So, let’s look at this handy table that I compiled after extensive sleep-related research. Well, in order to have an early bedtime, first we need to know what time the regular bedtime should be. What Time Should This Earlier Bedtime Be? Or, as it’s said so often in the sleep training books, “sleep begets sleep.” So if you want your baby to get over sleep regression, an earlier bedtime is the key. Well, it’s the exact same scenario for our babies. Then, we can use that to help us set a better, more sustainable schedule so that we do not have to worry about accruing sleep debt anymore. It doesn’t erase the sleep debt, but it does help us get past it. Earlier Bedtimes Mean Better Sleepīy going to bed earlier, our bodies are able to enter a longer sleep cycle (think REM and deep sleep) that will help us recover our cognitive function after being sleep deprived.

In fact, the only way for our brains to really recover from sleep debt (sleep deprivation) is to go to bed earlier. Now, as much as I’d like to imagine that I’m erasing sleep debt by sleeping in on a Saturday morning, that’s just not the case. This exhaustion is also called sleep debt. And that leaves us exhausted, overtired, and super cranky. There will still be an underlying cause like a time change, a vacation, or learning a new developmental task.īut going back to the way our brains are wired, once we get woken up? We are far more likely to keep waking up. So for most babies who experience sleep regression, it’s right in line with these normal wake times. I mean, how would you feel if you went to sleep in your bed and woke up anywhere else? I’d be terrified! But with babies? This is still very new – and some infants need extra help to get back to sleep – especially if they’ve woken up somewhere that they didn’t fall asleep.

After each sleep cycle, it’s totally normal for us to wake up enough to make sure that you’re safe and secure before you go back to sleep.Īs adults, we’ve gotten so used to this pattern that it doesn’t even phase us anymore.

Why An Earlier Bedtime Is Key During Sleep Regressionsīecause of the way our brains are wired, a good night’s sleep is comprised of a string of 60-120 minute sleep cycles. Want help figuring it all out? Let’s talk it through. In other words, earlier bedtimes are the key to helping cranky babies get adequate sleep. Earlier bedtimes help “reset” a child’s sleep clock, settle sleep debt, and help children get adequate sleep. How do earlier bedtimes help sleep regressions? Earlier bedtimes are key in sleep regression (disturbance) management. During a particularly rough sleep regression that involved awful naps, my husband and I wondered if an earlier bedtime might be our saving grace.

Average wake up time by age baby