milk in a bottle and he usually falls right back asleep. I know that’s bad, but I’m also 12 weeks pregnant and work full time so need MY sleep too! I know it’s a phase so I’m doing what works for us right now. My husband brought him in to bed once because he couldn’t take it anymore, but that was the one and only time. I’m hoping this passes soon!
I’m a believer in working through these things with the baby. It’s a developmental leap and not something they can necessarily help! So making my girly sit in the crib and cry just wasn’t something I could ever do. Developmental leaps are hard on everyone but they do pass! I always waited it out. I would do my normal routine, put her in the crib, then when she’d fight it, I would pick her up and comfort her. I used to rock my girl in the rocking chair for over an hour! 😭 But eventually she sleeps and eventually things go back to normal! (Usually never lasted longer than 2 weeks) I’m a first time mom too, I’m still learning! My girl just turned 2 and is named Mila 😊
I totally sound snobby in the beginning of my post! Totally no intended! Best of luck to you and your family! I’m a huge fan 😊
My daughter is just a few days younger than Molly and she has these tendencies as well. I’m thinking the move is playing into how she is feeling. She is probably not comfortable with her surroundings yet and that is making it harder to sleep. I would just give it a little time but do not give up trying to put her in her crib and letting her cry it out a little bit! I think in time she will go back to napping like a pro 🙂
I also recommend anything from Moms on Call! I would bet much of the issue is a big move. Major changes usually always affect sleep and schedules. Especially since you have a good routine with her established. Keep working in the schedule she is used to and she should, hopefully, get back in sync. She may be ready to move to one longer nap rather than 2? Traveling, time changes, moves all wreak havoc on little ones. Good luck, she is amazing and trusts you will get her back on track. Good luck!
I think the move has a lot to do with it. And she’s only been taking one nap since 13 months. So we are already down to just one nap.
I have an 18 month little girl as well that is going through the same issue!! We have just been letting her cry for a couple minutes and if she doesn’t go to sleep after awhile I end up picking her up and cuddling with her. Seems to get better now that it has been going on for about a week but If you find something that works for little molly I would love to know as well!!
Hi Ali. My daughter is a month olde than yours. We go through weeks of great sleep then not so great. I forgot about the 18 month regression actually!! I just correlate her poor sleeping with teething. Don’t worry, you’ll get through it. 😊 Tough for you though since you’re probably exhausted from being pregnant. Also, where is Molly’s dress from? Looks super comfortable and cute of course!
Hi! My daughter is 19 months and had a period where she was fighting naps as well as her bedtime. What I found to be the most helpful was pushing her afternoon nap from 12:30 to 1:30 and at that point she was more than ready for a nap. That obviously lead to a later wake up from her afternoon nap so we also pushed her bedtime from her usual 7 to 8pm. We felt like our daughter had more of a sense of FOMO which is why she fought going down. Pushing her to the point where she was more than ready to go down was the best strategy for us! This also helped with her waking up so early. Now she’s been sleeping until 7am versus 6!
We did the same thing with our son! An adjustment with the sleep times can really help!
Hi Ali,
First of all love reading your blog! And of course what you have to say about the bachelor and bachelorette!
I use an amazing sleep consultant company called mybabycansleep.com they are a husband and wife team and are truly amazing! Look them up!!! My kiddos are 15 months and 3 1/2!
My son is the same age as Molly and had been a terrible sleeper as an infant. He didn’t start sleeping through the night until 15 months, so I was TERRIFIED of this regression because every other regression hit us like a freight train. This happened for him a few weeks ago (unless that wasn’t really it and it’s still to come!) and we let him CIO in his crib for a few nights and miraculously that worked. I guess all the previous sleep training helped him get it quicker. I did ask our sleep consultant and she did say to move up bed time if they are skipping naps or cutting them short. Otherwise you get the vicious cycle of being over tired. She also recommended to give him a high protein snack before bed so he could sleep longer which may help your early wake time. At this age they are so active that she literally might just be waking up because she’s hungry!
Good luck mama!
Hi, what are some of the snacks that you give? I need some ideas 🙂
Rice cake + PB, banana, whole wheat frozen waffles + PB, or animal crackers when the above fails 🙂
My little guy 18 months on the 31 and where going tho the same thing. He wake at 3am or 4am every night. Sometimes he does go back to sleep but few thing he stayed up. Have to go get him he gets himself so upset, and mostly just want mommy. Hopefully it end soon..
Love your blogs! Been reading since day 1 🙂 my 19 month old just went thru the same sleep regression. She has always been a great sleeper. (7p-7a.) We kind of just toughed it out. Got her out of her crib a couple times and let her cry it out a couple times too. I dont know if there is a right or wrong answer. It lasted about 2 weeks and now shes back to her normal 12 hour stretches. Our daughter (Ivy) also got teeth very early like Molly and is getting her 2 year molars now…one has already popped thru a little bit. Maybe that is part of the culprit? Worth it to check and see. Good luck!
Cant tell you how much i love your blogs btw.
She is almost 2, sometimes they just stop taking naps. If she ends up crashing on her own somewhere in the house , just let her sleep only an hour and wake her up and she will most likely hit the sack when you do.
We survived the 18 month sleep regression when I was pregnant as well. We didn’t have early wake ups but we had multiple night wakings. It was awful and lasted like 3 weeks. However I was glad to go through this before the baby came.
Tips-
Keep your routine constant. Try as best you can to tire her out before nap. I had to let me guy cry a bit. Naps were shorter during this period but he still napped, even if it was just 1 sleep cycle. Even if it ends up being a quiet time that’s okay.
She will return to her schedule soon!
I’m currently going through the 2 year regression with a 5 month old. It never ends! Lol
Good luck Ali! Molly is so adorable!
Sleep regression will pass just as quickly as it started so don’t worry! I luckily haven’t gone through it with my almost two year old but my three year old went through some sleep regression at night a few weeks ago and it was rough but now he’s back to normal. Just try to stick to your normal schedule and she will get back into the swing of things! Also, you just moved so that could have something to do with it but once she is used to her new sorroundings I’m sure she will be just fine!
My girl is now 2, but I remember her not napping well around 18 months. We figured out she was being over dramatic and finally ended up putting her in her crib crying, walking out, then telling her firmly through the monitor to lie down. She hit the deck and has been fine since. She was waking up at night a lot, which she never does, but it turns out that she kept waking up hungry! We had to start giving her a snack right before bed and she slept through the night again. My daughter is still taking 1.5-2.5 hour naps depending on the day, which I’m so grateful for lol.
Hey mama- I’m not sure if someone above has already written this but we’re going through the same thing with our little man and I think we’ve discovered the solution! Switching up their day with a new activity has worked for us! We took him to gymnastics one day and he napped for over 3 hours. Yesterday we took him swimming and he slept in until 7am. It seems like these little muffins have too much energy they need to get rid of. Good luck! 🙌
Sleep regressions are the worst! My daughter is about a month behind, Molly at 17 months, and had no idea there was an 18 month sleep regression. Is it just naps? Please tell me she still sleeps through the night? I can deal with no naps, but when that kid doesn’t sleep at night, I can’t handle it. Lol
Ugh I feel you on the 18 month sleep regression. That was by far the hardest and longest regression for us. My daughter was night waking and we defiantly gave in and would bring her in our bed by like 3/4 am. Wouldn’t necessarily suggest that but we needed sleep too. I was reading about the 18 month sleep regression being hard especially because there’s more of a behavioral factor since they are so much more aware and can understand a lot more. When my daughter (2.5) gives me a hard time to nap and even during sleep regressions I will go in and reassure her at timed intervals usually 5 min then stretch it to 10 but I don’t take her out unless she’s been in there for at least an hour and a half. When she does give up her nap I still want her to be able to go in her bed or room and have quiet time. Hope that helps. It’s all trial and error since every kiddo is different. Hang in there momma!!!
