18-Month Sleep Regression

About two weeks ago, Ava's sleeping routine went haywire. From sleeping soundly through the night, she went back to refusing sleep and to waking up every two hours just like when she was just a newborn baby. She refuses nap times or only sleeps when carried. We know she's already tired and sleepy but she won't sleep! With a toddler weighing 12kg (or probably more?!), imagine. Lucky for me, Mr. T takes the graveyard carrying shift. But most of the time, she wakes up just to nurse. It's pretty exhausting for both of us when we still need to wake up early the next morning and go to work.

So I looked it up. Thank you Google! Mamas experiencing the same with their toddlers, take a deep breath, what we're all going through is normal. I repeat. IT'S NORMAL.

And it's called Sleep Regression. Apparently, babies experience these regressions at 4 months and then another between 8-10 months. Some would experience it again at 12 months. And then again between 18-24 months, exactly where we are at right now.

Most people use sleep regression to mean that a baby or toddler, who’s been sleeping well, suddenly (often without any warning) begins waking frequently at night and/or refusing to nap during the day. These regressions usually last for a period of time (anywhere from 2 – 6 weeks), and then the baby’s sleep returns to its normal patterns. - The Baby Sleep Site

Maybe we also went through the regression when Ava was just 4 or 8 months but we probably just brushed it off since she was just a baby back then and defiance was non-existent in our parent-child relationship back then. But now with all the independence and self-expression, oh boy.

Before putting all the blame to sleep regression, it is best that you check if your baby's showing signs or symptoms of other possible problems like ear infection, stomach flu, etc. As mentioned in The Baby Sleep Site article linked above, it could also be teething or anxiety issues. But if you've ruled out everything, then let's all go back at sleep regression shall we?

If this regression lasts for up to two months, then I guess we still have a long way to go. At least now I know we're not the only ones going insane (or went insane for some) with all these changes that are happening with our little toddler. So I won't fight it and just let her be.