The Tiny Thing That Could Fix Your Baby's Sleep Regression

One of the hardest parenting truths for me to accept is that fact that nothing is predictable. Just when I think I've mastered the art of bedtime — shutting down stalling techniques and battling scary dreams — at least one of my little guys starts changing up our peaceful nights with bouts of sleepwalking. I should have learned my lesson when they were babies, since both of them were textbook sleep regression cases. If I would have known back then that the tiny thing that could fix your baby's sleep regression was so simple, I would have spent a lots less hours stressing, and probably a ton more hours snoozing.

It turns out, if you want to help your baby sleep better at night, you have to step up your day game. According to Mayo Clinic, stimulation during the day can help promote better sleep at night, which means keeping your little one engaged in an active day results in a drowsy nighttime. In other words, you are wearing them out all day so they fall asleep and stay asleep. Plan plenty of park trips, dance parties, interactive games, and dramatic play to keep your little one's body and brain moving until the sun goes down.

But staying stimulated during the day is just one part of the daytime plan to squash sleep regression. In order to fully maximize the potential, you'll have to put some energy into naps as well. As the website for Very Well pointed out, naps effect nighttime sleep for babies and should be considered in the big picture. When experiencing a sleep regression, investing in quality naps will yield awesome bedtime rewards. Try to have all naps take place in their crib, and keep the sleep environment just as peaceful as you do at bedtime. For premium slumber conditions, make the room dark, keep the house quiet, and set the room temperature between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, as pediatric sleep expert Judith Owens explained in an article for for Baby Center.

If you've tried everything to turn your child's sleep regression around, changing daytime habits could be the solution you've been looking for. Keeping your child active and focusing on the best naps possible will set your little on up for a happy night in dreamland, which makes for a well rested mama as well.