We aren’t at the 18 month sleep regression but we are going through a 12 month sleep regression! It is so hard!! I feel like I almost have a newborn again! We’ve tried shorting her morning & afternoon nap, we’ve tried skipping the morning nap, putting her to bed earlier/ later etc. somethings gotta give! This mama is TIRED! I’m not ready to go down to one nap yet! I enjoy having two naps and a little bit of me time to get things done around the house! Hopefully she’ll get over this milestone soon! Could she also be going through a leap?
Love when you blog about Molly!!
We dealt with the 18m sleep regression around 17 months, but it was slightly different for us. She was napping normally, but would take FOREVER to fall asleep at night – although she would just talk and play and roll around, but still, annoying! She would wake up in the middle of the night and sometimes lay awake and talk for sometimes THREE HOURS. And we experienced the early wakes as well. I hate to say it, we tried everything but all we could do was wait to let it pass and eventually she went back to normal. We couldn’t find a solution – it was exhausting and I was doing it by myself. Felt like a zombie most days but it did pass after about a month and a half, which was insane. I wish I had advice to give, but sometimes knowing that you’re not alone in experiencing things is enough. Best of luck, and here’s to hoping it doesn’t last as long as it did for my daughter!!
What happened to the trusty sleep training ??
My daughter is the same age and also going thru a regression. For us it is bedtime, not naps though. She has always fallen asleep on her own. Now she cries until we hold her and then she falls asleep in our arms (this literally has never happened before)! She is also back to waking at night, when she has been sleeping through the night since 12 months. This too shall pass… I hope!
My son just got over this about a month ago. It was the worst sleep regression he’s had and lasted about 4 weeks. Yuck! Hopefully hers won’t last that long, but moral of the story is he’s totally back to normal now! Thank god. Not sure what the right answer is, we just kind of played it day by day. The biggest thing for him was waking up super early and during the night. There were two mornings we slept in the chair in his room together (he hasn’t slept on me for almost a year) at 4:30 am because he wanted to be up for the day. Normally he’s up between 6 and 6:45 but for this month it was 5 and 5:30 every day. i didn’t know what to do either and was so afraid of creating all kinds of bad habits too. But he’s good to go now! Just wing it and power thru it. She knows how to sleep and will go back to her routine one of these days. I’m also pregnant with number two and thought maybe that was part of the clinginess or something but as long as it lasted and the more i read, it was definitley this crazy sleep regression. Good luck and i hope it passes quickly!
Hi Ali!
I have a 18 month old girl. She just went through her ‘no nap’ phase for the 2nd time. First one was around 16 months and again now. Hers is due to teething. Maybe Molly is teething? It can be very painful for them. Definitely do not give up naps! You both need it! I’m sure she’ll be back on track soon. New Home, new environment is also not helping!
Good luck!
We went through this with all three of our kids and we are going through again with our youngest (he’s 2.5) at nap again. I feel like the key is to be consistent and stay tough. If she’s waking up at 5 am, she should be taking her nap at 10:30. She should really only be awake in 5.5hr intervals or she will be getting overly tired. I followed this schedule for my kids and it really is magical! They all cried (some longer than others) but you really just have to steel yourself, as hard as it is.
Here is what I call the Sleep Bible. I hope it helps!!
https://community.babycenter.com/post/a51116617/sample_sleep_schedules_faq?cpg=1
Hi Ali,
Sleep regressions are hard. My daughter isn’t 18 months yet but I can tell you what we did for her 9 months sleep regression we let her cry out and kept going in to check on her every 10 mins just to calm her down and tell her everything was okay.
Molly is probably confused about her new house and the combination of both is hard. But just give it time and she’ll get use to it shortly.
Ps love your blog cuz my daughter is 13 months now. So I love hearing what I have to look forward too in a few months
I’m guilty of bribery. ☺ Explain to Molly that Mama needs some quiet, alone time & that after Molly’s nap/rest she can finish the other 1/2 of her popsicle.
These cute pics are sooo making me wish for warm weather here in TN! Also, my little girl is 20 months old, and we went through a hard time sleeping a few weeks ago when she got sick and would wake up multiple times a night with a fever. I felt so bad for her I just held her for hours in her glider and brought her in the bed with me (just so we could both get a little sleep) however after she got better, we reverted back to some not so great sleep habits and I actually tried just sitting by her crib (vs taking her out and rocking her) until she fell asleep. She was back to falling sleep on her own within 2 nights. Might be something to try! 🙂
My daughter is about to turn 18 months and one thing my doctor told us is, you can force a baby to sleep but you can force them to know it’s time to rest and eventually they get bored or tired enough and fall asleep. So pick the amount of time you’re willing to make her spend in the crib for nap and stick to it and she should eventually realize you’re not coming back in and it’s time to sleep. Also, not sure what time she naps but maybe try adjusting it to 1pm instead of 12. I know as they get a bit older, it moves to a little later in the day. Good luck!! It’s just a phase and hopefully it will pass shortly 🙏🏻
Both my girls (now 5 & 6) napped till they were 3.5!!! It sounds like she’s just adjusting to the house change. Try getting her extra tired during the day so she goes back to her regular sleeping routine. Best of luck! 🙂
My little girl is 20 months…and we are finally over that sleep regression. It was like all of a sudden she was deathly afraid of her crib! She would scream for almost an hour when previously she was totally fine for naps and bedtime. We ended up letting her sleep in bed with us for two nights, then slowly transitioning her back to the crib. We put her mattress on the floor in our room and my husband laid with her tell she fell asleep. Then a couple nights later moved the mattress back to her room but on the floor, then finally back into her crib, where one of us would sit next to her and rub her back for a little. After a couple nights of that we’d lay her in the crib and she’d just blow a kiss and say goodbye. She did keep waking up in the night pretty regularly until about a week ago though. Anyways, this too shall pass!
My girl is going through the 18month regression as well. She protests naps, usually ends up playing in crib for 30 before falling asleep or some days not falling asleep at all. During the day she is frustrated & crying with all her toys when she can’t get them to work how she wants. And bedtime she goes down perfect but has been waking around 4am or 5am which if she doesn’t go back I co-sleep. I say take the naps where ever you can get them, if she’s crying 30 is long enough and she will get back on track soon!!
Hi Ali,
My baby girl is my first baby so I didn’t even know there was sleep regression at this age but it makes total sense now. Her name is Katherine and funny enough her birthday is July 6. She has been fighting her naps and refuses to go to bed at night. She used to be an amazing sleeper and we got a lot of compliments on her routine and how easy it was for her to sleep. It’s been a few weeks now i just can’t seem to get her back in routine. She will no longer go to sleep unless I’m there and she can see me. Hope we can both get some advice.
When my daughter went through sleep regressions I would keep her in her crib until the time she would normally wake up from a nap. Like if she would normally nap from 12:30-2 then I would leave her in her crib until 2 whether she slept or not. It sounds mean but it really helps keep them on schedule because these regressions don’t last long. If she doesn’t end up falling asleep I would put her to bed an hour early. My daughter is almost 3 and still takes about a 90 minute nap and sleeps from 7pm-6/6:30am. Good luck! I know these regressions can be really frustrating.
