Normal Sleep from 6 to 12 months

For those concerned about their infant's short naps and night waking, a new study led by Dr. Pennestri at McGill adds to our knowledge that:
-Interrupted sleep in infancy is normal. 
-Consolidated sleep happens gradually over time. 
-Interrupted sleep is not correlated with developmental issues (contrary to some previous studies).

Pennestri’s study coincides well with a much older study (Scher, 1991) that showed an increase likelihood of regular night waking at 9 months of age: although 40% of babes were waking up regularly at 6 months of age, this increased to 60% at the 9 month mark, dropping only slightly to 55% by 12 months of age. These studies explain what many parents have experienced at this age and explains why a significant number of my clients call me by the 10 month mark, concerned and exhausted! This bump in the road might be explained by the enormous social and emotional changes that are happening at this age.

What does this mean for you and your little one? 
1. Biologically normal night waking can be approached through perspective changes, self care, and environmental adjustments to help nudge children gradually towards longer sleep periods. 
2. Listen to your instincts about whether there may be an underlying issue (colic, reflux, environmental and food sensitivities) --these can all be sleuthed out and addressed to bring sleep more in line with your child's natural sleep needs.
3. Lean in to what is normal for babies and soak this intense, amazing, draining, and exciting time in as a season of parenting that can feel tiring, but does not need to feel terrible.
4. Call for support! Even if your baby is sleeping "normally", it can be helpful to have someone support your efforts through evidence, reflection, suggestions, and guidance. Sometimes the best intervention is through understanding.

Because there are significant (and often challenging) changes to infant sleep between 6 and 12 months, expect further articles of the research on “what is normal” for this age range soon! And even though it is hard to “rest” assured, most babes are shifting towards more regular and longer sleep periods by the one year mark. Better sleep is ahead!

Resources:

The McGill study, by Dr. Pennestri et. al., is in the December 2018 issue of Pediatrics. and is reported in McGill.ca, November 2018. Parents shouldn’t worry if their infant doesn’t sleep through the night by 6-12 months of age

Scher (1991). A longitudinal study of night waking in the first year. Child: Care, Health, and Development, 17 (295-302).