Most babies go through different stages of sleep regressions before their first birthday. Some of them might have experienced these regressions at 4 months.
Around 10 months old, many babies go through a sleep regression where they suddenly have trouble sleeping through the night. This can be frustrating for parents who have been enjoying uninterrupted sleep for the past few months. But don’t worry, there are many ways to deal with it.
What Is the 10-Month Sleep Regression?
The 10-month sleep regression is a sleep problem that can affect babies around the 10-month mark. It is characterized by sudden and dramatic changes in the sleep patterns of a baby who was previously sleeping well. In some cases, this can be very disruptive for both babies and parents.
Around the age of 10 months, babies go through a sleep regression where they experience disrupted sleep. This can cause sleep problems such as shorter naps, extreme fussiness at night time, and frequent waking during the night.
These sleep disruptions and regression can happen at multiple times during your baby’s life, usually before she turns two.
One thing every parent should understand is that sleep regression is completely normal. Most of the time, there’s nothing to worry about unless it affects the baby’s health and well-being.
What Causes 10-Month Sleep Regression?
There is no one answer to what is causing the 10-month baby sleep regression. It could be a number of things such as:
- teething pain
- baby’s temperament
- separation anxiety
- developmental milestones
- brain development
- learning new skills
- the transition from three to two naps
- a lingering problem
- experiencing changes in the environment
Whatever the cause, parents should be prepared for their baby to wake up more frequently and have difficulty sleeping through the night.
What Are the Symptoms of the 10-Month Sleep Regression?
If your baby is experiencing any of these symptoms, it is likely that they are going through a 10-month baby sleep regression.
- increased fussiness and crying
- frequent wake-ups all night long, usually every two hours
- less interest in activities they usually enjoy
- difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
- early morning waking
- excessive daytime sleepiness
- becomes more irritable because she’s overtired
- poor appetite
- difficulties taking a nap during the day
- other signs such as being cranky all the time
How Long Does the 10-Month Sleep Regression Last?
The 10-month sleep regression lasts for a few weeks, usually between two and six weeks. It’s a temporary disruption to a baby’s sleep pattern.
The regression is a normal part of a baby’s development, and it’s nothing to worry about.
During the regression, your baby wakes up more often at night, and he may have trouble falling asleep. He may also have frequent early morning wake-ups. During the day, your baby may be cranky and fussy.
How to Help Your Child Through the 10-Month Sleep Regressions?
Here are a few things many parents can do for their babies to help them through the 10-month sleep regression.
Check for Any Sickness
The first step in helping your child through the 10-month sleep regression is to check for any sickness. This is because illness can often be a trigger for regression.
If your child is sick, then you will need to focus on helping them recover from their illness first and foremost. This may mean giving them extra cuddles, providing them with more fluids, and making sure they get plenty of rest.
Once your child is feeling better, then you can begin to work on helping them through the sleep regression.
Use Sleep Training
Usually, babies are sleep trained between the ages of 4-6 months. But it’s never too late to start training your baby to sleep on her own.
Sleep training is a popular method to help babies through the 10-month sleep regression. This is when your baby starts waking up more during the night and has trouble sleeping through the night. When you sleep train your baby, you are helping her learn to self-soothe and get back to sleep for the rest of the night. When To Start Sleep Training
There are different methods of sleep training, but the most popular is the cry it out sleep training method. This involves letting your baby cry for a short period of time before going in to soothe them. This method can be difficult for parents, but it is often the most successful.
Here are a few things to keep in mind.
- Be consistent with the method you choose. This means using the same method every night and not switching back and forth.
- Be patient. It may take a few nights for your baby to get used to the new sleep schedule.
- Stick with it. Don’t give up if your baby is still waking up at night. Just keep at it and eventually, your baby will get back to sleeping through the night.
Training your baby can be a difficult process, but it is often worth it in the end.
Encourage Self-Soothing
Encouraging self-soothing means teaching your baby how to fall back asleep on his or her own.
There are a few different ways to do this.
One is not allowing your baby to nap for more than 3 hours during the day. This can help him or her feel comforted and safe when waking up at night.
Another way to encourage self-soothing is to create a bedtime routine. This might include a bath, storytime, and cuddles with mom or dad. Doing the same thing every night will help your baby know it’s time to sleep. How To Put A Fussy Baby To Sleep
Establish a Consistent Bedtime Routine
A consistent bedtime routine can help your baby through the 10-month sleep regression.
Here are a few tips on how to establish a routine:
- Choose a sleep time that is consistent each night. Try to stick to the same time each night so that your baby can get into a routine.
- Make sure that the environment is conducive to sleep. This means making sure your baby’s room is dark and quiet. Use a white noise machine to create a “light sleep” environment.
- Start with a calming activity such as a bath or reading a book. This will help your baby to start winding down for the night.
- Put your baby to bed when she’s tired but not asleep. This will help them to learn how to fall asleep on their own.
- Put the baby to sleep in his or her own crib or bed.
- Give your baby a gentle massage.
- Always put your baby in the back sleep position.
- Add a morning nap into your baby’s nap time schedule.
- Always be there for your baby and offer support whenever you can.
- Don’t forget to establish a bedtime routine for yourself as well! Make sure you are winding down for the night so that you can be rested for the caretaking tomorrow.
Conclusion on 10-Month Sleep Regression
Sleep regressions can be tough for any parent, regardless of when they happen. But don’t worry, with a little bit of patience and flexibility, you can get through this phase and help your 10-month-old establish healthy sleep habits that will last long into the future. These sleep issues are temporary, they are not permanent changes to how your baby sleeps.
FAQs About the 10-Month Sleep Regression
How Much Sleep Do Babies Need at 10 Months?
At 10 months, babies need around 14 hours of sleep in total. This includes nighttime sleep and daytime naps. Nighttime sleep should be around 11 hours, with one or two naps during the day for a total of 3 hours.
How to Make a 10-Month-Old Fall Asleep?
There are many methods that can be used to make a 10-month-old fall asleep. Some of these methods are more popular than others, but all have the same goal in mind: helping the baby to relax and fall asleep.
- Put baby to bed when tired but not exhausted.
- Use a consistent sleep time and nap time routine.
- Establish a regular sleep schedule.
- Provide a calm and quiet environment.
- Give baby time to wind down before bedtime.
- Nurse or bottle-feed baby to sleep.
- Ease your baby’s separation anxiety through temporary room sharing.
- Play soft music or white noise while the baby falls asleep.
- Put baby down drowsy but awake.
This article was written by: Gian MIller – Full-Time Writer, Baby Whisperer & Dad of 3.
Gian spends a lot of his time writing. A self-proclaimed baby whisperer, Gian has been through it all with his own children and is passionate about sharing his hard-won wisdom with other parents. When he’s not writing or changing diapers, you can find him playing the guitar or watching baseball (or preferably both at the same time).