Same thing going on in my household!! Our 16mth old is fighting her morning nap so hard. She is exhausted by nap two so takes it just fine. Goes to bed like normal BUT she is up at 5:30 in the morning when she normally got up at 7! Im wondering too if I need to switch to one nap and change the time of day she takes it. My son dropped a nap around this time and then dropped the other one arund 2. I wish my kids were the ones who napped until 3 or 4!! Lol but it just didn’t work out for me that way. Hang in there!!
Hey! I’ve been working in childcare for almost 18 years! Where I work the 18 month olds nap from around 11:30 until about 2-2:30 every day. I know it’s a little harder at home with errands and stuff to keep a schedule but girl a schedule is EVERYTHING! Stick to it! When I say nap is 11:30-2:00-2:30 that means they are in bed from those times to the minute. Even if they wake up early they stay in their beds until 2:00 exactly. I go by a schedule at home and my little guy doesn’t even fuss when he wakes up or is laid down because he knows when he’s in there it’s nap time! 🙂 Right now he naps from 9-10:30, 12:30-2:00, 4-5, then sleeps from 8:30-8 the next morning. He is only 8 months but the schedule works! Stay strong! Also, I’m sure Miss Molly is still getting used to sleeping in a new house. I know it’s hard for me to get used to a new place to sleep (hotel or wherever) at first!
I feel like my son is going through this too, but he is only 15 months old. His schedule is similar to Molly’s. Bed at 6:30 or 7pm and wakes at 6 or 6:30am. But lately he has been waking once in the middle of the night (it only takes a few minutes to go back to sleep) and then getting up around 4:30 or 5am. I’m just trying to get through it and hope it gets better. He naps like a champ too so I wonder if he is sleeping too much during the day. It used to not be a problem but maybe it is now. He typically gets 2 naps a day. One 2-3 hour nap in the AM and one 1.5-2 hour nap in the afternoon.
Yes! Def seems like too much day time sleep. He most likely is ready for one nap! About 5-6 hours after he wakes up! Just my advice though.
I agree! Time for one nap! The translation can be super hard. Plan activities a few days in a row so you’re not at home while he may get a little crabby. Good luck!
Thank you both for your advice! He does go to daycare during the week so I will try cutting down to one nap starting this weekend. 🙂
Definitely try pushing her nap back! When we switched to one nap we pushed her wake time longer in the morning. Making an hour later bedtime but the 1 nap is working. Normally we only get 1 1/2 hour. but she’s never been a long napper. Sometimes we get 2 hours 👏🏻👏🏻
But we are still getting random early wake ups! At 530 he normally wake time is 6am. We’ve just been sticking to regular nap time no matter when she wakes up. If she wakes up before the 90 min nap mark. Sometimes she falls back to sleep and sometimes she doesn’t.
I have 3 girls currently 6 1/2, 4 1/2, and 2. We have gone through multiple stages of sleep regression with everyone, it is exhausting and frustrating for all. First tip, treat yourself to something. Coffee, a beer with lunch, a shower, anything! This is hard on the Parents! Now about the kid, consistency is KEY! I’ve found that if you give in once, it will take a good week to fix it. If they scream we lay them down quietly, and walk back out. Eventually they learn that you do not provide fun during nap time. Also, don’t let them fall asleep before actual nap time. This can be hard with strollers/walking/driving. Snacks/lunch in the car has been helpful to our family to keep everyone awake. Also, we potty trained our girls between 18 months and 22 months. A lot of times they were waking up when they would wet their diapers…… food for thought maybe. We successfully did the 3 day challenge with everyone.
Best of luck! And with consistency all stages will pass!
Hey Ali!
We went through this maybe a month ago with our little girl. She will be 2 in February. She slept through the night in her own crib since she was 3 months old. Always such a good sleeper and never had issues getting her to sleep. But about a month ago she would scream her head off every time we tried to put her down. What we actually started doing was leaving a little light on for her and we would put 2 books in her crib with her. She would play for maybe 20 mins and then would fall asleep. It took maybe a week for her to stop crying and now she’s fine. We are experiencing some issues with nap time but ONLY on the weekends when my husband and I are off. She is fine at daycare or if my mom or mother in law watch her, she sleeps for 3 hours during the day! But for my husband and I she fights her naps! She didn’t nap at all yesterday! She cried and the just sat and played in her crib lol. They are so funny sometimes!
I would give her a few more days and if she’s still doing the same thing. Maybe try putting a book in there or maybe a few more toys. She might play herself to sleep. Good luck Mama!
My daughter is 2 weeks younger than Molly but we went through this regression early at about 16 and a half months. We went through everything you’re describing except she would also wake up at night too about 15-20 min after falling asleep and just WAIL. It was awful!!!
We kept her routine the same, didn’t change a thing because I knew this was a phase and it would eventually pass. It lasted about a month and now she is back to her predictable 12 hours overnight and one 1.5-2 hour nap midday. It is really rough especially the early wake ups but keep telling yourself this too shall pass and stick to the routine as best as you can.
I agree! Through every sleep bump in the road, we stuck to her schedule and enforced nap time. My biggest concern was creating “bad habits” that would require us to re-sleep train her so I was pretty rigid. Did I hold her once or twice in her dark room to get her to nap? Yes. But anytime we veered from her “normal” we did not allow the change to last more than 1-2 days. I think consistency is key! Little ones need to know what to expect. She has only skipped naptime once in 2 years.
Hi Ali!
I am going through the same thing right now with my little girl! It’s crazy how they can switch gears this quickly! I have tried to stick with her normal schedule as much as possible but there has been days where she didn’t nap at all or she naps for 3+ hours! But nighttime has been the worst because she has been fighting her bed time for 2 hours! But I have found with some extra cuddles and some more routine bedtime things we are slowly getting back to her normalcy! Stay the course mama!! Props for going through this being pregnant too!
I’d get some black out curtains up in her new room ASAP as that could be a factor. My daughter is 18 months now and is waking up an hour earlier (5:30). I’m hoping this is just a short phase but if not, we were considering moving her bedtime back by 30 min. Hope this passes quickly for you!
Hi Ali!
As a behavioral specialist there are two things happening here..the move (this could be why she cuddled with you on the couch for comfort) and she is entering the age of knowing what she wants or doesn’t want. She’s a busy little girl and associates nap time with no play time. Children at this age can become temperamental and defiant (hence the word “terrible twos” but they are not horrible! They are in fact wonderful because she is learning independence. Before you know it she will be dressing herself and speaking to you in full sentences. My advice to you is to let her adjust to the move. When she sees normalcy (let’s face it, moving is stressful) she will be fine. She most certainly knows what the word NO means so try to be patient yet firm in reinforcing what you want her to do. Some may call it Strong Willed but I see it as she will have excellent leader skills. Try adjusting the times for nap…too much awake time actually wires these little ones up. If she’s up at five then lay down at maybe 11:00. Much love and good vibes for all! ❤
Hi Ali!
I am a huge fan of yours and your family, Molly seems so sweet! I have a 20 month old and she just hit this regression in the last couple weeks but I think we are finally through it. She started with refusing her nap after lunch. I caved the first few days and went in and got her up because it was so unlike her. After it happened the third day though, I changed course. I started only going in every 10 or 15 minutes, giving her a hug, giving her stuffed animal back (she was throwing everything out of her crib) and laying her back down. Never took her out of the crib. After a couple days of having to go in every 10 minutes for an hour until she slept, she started to get back to her normal routine. Now having her midday naps back she has been much happier in the day and sleeping better at night again! Good luck, I hope this helps! Us mamas need that midday nap.
