Is the 18-month sleep regression real? Ours was sleeping through until last week

Question

He's slept through since about 8 months and this week it's completely fallen apart. Screaming at bedtime, waking twice a night. Just turned 18 months. Is this an actual thing or do I need to worry something's up?

Beth · Answer

Oh it's a thing, we got it almost bang on 18 months. For us it came with a big jump in talking and the separation anxiety going through the roof. We kept bedtime dead boring and exactly the same each night and didn't start anything, rocking, extra milk, that we'd regret later. Passed in two or three weeks. He had molars coming too so a bit of Calpol on the really rough nights.

Laura · Answer

Snap, 18 months was easily our worst stretch. What saved us was not panicking and inventing new habits that then hang around for months after. Just hold your nerve, keep it predictable, and have a feel along his gums for teeth.

Fran · Answer

Ours dragged on nearer 5 weeks so don't panic if it goes past the tidy two weeks everyone quotes. We had teeth, a big developmental leap and a holiday all land at once, poor thing didn't know what day it was. It did pass in the end.