Two Year Sleep Regression: Is It Real?

Jack is normally a very well-adjusted, very well-rested two year old boy. Past supposed sleep regressions never really affected him; there are several in the first few years of life that he sailed right through. But shortly after he hit 2 year old--bam. One was staring us in the face.

Sleep regressions in a two year old can present themselves in several ways. Maybe you child is falling asleep too late or waking too early. Maybe he or she is waking in the middle of the night. Maybe you're getting hit with all three scenarios (yikes!).

Has your two year old suffered through a sleep regression? Read on for my story.

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My 2 year old son has developed sleeping problems

"Surely he can't be going through a sleep regression...he's never experienced one before". These are the thoughts that are currently going through my head, as my normally solid 12-hour sleeper of a two year old boy lays awake, babbling, two hours after his bed time. Usually, Jack is conked out between 7:45 and 8:00 p.m., but here we are--at 9:30 p.m.--and he's still going strong in his crib, playing with his Micky Mouse and stuffed dog. He's having a helluva conversation, too, and it doesn't seem he's going to fall asleep anytime soon.

I can't be 100% sure it's an actual sleep regression -- who knows if it will go back to "normal" or if this is our new "normal". Maybe it's just a phase. Time will tell.

Why is this happening?

What does a sleep regression mean to me?

I've done a bit of research on the two year old sleep regression. From what I've gathered, it's typical to past sleep regressions: they are making huge cognitive steps (i.e. getting smarter! getting older!) which is resulting in lighter and disrupted sleep. Apparently the theme around this stage of the game is "separateness". They are becoming more aware that they can be separated from us parents and are starting to understand how big this world can be. It can lead to a bit of anxiety and overall restlessness when it comes to nighttime.

What does this mean to Jack?

Instead of sleeping from 7:45 p.m. until about 7:30/8:00 a.m., he's been falling asleep for about 15 minutes at night only to wake up for the next 60-90 minutes. During this time, he'll play with his stuffed animals in his crib or just babble to himself. I often hear him (via the monitor) reciting his (memorized) books out loud. Around 9:00 p.m., he will fall asleep.

Instead of waking around 7:30/8:00 a.m., he'll sometimes now wake as early as 6:00 a.m. He's ok to be left there awhile, but if he's left too long he'll get bored. And then he starts doing what you see in the picture!

In terms of his demeanor, he's generally much the same until we hit about 6:15 p.m.; he turns into a cranky child instantly! He is argumentative and whiney--you can tell he's very tired.

These two books came highly recommended to me concerning sleep in babies and children. I actually have Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child and found it supremely helpful when my son was an infant (he was extremely colicky).

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I'd love to hear how your two year old sleep regression went. How long did it last? Any tips and tricks?