Hi Ali! My almost 20 month old did this about a month ago. She fought her naps for and started getting up a hour earlier for almost a week! Just as suddenly as it started, she then finally settled back into her routine. She is going down a little later than she did before (at about 12-1230p). Don’t feel bad about letting Molly cry for a little while. The one day my little one actually fell asleep standing up!
My advice and what worked for us, was to keep her active and busy in the mornings to get her “tired out.” Don’t give up yet, and just keep sticking to the routine.
Good luck with the new baby! We just welcomed our second in November. It’s a crazy but fabulous adventure!
Hi Ally: she’s such a cutie! I have a 2yr old and can tell you this phase (as all others) will pass! Now that Molly is on a 1 nap a day, the normal wake hours are 5hrs after waking up in the morning then nap time, and 6hrs before bedtime… naps will be around 1 1/2hrs… more if she’s a good sleeper! it won’t happen in a day, but try to start training her for that… this definitely help! Normal sleep range for her age is between 11-14 hous a day (night and nap together)
I didn’t read through every single comment so maybe someone has already said this. We went through this with my then 18 month old daughter back at the beginning of December. I pretty much had to redo everything that we had done when we initially sleep trained her. So whatever that ended up being for you may be necessary again. I will say it was only about 2 days of retraining as opposed to the 4 or 5 it took to initially train her. But we were dealing with night wakings again. Not sure what to do about waking early for the day.
Have you read this?
https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-sleep-patterns/why-18-month-sleep-regression-can-be-hardest/
Hi, Ali! Big fan of yours. 🙂 I have a 3-yr-old boy who big time struggled with different aspects of sleep from 18-23 months. It is rough, I hear you 100%! My thoughts are – no, she is not ready to stop napping. I am so stubborn about naps. I will do anything I can to make them happen, within reason! 😉 I would keep your usual nap routine, but if she needs extra help falling asleep for a while, then so be it. I left my son in his crib/bed for over an hour sometimes, waiting for him to fall asleep. As long as he wasn’t crying, I knew he’d tire out and sleep eventually.
With her early wake ups – I would totally just leave my lil guy in bed/in his room until a wake-up time that I was ok with (which was 6:30am for us). Eventually he figured it out and stopped waking up at 5am. 🙂
All that to say, remember you are a wonderful mom, and Molly is a happy girl! Nothing lasts forever. I’d say you know your daughter best – stick to your routines and you guys will get through it.
Hi Ali! It sounds like she is still adjusting to the big move! I would keep her routine as normal as possible, and I bet she’ll be back to her usual schedule in no time. My oldest daughter will be 2 1/2 in March and we also have a 6 month old baby girl – 22 months apart! I also want to thank you for suggesting Wee Sleep awhile ago! We used them last year when our oldest was having major sleep issues and within 2 weeks she was sleeping 7pm-7am and napping for 2 hours! We recently transitioned her into a toddler bed, so the sleep fun has begun again!!! 🙁 Gotta love all these different stages!!! Wee Sleep recommended closer to 3, but we had no choice since she was climbing out of her crib somehow…even though her mattress was literally all the way to the floor! Take care!!!
I would think this is more about the move. I saw you mentioned that you don’t have the same blackout curtains yet. My daughter won’t nap (or nap as long) if she’s not in her dark room with a sound machine. I would try to make the room as similar to her old room as you can in terms of light and noise. Be consistent and she will soon fall back into her old routine. My 20 month old tried some similar tricks around 18 months, but we stuck to the routine and she’s back to her normal self. Don’t give up! She’s not ready to drop her nap yet.
I’m a grandma now, and my grand babies live far away so I don’t have advice about napping but I will say that when my daughter no longer needed a nap daily for sleep, we instituted quiet time…and told her mommy needed a nap, so as long as she stayed on her bed, she could “read” books or play with a doll quietly. I would often go in after her 90 minute “quiet” time to find her sound asleep with books piled all around her. She did this daily until she started pre-kindergarden. To this day, she is an avid reader and does the same with her kids so I think quiet time started her on a good habit well before she could actually “read” her books.
Hi Ali!
So I have LOTS of good thoughts and tips as someone who knows what your going through and what works and doesn’t. I’ll try to keep it brief. First off, this happens to all of us and our kids. Consistency is key. I can’t stress it enough. It will seem like going 2 days without a nap is 2 months but don’t change anything and don’t give in. She will snap out of it as quickly as she put herself there. We dealt with regression and craziness for weeks around that time and I swore it would never get better. It does, just get some wine and stick with it. My daughter did stop napping around 2 but it wasn’t after a couple days – it was months of fighting it so it was apparent and it’s rare they do so early, so I doubt Molly is done. Don’t feel like that’s the case – at least not yet. Even though mine doesn’t sleep she still had “quiet rest” time in her bed every day at the same naptime time. She can play with stuffed animals, quiet books, etc but must stay in there and be quiet for the time we deam necessary- normally an hour or so. If and when Molly does end her napping you should definitely keep with this process and it’s great for you to still have that time. As far as back to the regression goes, mine would fight nap and bedtime like nothing else. Would stay awake literally hours after we put her down at her normal bedtime either singing, crying, talking, fussing, etc. I wondered about switching all types of things including routine, time, etc. In the end my advice is to stick with what you do and don’t worry about changing things up. Like saying I’ll put her down 30 min late or earlier or wake her for nap or etc doesn’t actually help or matter. She just sorts it out herself. Feel free to reach out with any questions! Good luck!!
Hey Ali,
We just went through the regression with our little guy who is a few days younger than Molly. It lasted for 2 weeks. We too had just moved into our new house so it was a bad combo. I thought it was time to do a tough cry it out method but after 45 mins for a few nights in a row he was still not giving up. I decided to just suck it up and do whatever it took for us both to sleep for those two weeks and then he was back to his normal sleep patterns for nighttime and naps. So magic answer from me… just patience & coffee 😊
There’s an 18-month sleep regression?! Noooooo… my daughter is almost 16 months 😩😩😩 i could swear she’s going through it right now though… even with some sleep training she’s never been a great sleeper. I think i try to avoid sleep regression books/articles so i don’t stress about them. Best wishes to you all!
I don’t know about sleep regression and the last few days could just be a fluke or about your change in environment. I have fought over naps with my 2 yr old over the last few years. My advice is to wear Molly out. I try to do at least 30 min to an hr of preferably outdoor physical activity every morning. We go to the park (usually), zoo, beach, pool, in door play place, etc. If we can’t, I will make her race around the house or set up obstacle courses. We recently had more of a problem with bedtime and I realized it was bc I was good about the mornings but not as active in the afternoons so now I do the same in the afternoons. My almost 5 yr old did stop napping at 2.5 so unfortunately not all kids nap until 3 or 4 but I wouldn’t give up yet.
My daughter is a few weeks older than yours but hasn’t experienced sleep regression yet. We do have stuffed animals and her lovey’s in the crib with her so if she decides not to sleep, she usually just plays with them. Maybe your daughter just needs something to entertain herself with on days she doesn’t want to nap. I hope that helps! 😊
Hi! I’m not a mom but I am a nanny! She’s now 2 years old but this happened to her too. This is when we started transitioning her to one nap a day. She would cry for about 30 mins and sometimes go to sleep and then sometimes just play. But her parents and I all agreed that she had to stay in her crib for at least an hour. Whether she was awake or not. So, in the beginning, she would cry for about 20-30 mins and then play or talk for the rest of the time. Eventually, she started going to sleep and the rest is history. She sleeps any where from 1-2 1/2 hrs. Although it’s usually more in the 1 1/2 hr range. Haha!
This is not the end of naps! I remember with my now 5 year old, as soon as I figured it all out he would change again. I remember after the 18 month sleep regression he became a better napper. And he didn’t give up naps until he was almost 4. Hang in there.
