Just when you thought your baby’s sleep schedule was settling down, the 11-month sleep regression arrived to shake things up.
This challenging phase typically hits between 10 and 12 months and can leave both parents and babies exhausted and frustrated.
During this developmental period, your little one is mastering new skills like pulling up to stand, cruising, and possibly taking first steps.
Their rapidly developing brains are also processing language milestones and increasing their awareness of their surroundings.
All this excitement can make it difficult for babies to settle down at bedtime or stay asleep through the night.
While sleep regressions are temporary, they can be exhausting for the whole family. Understanding what’s happening and having practical strategies can help you guide this bump in the sleep road more smoothly.
Is There an 11-Month Sleep Regression?
Although an 11-month sleep regression isn’t officially defined, many parents report sudden sleep disruptions around this age. Sleep experts often attribute these changes to developmental leaps rather than a distinct regression.
Around 10 to 12 months, babies experience rapid progress in mobility—such as crawling, cruising, or standing—and cognitive development, which can interfere with sleep patterns.
Separation anxiety also tends to peak during this time, leading to increased night waking and difficulty falling asleep. While some professionals consider this a normal part of development, others acknowledge it as a regression-like phase.
Regardless of the label, it’s usually temporary. Maintaining a consistent bedtime routine, offering reassurance, and giving your baby time to adjust to new skills can help restore healthy sleep habits over time.
What Is This Regression Like?
The 11-month sleep disruption typically manifests as increased bedtime resistance, frequent night wakings, shorter naps, and early morning wakings. Before this phase, many babies sleep 11-12 hours overnight with two consistent naps.
During this phase, babies who used to sleep on their own might suddenly need help falling asleep. Their normal bedtime routines might not work as well for a little while as they go through new changes.
Why Do 11-Month-Old Babies Have Sleep Issues?
At 11 months, babies often experience sleep disruptions due to a storm of developmental changes. They’re mastering crucial skills like standing, cruising, and possibly taking first steps—milestones they’re eager to practice even during sleep time.
Cognitive development accelerates as they understand cause-effect relationships and object permanence. Separation anxiety typically peaks around this age, making bedtime partings particularly difficult.
Many babies are transitioning from three naps to two, creating temporary schedule instability.
Additionally, teething pain from emerging molars can wake even good sleepers, while increasing independence and awareness leads to more boundary testing and nighttime protests.
How Long Does an 11-Month Sleep Regression Last?
The 11-month sleep regression typically lasts 2-6 weeks, with most babies showing improvement around week 3.
This challenging phase coincides with significant developmental milestones, including cognitive growth, emerging mobility skills, and heightened separation anxiety.
During this period, expect more night wakings, shorter naps, and bedtime resistance. The regression isn’t linear—babies often alternate between good and difficult nights as they adapt to new abilities and awareness.
Consistent bedtime routines, extra comfort, and a calm sleep environment can ease this transition. Most infants naturally resolve these sleep disruptions but consult your pediatrician if problems persist beyond 8 weeks or affect your baby’s wellbeing.
Cause of Your Baby’s 11-Month Sleep Regression
At 11 months, many babies experience a noticeable change in their sleep patterns as they navigate a complex developmental phase. Rapid brain growth, new motor skills, and emerging separation anxiety often contribute to this sleep regression.
Understanding these underlying causes can help parents provide the right support during this transitional stage.
1. Explore Deeper into developmental leaps
Babies go through a big growth spurt in their thinking. They learn that objects still exist even when they can’t see them, their memory gets better, and they start to understand cause and effect.
At the same time, they learn to move around by standing, cruising along furniture, and sometimes taking their first steps. Their language skills also improve as they understand more, babble more, and might even say their first words.
Even while sleeping, their brains make new connections and practice these new skills, which helps them remember how to move.
2. Environmental factors
Seasonal changes can affect the room’s temperature and lighting. Changing the sleeping space—like rearranging or redecorating—might make it harder for a baby to settle. New sounds or a sensitivity to familiar household noises can also disturb sleep.
Sometimes, a baby may even start sleeping in a different spot, such as a new crib position or a different room. Lastly, changes in light exposure can disrupt the body’s internal clock, or circadian rhythm, which helps regulate sleep.
3. Schedule disruptions
Travel or vacations can throw off a baby’s sleep routine. When childcare arrangements or caregivers change, the baby might feel unsettled. Family events or visits from relatives can also make them extra excited, which can affect sleep.
They might start to change their nap schedule as they move from three naps a day to two, and differences between weekend and weekday routines can make it even harder for them to sleep well.
Why is My 11-Month-Old Waking Up at Night?
1. Night waking causes specific to this age-
Between 8 and 12 months, babies often hit a peak in separation anxiety. They might also experience teething pain, especially when their molars start coming in. Their sleep patterns begin to mature and become more like those of older kids and adults. During this time, dreams and even nightmares may feel more vivid, resulting in night waking.
2. Relationship to daytime activities and routines
When a baby misses naps or stays awake too long, it can become overtired, which makes falling asleep harder. Not getting enough physical activity during the day can add to this problem. If the bedtime routine isn’t consistent in length, it can further disrupt their sleep.
3. Hunger and growth spurts
During developmental leaps, babies need more calories to support their growth. They require extra protein and healthy fats to help them last through the night. When babies are weaning, their hunger patterns might change, causing them to wake up more often.
