2 Year Sleep Regression Signs to Look Out For

Has your toddler stopped sleeping well? Take a look at common 2 year sleep regression signs, and the solutions to fix them!

All of a sudden, my normally good sleeper started fighting going to bed.

He’d be fine all day, but started having a meltdown the minute he sensed my husband and I were putting him to bed. Even when we did, he wouldn’t settle until an hour or two later. Then, he’d get up in a screaming fit in the middle of the night, taking forever to calm down.

He went from sleeping all night to waking up multiple times a night. Everything we tried just got him more worked up.

Suffice it to say, none of us slept well and were beyond exhausted.

2 year sleep regression signs

So, everyone talks about sleep regressions, but how do you know you’re in one?

Maybe your toddler wants to stay with mommy instead of her own bed, or fights daytime sleep (other than really long car rides). You dread the evenings, knowing she’ll take forever to sleep, only to get up throughout the night. Then, in a state of sheer tiredness, you yelled at her for not sleeping—and felt horrible after.

Sleep disruptions at this stage can happen to kids for many reasons. She might have a new sibling to contend with, or a new toddler bed to adjust to. Developmental milestones like potty training or teething can wreak havoc on her sleep.

Thankfully, sleep regressions are temporary. But no matter the reason, what are some of the 2 year old sleep regression signs to watch out for?

1. Frequent night wakings

Long gone are the 11-12 hour stretches of sleep your 2 year old used to have. Now, you’re lucky if you only wake up once a night.

Waking up multiple times means she isn’t able to settle herself to sleep between cycles. She’s startled awake, perhaps from realizing you’re not there with her or that she succumbed to falling asleep.

What to do? Each time she wakes up, calmly remind her that it’s still time to go to sleep, and close the door. Check in on her again in 15-minute increments if she’s still crying, repeating the same message. With consistency and boundaries, she’ll learn that there’s little choice but to sleep until wake up time.

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2. Early morning waking

Perhaps your challenges lie more in the morning than at night, with your 2 year old waking up earlier and earlier. While you may have forgiven a 6am or even a 5:30am wake up time, there’s no way you’re able to start the day at, say, 4am.

Early mornings are especially challenging because we’re wired to sleep long stretches in the earlier part of our sleep, not when the sun is going to rise in a few hours.

Designate an “official” wake up time for your family, like at 6:30am. Just as you did with middle of the night wake ups, check in on her calmly and let her know it’s still time to sleep. Continue to do this until 6:30am, then thank her for staying in bed until you got her up.

With these sleep patterns, she’ll eventually learn that she doesn’t get up for the day when she wakes up.

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3. Short or skipped naps

One telltale sign of a sleep regression are disruptions to nap time, whether they’re shorter than usual or skipped entirely.

Your 2 year old might take forever just to finally settle down in the crib and fall asleep, or perhaps stays awake the entire time. You might even be tempted to cut naps entirely, but at this age, she still likely needs it (and is cranky by the early evening without one).

One way to help her take better naps is to adjust when you start them in the first place. Aim for right in the middle of the day. Let’s say she wakes up at 7am and goes to sleep by 7pm, and that she used to take two hour naps. Schedule the daytime nap from 12-2pm, giving her five hours of sleep before and after.

You can also fiddle with starting the nap earlier or later, depending on what you think is causing her to skip them. If she’s not napping because she’s not tired enough, push nap later in the day. But if you find that she’s overtired and cranky, you might have better luck moving it earlier.

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4. Disrupted bedtime routines

Sleep disturbances can be confusing because they can happen when nothing in your routine has changed. But suddenly, your 2 year old refuses to take a bath and employs all sorts of stall tactics to prevent you from turning off the lights.

As much as possible, keep your routines consistent. The more she tries to deviate, the more you should stick to what you usually do.

If she insists on a cup of water before bed, let her know that you’ll have one waiting for her when she wakes up. Read the same number of books you usually do, and head to bed at the same time every night.

Of course, you may need to adjust your routine here and there, such as an earlier bedtime to make up for a skipped nap. But overall, the consistency will help her more so than making many changes.

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5. Separation anxiety

Separation anxiety can happen as early as the infant stage, only to rear its head again in toddlerhood. Not only does your 2 year old refuse to go to anyone other than you, but she’ll insist that she needs you in the room to sleep.

You might agree to stay in her room until she falls asleep, or resort to allowing her to sleep in yours (especially in the middle of the night). You might even set up a mattress on the floor that she can climb into when she wants to sleep in your room.

Of course, we all know that these sleep habits aren’t sustainable. You’re exhausted from not having a good night of sleep, and want to go back to the days when she’d sleep just fine alone.

If separation anxiety is your biggest challenge, try using a nightlight to ease her nighttime fears of the dark. Or, remove the nightlight if she’s afraid of the shadows they case. Agree to leave the door ajar and the hallway light on for the early evening.

Make it a habit to spend time in her room during the day. That way, it’s not just the place she’s alone, and give her special stuffed animals to sleep with.

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Conclusion

It’s always a good idea to keep an eye out for 2 year old sleep regression signs so you know the action you need to take to address the behavior. Frequent night wakings may have replaced sleeping through the night. Early morning wake ups make starting your day that might more difficult.

Short or skipped naps can ruin the day, while disrupted bedtime routines make it harder to settle in for the night. And finally, separation anxiety can appear once again, with your child refusing to let you go.

Take heart, sleep regressions are often a phase that will eventually go away—so that your 2 year old can once again be your normally good sleeper.

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