Hey Ali,
The sleep regression road is tough, I’ve been going through it for months trying to correct my 19 mo behaviour. All I can say is keep consistent to your normal routine and try not to adjust timing. Also try to stay away from creating new sleep habits, I have done it and regret it so much! Everyone says this will pass in time but when your in it, it totally sucks! I feel for you being pregnant now, good thing you have a wonderful husband who can help :). You kind of have the perfect storm of stuff going on right now so as soon as you can get Molly comfy in her new room the better. Good luck and if you find anything that works for you please share!!!
Hi Ali!
It looks like you’ve gotten a TON of good advice!
I wanted to tell you that after I read your post MONTHS ago on your sleep training I went to get my certificate in gentle sleep training to be a consultant. It inspired me and was so interesting to me when reading your blog!!
I am currently interning and offering 20% off if you’re interested! I hate to try and “sell” you anything but am just genuinely offering. Our website is dreambabysleepconsultants.com.
We would not recommend dropping the nap, it’s imperative for their memory, large motor skills, learning, ect and also a much needed break for mommy and baby!;)
I’m happy to help more with nutrition, sleep environment ect as well. Happy to answer any questions. Good luck!😘
I remember this stage. I hate when she misses naps still (3.5). I would continue to put her in there and yes, she will probably cry. My guess is it’s just a stage and she will get through it and soon you will be back to good naps. What I’ve been doing with mine now is she gets to pick some books to bring in her crib with her. I want her to learn that we still need rest time in the afternoon, but doesn’t necessarily need to sleep.
Hi Ali
Did you bring the rose wall that was is Molly’s 1st house bedroom to your new home? Could she be missing it? (for comfort) 💤
I wish I could help you (& Molly) with advice…except to say you’re not alone. ☺
Im thankful for all the great advice everyone is giving on your true-to-life, informative blog.
You’re a great Mother, Ali
So I saw you got ALOT of feedback which is great. One thing I did not know if someone addressed was the “cry it out”. I struggle sooooo much with this with my little one but I got the best advice from our doctor. I have a 12 month old who was born 10 weeks premature, he was in the NICU for 10 weeks before coming home. One GREAT thing about the NICU is due to nurse scheduling it forces babies to be on a strict schedule. We have lived and breathed a good schedule ever since!
When he went through a sleep regression around 9 months (and a little now cause he just learned to stand and scream from the crib) I was crying every nap time cause he would fuss for what felt like FOREVER. That is when I got the best advice from our pediatrician. She told us that his nap time is HIS time. He gets to use it as he sees fit. So lay him down and walk away for an hour. If he decides to play, scream, roll around, or sleep it is up to him but whatever it may be he gets to do it for at least an hour. I felt like this was really freeing and he has ALWAYS fallen asleep before the hour was up.
It may not be for everyone and I know an hour of screaming is literal mommy torture but she assured me that leaving him to cry will not alter his brain chemistry or attachment to me or daddy. *Note: this is for children older than 6 months. Before 6 months you should always sooth a child when crying, that’s how you build strong and safe attachment.
Hope this helps!
My son is exactly the same age as Molly. There about two weeks different. We just went through this as well. For naps I just pushed his nap back about an hour later. The pediatrician said that they can go longer being awake now. And I will give him about an hour of fussing before I go get him. Sometimes he just needs to have some quiet time. As far as early waking I was told to treat it the same as night waking. Go in, say “it’s not time to get up yet” make sure there’s no dirty diapers, leave all the lights off and then go out. Only go in and get her out of her crib at the normal wake up time. These tricks have worked for us. Good luck
I hear putting the crib on the same wall or as similar as to how it was in the old house can help
Honestly, continue to try! My kids all go through this and you just can’t give up! It may take a few weeks but stick with your routine and putting her down! She will get through it and continue to nap!!!! Good luck!
Ali,
We went through the “18 month” sleep regression at 16 months and it was the worst sleep regression we had experienced thus far. It last about a month and literally happened and ended overnight. First my son refused sleep at bedtime and then refused sleep at nap times too. We were told to stick to the exact same routines while he worked through it. He was refusing all sleep at one point and usually would wake in the middle of the night wide awake, for about 3 hours and then still be up for the day at 5am. Our pediatrician recommended he stay on two naps but I knew he was ready for one. I’m happy to say that he is back to his normal self, bedtime at 7 and up between 7:30/8. He takes his one nap in the middle of the day at 11:30 and is up around 2.
All I can say is hang in there. This was our first sleep regression as a toddler and it is so much more difficult then when they are up as babies! I think what made it easier was just not fighting it and trying to remind them that it’s time to sleep, using the same phrases and words. We didn’t let him cry this out because that just did not work. The best way to get sleep was let him come to bed with me and my husband went on the couch! I was afraid he would get used to this but thankfully he didn’t. This phase of no sleep ended just as quickly as it started, so crazy!
Kids are so hard to figure out! Just when you think you have it all figured out, something changes! 😉 We are struggling with out 2 year old right now too. He is my 3rd, so you would think I would have this figured out by now! Ha! He was finally my 12 hour at night sleeper so this change has been rough to figure out. He naps ok usually but at night sometimes waking up once during the night and up 1-2 hours earlier in the morning. We have tried later bedtime, oils, night light, no night light, etc. Our latest trial has actually been an EARLIER bedtime (opposite of what I would have thought)…and for the last 3 nights he’s slept later than he has in probably 2+ weeks! Might be worth a try!
Moved into our second house my firstborn was 2 1/2 and my second born was six months old and they both had sleep issues after we moved. And on top of that my 2 1/2 year-old regressed from being fully potty trained during the day to not being at all so that wasn’t fun . We were told things like this can happen when you move into a new home so we made sure he was a part of all of the steps to moving seeing the house the second walk through everything and we still had types of regression. On a good note though he wasn’t sad about our old house and he was happy to be in the new home. I Get six month olds their sleep is not normal but my children have a super power of sleeping g through the night by six weeks old so even the 6 month old made things hard with sleep regression. It does pass though!!
My granddaughter is 20 mos and naps once perday around 1ish…depending on time she gets up..and has moved to a big bed due to the inability to get her down in her crib..she has slept thru the night since only up once when not feeling well and it has been a huge improvement. No more baby in your bed and she goes down so easy…big side rail on bed and body pillow blocking rest of bottom.. and it’s been good. Maybe the move and maybe she doesn’t like her crib anymore.. wouldn’t hurt to try a bed with new baby on the way. Good luck and this too shall pass.
I definitely don’t think she is done napping. I’ve learned that with any change, it takes 3-5 (maybe longer for some) days for my son to adjust. Is she taking more than 1 nap? We haven’t run into regression lately (didn’t even know that was a thing! Ugh!) but my 18m old is down to 1 mid-day nap, but when we did that he also started going to bed 30 min earlier at night. Hang in there mamma! Precious Molly will get her routine back…. just in time for something else to come up…. and then baby number 2… it just never ends! 🙃🙂You’re doing amazing!
What I’ve done with my niece’s (as I don’t have kids of my own) is told them they don’t have to nap but they have to lay down to watch a movie. I’d then pick the longest movie I could find (usually Mary Poppins) and 9 times out of 10 they’d end up falling asleep. Figured at least they were resting which is almost as good as a nap! (They might have been slightly older than Molly is but hopefully it’ll still work).
Could be due to the move/change but also sticking to her routine would probably also help settle the shake up I what she’s used to. She might just need to get used to her new environment at y’alls new house! Crossing my fingers she goes back to her schedule!