Tips for Guiding the 11-Month Sleep Regression
At 11 months, many babies experience sleep changes that feel like a regression. This phase often brings fussiness, frequent night wakings, and shifts in sleep patterns. We understand how challenging this can be.
Below, you’ll find practical tips to ease this transition, create more peaceful, consistent nights, and boost overall sleep quality for everyone to help every family adjust smoothly.
1. Maintain consistent bedtime routines
Keeping a routine is more important than sticking to a specific bedtime. Some nights, your baby might not be tired at the same time, so it’s okay to adjust the routine as needed.
Also, using sleep associations, like a favorite blanket or a calming song, can help signal that it’s time to wind down and get ready for sleep.
2. Adjust wake windows as needed
It’s important to watch your baby’s signals and adjust as needed. Sometimes, this means changing how long they stay awake between naps to match their natural sleep cues.
By keeping a consistent routine while also being flexible, you can help your baby feel well-rested.
3. Provide extra comfort without creating new sleep crutches
When supporting your baby’s sleep, it’s important to offer reassurance while still encouraging their independence.
Gently address separation anxiety—be there when your baby feels scared. Also, focus on what truly comforts your baby instead of relying too much on specific sleep habits or objects. This helps your baby feel secure.
4. Focus on independent sleep skills
Helping your baby learn to soothe themselves is important for them to sleep on their own. Try letting them spend short periods alone during the day so they can get used to being by themselves. This helps them settle at night and builds better sleep habits for the future.
5. Be patient and remember it’s temporary
When nights get tough, try to keep calm and remember this is just a phase. It helps to practice self-care by taking little breaks and asking for help when you need it.
Keeping a simple record of your baby’s sleep can also show you patterns over time, giving you a clearer view of progress and what might work better.
What Are Some Other 11-Month-Old Milestones That Affect Sleep?
At 11 months, babies hit many exciting new milestones that show how much they are growing. They start to investigate their world more, learn new ways to communicate, and improve their movement skills.
Below are some key milestones you should look for to understand your baby’s amazing progress. These signs are important indicators of healthy development and growth.
1. Physical Development Milestones
At 11 months, some babies can stand on their own for a few seconds without any support.
They confidently cruise along furniture and might even take their first steps, although many start walking between 12 and 15 months.
Their fine motor skills improve, too, as they develop a refined pincer grasp to pick up small objects. They can also drink from a sippy cup without spilling.
Sleep Impact:-
During the 11-month sleep regression, babies may experience noticeable changes in their sleep due to their rapidly developing motor skills.
Many will wake up trying to stand in their crib, taking longer to fall asleep as they practice new movements like pulling up or cruising.
Their brains are busy processing these motor milestones, often causing interrupted sleep cycles.
The excitement of newfound mobility can lead to restlessness at bedtime, making it harder for babies to settle down and stay asleep through the night.
2. Cognitive Development Milestones
At 11 months, babies begin to understand cause and effect more clearly and can follow simple directions.
They start recognizing several words and their meanings and respond to their name.
Their attention span grows for activities they enjoy, and they begin imitating adult behavior. They investigate how objects work by pressing buttons or flipping switches.
Sleep Impact:-
Cognitive developments during the 11-month stage can significantly impact a baby’s sleep. As their brains become more active and engaged, heightened mental stimulation can make it harder for them to wind down.
Even during rest periods, increased brain activity may interfere with deep, uninterrupted sleep.
Babies often mentally process new skills at night—like understanding cause and effect or recognizing words—which can lead to more frequent awakenings and lighter sleep overall.
3. Social Development Milestones
At 11 months, babies show a stronger attachment to their parents and may develop stranger or separation anxiety. They clearly express emotions like joy, frustration, etc.
They start responding to their name and simple instructions and show affection by giving hugs and kisses. They might develop a strong attachment to a comfort object like a blanket or stuffed animal.
Sleep Impact:-
At 11 months, babies experience intense separation anxiety that dramatically affects sleep. Their growing emotional awareness leads to more frequent night wakings, resistance to being put down, and vocal expressions of frustration.
The development of comfort objects like special blankets or toys becomes crucial in managing nighttime emotions.
These social milestones trigger complex brain activity, disrupting sleep patterns as babies process new cognitive and emotional experiences.
When to Seek Professional Help
While sleep regressions are normal developmental phases, sometimes sleep challenges require professional guidance.
Contact your pediatrician if your baby shows persistent difficulty falling asleep, wakes throughout the night, appears excessively tired despite adequate sleep opportunity, snores loudly,
If other concerning symptoms, like significant appetite changes or developmental regression, accompany sleep issues, your pediatrician may refer you to a sleep specialist.
Professional guidance typically includes a sleep assessment, customized sleep plan, and ongoing support, with approaches tailored to the baby’s unique needs.
Final Words
Remember, parents, this challenging sleep phase is temporary and a sign of your baby’s healthy development.
While the disrupted nights may feel endless, most babies move through this regression within 2 to 3 weeks as they adjust to developmental changes.
We’ve investigated how developmental leaps, environmental factors, and schedule disruptions all contribute to your 11-month-old’s sleep regression. By addressing specific night causes you can help ease this transition.
As you approach your baby’s first birthday, know that many children experience more uninterrupted sleep once they’ve mastered their new developmental skills.
Stay consistent with healthy sleep habits and adjust routines as needed, and soon, you’ll be on the other side of this temporary regression.
