This doesn’t mean asking your child, “Do you want to take a nap?” There is almost a 0% chance your child is going to say yes. It’s all about giving your child age-appropriate choices. We can give them some of this control while also continuing to set boundaries. ![]() Limit testing is often a result of a child wanting more control over the events happening in their day-to-day lives. Your child’s bedtime routine can still be full of love while also having clear boundaries.Ģ) Allow your child to feel in control of bedtime – somewhat. Same steps in the same order, each and every day, with a clear and defined end. Using a chart that outlines each step can be very helpful and have your child cross off each step as you go. Your bedtime routine should be extremely consistent from beginning to end, especially during this time. Trying to negotiate with a child during the bedtime routine by ‘giving in’ will only reinforce the bedtime stall tactics, and in the end will backfire. ![]() and there is no clear defined end time, then it will be tough to convince your child it’s time to end the routine and go to bed. If your child’s bedtime routine is different every night, with a different number of books, a snack sometimes and others time not, getting to watch TV sometimes, 17 hugs, etc. While this can be hard, especially if up to this point your child has always gone to bed happily and never resisted sleep, setting boundaries for your child isn’t ‘mean’ and doesn’t cause harm to your child, rather, it is exactly what kids need. So how should we tackle the 18 month sleep regression?ġ) Set clear boundaries around sleep times and stick to them. This is exacerbated by the fact that toddlers don’t often possess great language skills at this age so it is hard for them to articulate what they are upset about and hard for us to decipher whether it’s a true perceived fear (“My mom left and I don’t know if she’s coming back”) or just normal limit testing (“I wonder if I’m allowed to pet the dog right now, I’m going to ask!”) Since a brief waking will occur at the end of every 2-3 hour sleep cycle through the night, this limit testing/separation anxiety combination can occur all through the night and it can take hours for the child to fall back asleep. What happens if I yell really loud at bedtime? What happens if I scream when my mom tells me it’s nap time? What happens if I try to climb out of my crib? What happens if I tell Mom I’m hungry right before bed? Will Dad come bring me a snack at 3am? This limit testing coupled with separation anxiety can lead to some messy bedtimes, naptimes, and even middle of the night times. Toddlers at this age are learning about actions and consequences. The even bigger cognitive development that occurs at this age is a combination of limit testing and a second bout of separation anxiety. Check out my Comprehensive Nap Transition Guide here if you are curious about how this transition should look from beginning to end. Making sure to take the transition slow and gradually move from 2 naps to 1 is very important. If we rush this transition or don’t compensate temporarily with an earlier bedtime, it’s easy for the child to become overtired and we may therefore experience an increase in bedtime battles, nightwakings, early wake-ups, nap refusals, etc. ![]() What makes this regression unique compared to the others is that there is a discipline aspect involved that wasn’t present in the other regressions.Ī lot is happening around the 18 month mark, and the transition to 1 nap is a large part of that. Not only does this regression occur around the same time as the huge transition from 2 naps to 1, but it also involves an explosion of cognitive development and this creates the perfect storm for a sleep disturbance. Although this regression can occur anytime between 15-24 months, I have experienced that it most typically occurs around the 17-19 month mark. Most would agree that once kids start to ‘toddle’ they hit toddlerhood, but the change from ‘baby’ to ‘toddler’ in the sleep world begins at 18 months old, and this can be marked by a deterioration with sleep – the 18 month sleep regression. The age when a baby becomes a toddler can be up for interpretation.
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