Hi! My daughter just turned 2 and I remember going through this at about 18 months too! Naps were the worst and I would say for about two weeks she didn’t nap and would just cry in her crib. I put some books in her crib and that helped for a while but when a toddler doesn’t get their nap it can make for a grumpy day for everyone! We eventually got back on schedule, I moved naptime about an hour and started putting her down between 1-1:30 instead of 12:30-1 and now I make sure we do some kind of activity (preferably outside, if it’s nice) to make sure she is tired. This is a phase and it will pass, hang in there! All us mamas know how you feel!
We’re also expecting our 2nd in June so I need naps to last! 🙂
My baby is only 8 months but I went away with him and he napped terrriblyyyy. I swear it was because the room was too bright. My parents didn’t have black out shades. So hopefully once u get those it will go back to normal
My son dropped to 1 nap early as well (you mentioned Molly did this around 13 months which is pretty early since some kids do it around 16 months). By 18 months he was trying to skip his 1 nap. He slept 7 pm-6 am and napped around noon. I ended up having to push his nap back to around 1 pm and then eventually 2 pm. She may be crying because she isn’t ready to nap yet but she might be ready and hour or 2 later. As long as I woke my son by 4 pm he would still sleep at 7 pm. I hate to tell you but I had my daughter when he 2 and he was totally done wth napping by then. He is now 3.5 and I still haven’t given up ha!!!! He still goes in his bed for “rest” time every single day at 2 pm. I give him about 15 min to lay in the dark and then I go in and give him books to read…which he loves. He falls asleep during this rest time about once a month and he is so grumpy when he wakes up and then doesn’t fall asleep that night. Totally not even worth it. Like everyone else said, just keep trying. However, if she is done napping don’t listen to people who tell you all kids need naps u til they are 3 or 4. I drove myself crazy with that. My son is definitely tired and technically may need a nap. Doesn’t mean he will take one. Losing naps is the pits but there is a huge perk. He goes to bed at 6 or 6:30 pm and sleep until 6 am!
This is what helped my son with his 18 month sleep regression:
I made him a bedtime picture book. I took pictures of our bedtime routine. Snack, bath, story time, tooth brush time, prayer bedtime. So I’d start with showing him the first step, and continued till everything was done. Then bedtime. First day he didn’t really catch on, second day was better third day was a charm! He didn’t even fight tooth brushing anymore!!! Which was always a battle before. Before I did this we fought every step! And this book made it so much easier and went to bed nicely and slept better too!!
Mines 19 months Ali and we also moved in the fall- this sounds crazy but we took her out of the crib and put her in a twin mattress on the floor. :-O we just put some pillows all around it so she can’t roll off and get hurt, it’s not very far off the ground. Anyways, we did that so we can lay next to her and rub her back! Bedtime takes like two mins literally but we also have to fight for about 25 mins for naps. I usually just keep laying her down over and over. Cue eye roll! I’ll let her play quietly with toys for a bit onbher bed to tucker her out more, I’ve also been trying to push it back if she sleeps in so that way she’s really tired. I breast fed forever so we had to change up the routine when I quit! I used to nurse her to sleep 😳
My daughter gave up naps before 2 years old- and she was ready! She’s now a healthy, happy 5 year old. My baby boy is 19 months and still happily taking longggg afternoon siestas. Babies don’t fit in a box. If she is staying happy until bedtime (albeit a much earlier bedtime) then she’s ready, too! And she may still go back to napping but this is the phase she’s in. Read your baby, not a book 😉. Adults are individuals, babies are, too! The good news…. so much more flexibility in your day, and an earlier bedtime which means more Mom and Dad time! There’s good in every season.
I agree with you. All babies are different! One of my three kids dropped all naps right at age 2. She was the ONLY one to stop napping so early, thankfully! Haha We did do quiet time, though, and she was in a preschool that started at age two, so she had to learn to rest and lay quietly for awhile even though she didn’t sleep. There’s is no right or wrong age to drop naps and like you said, if the child is happy until bedtime, then that is their schedule! Until it changes again, of course!
Yes! Just when you figure it out, it changes. So much easier to pay attn to their individual schedule/developmental stage and go with it. As long as they’re happy and growing… WIN! Love the rest time idea.
STOPPP!! This is hilarious. I was JUST going to write to you (this morning) because my 18 month old is going through a serious sleep regression and I was curious how Molly was handling this, given your prior sleep training experience. No advice, but know I’m right there with you!! 🙂
We just went through the same thing! My son is a week older than Molly! It was mostly a problem at night but we bought an OK To Wake clock and it has seemed to do the trick!!
Before naps and bed time I explain to our son that if he wakes up before his light is on he has to close is eyes and try to go back to sleep and how important sleep is for all of us! After we talk about his clock I’ve been telling him how loved he is but that sleep isn’t an option and then I lay him down awake.
You’re doing great mama!!!
In the same boat with my 19 mo old (and…. 32 weeks preggo). Only she decided to climb and then to throw herself over the the side of her crib onto the floor at naptime! Three times. What do we do?! We switched it over to toddler bed, and now she won’t stay in during naptime and pounds on the door. No nap is ahrd because she looks so tired at 3pm. 🙁 Ughhh! But at least this is happening before babe #2!:)
My son is 15 months and we are going through a sleep regression. Started at 14 months and i’m praying it passes sooner then later. he has been waking up anywhere from 6am-730am. he used to sleep until 8am most days sometimes even later. we try and leave him in the crib for awhile but after about a half hour we go in and get him. my husband and i will sit with him in his rocker and 9 times out of 10 he passes out on us for another half hour 45 min. then up and ready to play! it’s crazy these regressions they go through. hopefully it passes for you soon!!
My son is a July baby as well and we are going through the same thing. His main prob is early wakings everyday (4:30-5:00am every morning) Spoke with our sleep coach and she suggested earlier bedtime. We used to put him down around 7:15-7:30 and she recommend going back to 6:15ish and that will eventually get him into a better sleep Schedule and and he will start sleeping until 6:00-6:30 again. She basically said he was in a sleep debt because he was waking up between 4:30 and 5am everyday, so he was. It getting enough sleep night. Happy to report….Worked like a charm!!! He was back to a 12 hour sleep night in no time.
So many thoughtful replies on here! What a great community of thoughtful mothers. I tried to read them all before commenting, but admittedly, only got halfway through, before I scrolled to leave my reply.
I’m a career nanny; my major in college was Family Science with a minor in Human Development. There’s so much conflicting advice when it comes to parenting and bottom line is there can’t always be one size fits all solutions because we’re all so different in our executions, etc. You know your daughter best and it’s evident you come from a place of love and thoughtfulness of her best interests, so, I have full confidence, you’ll make great choices for your family and find your natural rhythm.
I have a habit of lengthy writing, so I am going to try my best to aim for some semblance of conciseness to list out the main ideas that I thought might be helpful to you, as I read your post.
1) Naptime Routine
–> Can be super helpful, especially in adjusting to a new environment!
–> My go to is:
**Diaper change
**Story Time
+I try three board book length stories sitting together in a rocker
**Last Call Water Drink
**Lights Out, Sound Machine on
+I try to let them help and make them a part of this, if they have an interest
**Songs!
+I hold them against my chest and sing try and sing the same tunes softly each
day, which may periodically change (You Are My Sunshine, Twinkle Twinkle,
ABC’s. I always end with Barney’s I Love You because there’s a great big hug
and kiss at the end, which they get excited to learn to initiate)
**Lay down with consistent sleep signal words each time
2) The Sleep Signal Words
–> Example: “Sweet Dreams Janie. (I love you). I will come get you when nap time is over”
–> When going through a regression, I add a little direct precursor setting up what is about to
happen and what the expectations are.
