Key Points:
- Climbing, squatting and walking are new skills that keep them busy with practice and excitement!
- First words and more babbles make for busy restless nights.
- Increased curiosity, awareness and separation anxiety reach peak levels!
- Premature transition from 2 naps to 1: some babies resist the second nap and reach the afternoon overtired and therefore have a harder time falling asleep.
Around the time babies reach their first birthday, another sleep regression occurs, triggered by several developmental factors. A 1-year-old is learning many new skills and is eager to explore the world, resisting (perhaps prematurely) his or her usual 2 naps. They may begin to resist one of the naps (usually the afternoon nap), wake up more often during the night, and may even begin to wake up earlier in the morning. Let’s dive deeper into understanding the key developmental triggers that influence these changes.
Motor Development
Just as with the previous sleep regressions, a baby reaches new motor milestones at around 1 year of age that greatly influence his or her sleep quality. At this age, babies begin to take their first steps, either with assistance or independently. They may also be practicing other new skills such as climbing and squatting. These new skills are exciting and challenging, and babies will want to practice them, even while sleeping. They may even want to practice the skills while they’re awake: before bedtime or during a nighttime awakening.
Language Development
Just as some babies take their first steps at 12 months, others say their first words! However, all babies are developing their language skills; learning more words and practicing their own babbles or words! This cognitive burst makes for a busy mind at bedtime that would rather babble than sleep.
Cognitive Development
Their brains are constantly developing and just got a boost with their language skills! Not only do they want to babble and practice, but they are increasingly curious about the world around them, noticing tiny details that we sometimes ignore, and their newfound mobility is the perfect motor for it! This combination creates a recipe for sleep resistance.
Their separation anxiety is also likely to increase at this age as they are now much more aware that when their parent leaves the room, they are still there but far away! This causes fear and anxiety in a small, defenseless baby, and is to be expected. They will resist falling asleep if their caregiver isn’t around, and they may want their caregiver to be around if they wake up in the middle of the night.
2-to-1 naps
Last but not least, a factor that can strongly influence 12-month sleep regression is the beginning of the transition from 2 naps to just 1. For some babies, this may not be the case yet, but for others, it will begin around this time. In reality, babies aren’t ready to drop the second nap at this age, although their cognitive and motor development is beginning to influence some babies to do so. If you have a very curious and active baby, you may find that they consistently resist the second nap. Sometimes they resist it so much that it actually happens a little later than ideal, which affects their nighttime sleep schedule. Starting the transition too early can result in a longer-than-usual transition period, up to a couple of months, which can lead to an overtired baby, difficulty falling asleep, and increased nighttime wakings.
The 12-month sleep regression is typically temporary, lasting anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. During this phase, maintaining a consistent and calming bedtime routine, offering extra comfort when needed, and being patient with the nap transition can help ease this period of sleep disruption.
