How to Rebuild a Sleep Routine After Regression

Coming out of a sleep regression can feel like a relief-but it also brings uncertainty. How do you get things “back to normal” when your baby’s routine has been all over the place? The truth is, rebuilding a sleep routine takes patience, flexibility, and realistic expectations.

Don’t Expect a Quick Fix

After weeks of disrupted sleep, it’s unlikely your baby will instantly return to perfect nights and naps. Sleep habits may have shifted. Your baby might have developed new sleep associations, or simply need time to re-learn how to self-settle.

That’s okay.

Rather than trying to snap back into a strict routine, think of this as a gentle rebalancing.

Step 1: Reinforce a Consistent Bedtime Routine

Consistency creates comfort. Reintroduce familiar rituals like:

• Bath

• Massage

• Story

• White noise

• Dark room

Doing the same steps in the same order each night helps signal sleep.

Step 2: Watch Wake Windows

Overtired babies don’t sleep better—they often sleep worse. Follow age-appropriate wake windows to time naps and bedtimes effectively.

Here’s a rough guide:

• 4–6 months: 2–2.5 hours

• 6–9 months: 2.5–3 hours

• 9–12 months: 3–4 hours

Use these as flexible markers, not strict rules.

Step 3: Focus on One Change at a Time

Don’t overhaul everything at once. If you’ve been feeding to sleep, but want to encourage self-settling, start by adjusting one nap a day.

Likewise, if contact naps were your survival tool during regression, begin replacing just one a day with cot or pram naps.

Step 4: Rebuild Naps Slowly

Regression often disrupts naps more than nights. Don’t worry if nap lengths are short at first—stick with it. With consistency, your baby’s body will begin to adjust.

Offer naps at the same time daily, in a darkened room, and with a calm lead-up.

Step 5: Track Progress Over Time

A single rough day doesn’t mean failure. Look at patterns over a week or two. Is your baby settling faster? Sleeping longer? Resisting less? That’s progress.

Keep Perspective

Regression recovery isn’t about perfect sleep. It’s about helping your baby feel safe, supported, and able to rest.

With time and consistency, your family will find its rhythm again.