**It’s naptime, Johnny. I’m going to lay you down and I want you to close your
eyes and try to sleep. You’ve had a long morning and it’s time to take a rest” Then,
I lay them down and say the Sweet dreams or whatever and walk out of the room.
3) Returning to the Room
–> Once you leave, give it about 5-15 minutes
**Consider personality of the child, age of the child, and how long the regression has
been occurring when deciding how long to wait. Go with your gut!
**Upon reentering the room, if they sleep with the door shut, close it behind you.
**It’s best not to pick them up again. Rather, kneel down, so you’re on their eye
level and try and make eye contact, while speaking to them. Even if you can’t see,
their eyes are adjusted enough to make this meaningful.
Say: “Molly it’s naptime.” You can acknowledge her feelings. “I hear you screaming telling Mommy you don’t want to nap, but you’ve had a busy morning, so it’s time lay down, close your eyes and try to take a rest.” You can say, “I’m going to lay you back down and I don’t want you to get back up and scream again. Please close your eyes and try to sleep.” Try to say it all in a firm/serious meaningful/not joking way, but in a soft or gentle calming tone.
**Leave the room.
–> Give her the 5-15 minute grace period to settle
–>Returning a 2nd time
**At this early stage of regression, I might try and pick her up and just cuddle her and sing
again and then lay her back down with some signal words and leave.
**As they get older or further into a regression stage, I take Super Nanny’s advice and return
once with words, but then subsequent returns, I might simply lay them back down in their
beds with no language because expectations have already been communicated and THEY
REMEMBER
3) Remember: These are TANTRUMS–need to be met with love and firmness/discipline
–>The girls I watch are currently 21-months and at their 15-month appt, their pediatrician
explicitly said that any nap protests and boycotts at this point are tantrums because they
understand what is going down and are just asserting their will and independence.
**Be firm and direct
+I recommend Magda Gerber’s books about respecting child autonomy
+ Janet Landsbury studied under Magda and has a books: toddler discipline without shame
+ I read the other comments and Moms on Call can be helpful and is a list-style book!
4) Timing can be everything!
–> I have specifically read that it should be a goal to leave no more than four hours
between when they wake up from naptime and go to bed, lest they get overtired.
–> If this continues to occur, once you get blackout shades and have your normal routine back in place, thinking about a later naptime (1-3/4 or 2-4 is common, even with a 7pm bedtime) is not a bad idea.
**Pretty sure I read this on babysleepsite.com
+I’m pretty much addicted.
5) This is totally normal!
–>If you persevere with consistency and calmness, my experience is that they do eventually
revert to their old habits.
–> I definitely find a common nap regression or sleep boycott, as I call it, seems to occur
sometime between 18 months and even 2.5 years.
**My theory is that kids are just so overstimulated and so excited by life and all the new
things they can do around this age that they just decide that naptime is a bust and bore and
total waste of their time and they like to test their limits with it.
–>Developmentally, I have found that all the literature suggests you try to include a naptime
in their schedule through the age of four, even if they grow shorter, as they age.
–>As others have said, it is wise to try and keep them in their cribs for at least 1.5 hours of
“Quiet Time”, whether they play, cry, or sleep, so they get the consistent message that this is
part of their routine.
Can you tell now that brevity is my weak suit? Best of luck with adjusting to your new home and getting your groove back!
Also, your popsicle story is SO cute. I’m totally with you on getting those healthy fruits and veggies in consistently super early. Makes a huge difference when that’s all they know! Those textures are tricky to adjust to later on. Plenty of time to learn about all of life’s other pleasures and treasures later.
We went through it with our daughter (she’s almost 2 now). Right around 19 months the exact same thing happened. Crying before going to sleep, super short naps and EARLY wake times. It was the worst! Not to scare you, but we literally tried EVERYHING and nothing worked. It also lasted 5 months! Then one day, magically, she started napping well again. Now she’s back to sleeping 2-3 hours at naps and waking up at 7am instead of 5am. This too shall pass. In motherhood, it’s all a phase!
As a mom of three kids ages 19, 15 & 10 – I have never heard of sleep regression or even heard of hiring a sleep trainer?!?! Wow! More ways to spend money I guess??
All kids are different but usually sleeping and eating patterns change when teething or during growth spurts — and they can happen at any time. I have been fortunate to have good sleepers with all 3 of mine and I rocked them to sleep each night as long as they would let me – but they also grew tired of that and wanted in their beds. Routines are important but I have never been super strict with any of my kids bed times. We all stay up later and sleep later (this momma is a night owl and NOT an early riser!)
My two older boys were always great sleepers but then The Lord blessed us with our “bonus” girl – we don’t call it a surprise – she was definitely a blessing and a BONUS – and this girl is one after her mommas own heart and a night owl like me! She didn’t like going to sleep at night because she seemed like she was afraid she would miss something!!
Our pediatrician finally said melatonin was safe and it was affective for her! Saved my sanity and probably hers too! This was around 2 yrs old and she only took like 1.5mg and it worked like a charm to help her shut down at night!
My 15 year old has ADHD and he Also takes melatonin to sleep and says it helps him be able to “turn his mind off” or else he has trouble sleeping because his mind is racing.
I wouldn’t think Molly is anywhere near needing melatonin if she is going to bed as early as 7pm – but she is probably needing only one nap a day and unless you just like being up at 6am – id move bedtime to a bit later.
Oh and I also vacuumed in the bedrooms the kids were in as babies while they were sleeping – just to make them accustomed to sleeping through noise!! My kids could sleep through anything! No special noise machines or anything and no whispering or trying to keep the house quiet – that way they can sleep no matter what is going on!
I also completely believe that teaching them early about the Love of Jesus lets them know that they have a Lord who loves them even more than mommy & daddy could even fathom and it gives them an amazing foundation from which to grow and to be secure in! And getting involved in a Bible believing gospel teaching church young and raising them in that environment is the absolute best thing you can do for your kids and for your family!!
I have a college sophomore now that is off at college on a golf scholarship & heavily involved in a church in his college town (Myrtle Beach, SC) and also involved in another college ministry and I’ve never had to worry about the crowds he hangs around with and never had to worry about him drinking or partying. It’s truly a blessing!!!
God Bless you all!!!
…um….so….there’s also a 2 year sleep regression 😬.
Ohhhh NOOOOOO!!!!! Say it’s not true!
We have found the book, The Happy Sleeper to be a huge help at different phases! I find myself going back to reference it. Highly recommend it. Hang in there! In the meantime, enjoy snuggling Molly before baby #2 arrives! 😀
Hey girl! You have the sweetest family 🙂
My littlest is just a couple weeks older than Molly and the last month or so has been off her nap schedule as well. Some days she has been tired earlier than normal and gone down in the morning and then again in the afternoon, like when she was younger. I’ve found that if I don’t pay attention and notice she’s getting tired, she will get over tired and then have a though time falling asleep at all 😩 I think it may have something to do with a growth spurt or learning new skills (like talking). Some days she will nap like normal, so I just have to watch her closely and try to have a flexible schedule. Maybe try to put her down earlier than normal, especially if she’s waking up early, and then again later in the day? I know each babe is different and I’m sure Molly will need some time to adjust to her new home too. Best of luck, mama!
I just went through it with my now 19 month old. It was brutal I was exhausted and literally wanted to cry! She wasn’t taking naps on and off and getting up in the middle of the night coming to our bed!! The only advice I have is stick through it it will get better!! She is now back to sleeping better now thank the lord!!! You also can’t worry about bad sleep habits just adjust with her and she’ll back sleeping again!! Good luck!!
