Sleep Regression Is Real and it Really Sucks

Oh, the six month sleep regression...what can I say?  It's pretty much the worst.  We are four days into the sleep regression right now; though, it feels more like four weeks at this point.  You might be wondering if your baby is going through one of these dreaded sleep regressions.  I know I have a few times in the past.  Looking back, I know they were just off days.  You'll know you're in a sleep regression when it happens.

So Overtired, So Cranky

For us, sleep regression hit at five and a half months.  She's teething.  She's really starting to enjoy toys and paying attention to what's going on around her.  It's exciting, but also frustrating.  She fights sleep.  She fights it hard.  We know what happens when our babies get overtired.  They get cranky.  And the more overtired they get, the crankier they become.  It can be near impossible to get to them sleep.  And doing it all alone really makes things even more frustrating.

It's Not Just at Bedtime

The hardest part of it all is a sleep regression doesn't just mean trouble getting to sleep at bedtime.  No, it's all day long.  It's every nap.   It's waking more often and having a more difficult time getting back to sleep.  Sleep deprivation sets in again for Mom.  It will remind you of those early days when your little one was just a newborn.  Except now, all those things that used to work to get her to sleep just don't anymore.

Not Much Works

It's all about trial and error.  I'm finding I sometimes need to let her fuss a few minutes in her crib (I personally am not one for letting them actually cry it out).  I try the binky and pat her back.  I rub her tummy.  I pick her up and soothe her and try it all again.  If it goes on too long, it's time for a car ride.  I schedule our lives around her naps, even more so than I did before.

Coping

The only thing that's getting me through right now is knowing this will be short lived.  It won't last as long as the newborn sleep deprivation did.  I just need to help my baby girl get the sleep she needs anyway I can right now.  When she's not completely overtired she's so much fun!  I love her big personality that's emerging, and I'm focusing on that while are struggling through this.

Going through a sleep regression?  Leave a comment if you have any tips you want to share.