My daughter is 26 months now and we went through a couple of sleep regressions. She’s been sleep trained since birth. She has ALWAYS been a great sleeper so the regresssions really threw us for a loop. When I say that’s she’s sleep trained, that by no means means we let her constantly cry it out. What we did was keep very consistent to her schedule. It didn’t affect her naps too much, but was mostly a matter of her waking at night a few times. We have a general rule that we don’t go into her room unless she standing up crying. If she’s just whining/crying while laying down we let her self soothe. 9 times out of 10, she puts herself back down. I have to just constantly tell myself that she will never remember me not going in to get her! It’s hard but it does pass! Best of luck!
I wouldn’t quit naps totally, but they may look different than before. If it were me I would try laying her down a little later and make sure you’ve played hard right before. If she cries give it a little time. If still no nap then get her up and play hard so hopefully she sleeps well that night. Some days she might nap others she might not. My daughter just turned 2 and probably only naps 3 days a week. Some days she is crankier than usual in the evening, but you adjust as parents. We had to let her sleep with a new blanket or a stuffed animal a few times to just comfort her. Sometimes she plays for an hour before she falls asleep. Ha ha.
Really there is no right or wrong. You just have to try a few things. With a new baby coming I’m crossing my fingers for you that her naps return. Best of luck.
Watching the bachelor and I really hope you call out Becca M on her meanness and pettiness towards Krystal. Her age really shined through.
I think we might disagree on this. I think Bekah was pretty level headed about it. I’m always up for a discussion though!
Something we as parents don’t want to accept is they know more than we want them to know and they understand more than we think. The best advice given to me at this age was to tell them why they need to nap/sleep, then tell them “it’s time to nap/sleep” and then walk off. Don’t say anymore. They will understand. It took my little girl less than a week to understand and now she’s back to her normal routine. Hope this helps.
My 4.5 year old went through the same thing at 18 months. He woke up every night for 2-3 hours and was just WIDE AWAKE. It made no sense and was draining on my husband and I. It lasted about 3-4 weeks and then he just went back to sleeping through the night. Looking back, I think it was definitely developmental, he was learning so much at that time. Hang in there – it will get better. oh, and the upside, the 18 month sleep regression only lasted 2 days for my second baby.
Stick with the naps though!
Oh man I REALLY hope Molly is closer to a few days of this and not 3 weeks! Oh man. Fingers crossed!
My daughter is 18 mos and tried to fight her nap for a couple of weeks. She’d end up crying and crying, or just laying in her crib and barely sleeping (if at all). I didn’t change anything — just kept putting her down at the same time and telling her it’s nap time. She’s back to normal now, and her naps are even better! Instead of an hour or so, they’re 2 hours and sometimes 2.5. Just hang in there and don’t stop trying! She’s too young to give up her nap! (side note — I had to cut out naps for my now 5-yo son around age 2.5 because he would nap TOO good and wouldn’t fall asleep for the night until 11-11:30 p.m.! These phases are so short when you look back on it!)
Try moving bedtime back 15 minutes (if she goes to bed at 7:30 now, try 7:15). I know that sounds crazy, but usually worked for my oldest when we had a period of early wake ups…”sleep begets sleep” as many say :). Also, I definitely don’t think she’s ready to not nap. I know my oldest went to one nap per day around 19 months, so if she’s not already at one nap a day it might be time to start tansitioning. My youngest doesn’t nap every day, but he’s 3.5…and my oldest napped every day until after he turned 4.
Hi Ali!
Check out Little Ones on Instagram, they are a sleep consulting company for babes and tots. They posted about the 15 & 18 month sleep regression today. I tagged you in the comments so you can have a read.
Sleep transitions & regressions are so tough! Hoping you guys get some rest sooner than later 🙂
Lots of love from
Krista in Canada
First of all I’ve been following you and you have an adorable family! Congrats on baby number 2! I’m the mommy of 4 kiddos…8,6,4 & 2 months old. Kids are very perceptive and Molly is probably trying to adjust to he4 new surroundings since you moved. She might not want to nap because everything is new and she’s afraid she’ll miss something. The one thing I’ve learned is that as soon as your baby gets into a routine and you are comfortable with it they change it up! My 4 year old still wakes up sometimes to come in my room. My kids always had one nap and then an 8 to 8:30pm bedtime. Don’t stress too much about it just be consistent and if she naps in her stroller or on you in the meantime she’ll still napping! She’ll get back to her routine. I know it’s hard because you are expecting and tired… but it will all come together! Good luck!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/respectful-parenting-janet-lansbury-unruffled/id1030050704?mt=2&i=1000392453498
I am going through the same. This podcast helped!
Ali,
Are you keeping her in her crib, or are you going to transition her to a big girl bed before new baby is here?
I missed when you’re due somewhere along the lines, so I’m not sure how old Molly will be when the new baby comes.
My 19 mo old has never been a great sleeper. She sleeps through the night, but some nights she cries out once or twice, which don’t require attention, and sometimes she does need our attention. I’ve recently read on a blog of a mom that had similar issues as me and once they moved their child to a big kid bed, they slept like a champ. I am also pregnant, due in August and I am hoping to transition my LO into a big girl bed before baby comes. My daughter will be 2 yrs 2 months when baby comes.
The last couple weeks though, my daughter cries more than normal on occasion when going down for bed or she wakes up in the middle of the night and requires attention. I don’t know if this is her 18 mo sleep regression, just a little late or what. I’m just trying to deal with it and give it time to see how it plays out.
Good luck!
Hi Ali!
My daughter is almost two and by 13 months she was down to one nap a day. We have gone through short periods of time here and there where she won’t nap or maybe wakes up a bit too early, but I stick to my routine and I find things go back to normal eventually! Sometimes it takes. Couple of weeks! I think we are going through another sleep regression because she hasn’t been napping regularly for me but she is sleeping well at night. Regardless I still put her down for a nap around 1pm and she has quiet time in her crib if she doesn’t fall asleep. If she cries when I put her down for a nap I do leave her, unless she’s really screaming. I would just keep your routine and it will work itself out. If your putting her down for her nap too early maybe try pushing it a bit? Don’t give up just yet 🙂
Hi Ali! Hugs on the regression! No no she is not done naps – stick with your routine. Continue to offer them. We had trouble around that stage and kept talking to her about naps and how important they are to give you “energy” to play more at the end of the day. Our 3.5 almost 4 yo still naps. She wakes at 7, naps 1-3 (no later) and bedtime 830 now (we noticed around 2.5/3 she needed bedtime pushed back later). Make naptime important. Maybe let her pick out new sheets or a new teddy to sleep with if she is good and listens at going down at naptime again.
When she does skip nap she is always still in her bed talking and playing with her stuffies. You may notice your little one does that on occasion too over the next little while. Stick it out, regressions aren’t easy. But stick to your guns, and make everything consistent and predictable. And always always prepare the Littles – 10 min before nap honey, okay 5 minutes before nap and so on.
Naps are good to continue until they are 3/4 and then “quiet time” is also great as they get older!
Hi Ali! Can you update us on Molly’s sleep regression? My son is 19 months and seems to be in the thick of it. He just woke up after a 40 minute nap!! We’ve been struggling for a couple weeks already. Please say it somehow improved for you guys….
Thanks!!
Many toddlers go through sleep regressions at different points during their growth and development. If your 18-month-old suddenly has trouble falling asleep, starts resisting naps or sleep, or has frequent nighttime awakenings, they may be experiencing a sleep regression.