3-Year Old Sleep Regression Tips - The Postpartum Party (2024)

Is your 3-year-old suddenly regressing in their sleep? Learn about the 3-year-old sleep regression and how to help your child through it.

If your 3 year old is suddenly struggling with their sleep, I’m here to help.

As a Pediatric Sleep Consultant and a mom, I have plenty of experience with the 3 year old sleep regression.

Let me help you troubleshoot your 3 year old’s sleep and get everyone’s sleep back on track.

By the end of this blog post you’ll:

• Understand why the 3 year old sleep regression happens
• Know what tools to use to help keep your 3 year old from waking up in the middle of the night
• Learn how to get your 3 year old’s sleep back on track (and yours too!)

Want away to incentivize your toddler or preschooler to stay in their bed all night long? Download myfree reward chartto help your toddler stay motivated. Get the free chart here

Why Is My 3 Year Old Suddenly Not Sleeping?

Your 3-year old is going through some big developmental changes at this age and sometimes that can impact sleep.

Any number of things could cause a sleep regression, but these are the most common.

Night Time Fears

Is your 3 year old suddenly waking up scared of the dark or from a nightmare? As your 3-year-old’s imagination starts to bloom, so can fears at night time.

Make sure to validate their fears, while reassuring them that they are safe.

If you haven’t already, you can introduce a dim nightlight to help them at night. Amber tones are better for sleep. I personally love the Hatch for this age.

Developmental Milestones

Anytime your child is learning new things, it can cause regressions in their sleep. Around 3 years old is when many children start potty training, which can cause setbacks at night.

Your toddler’s language is also exploding at this age. When their brain is busy, they may want to stay up at night chatting away.

Make sure to give them plenty of practice during the day to practice their new words.

A New Sibling

Have you welcomed a new baby into your house? Your 3-year old may be waking up in the night looking for attention now that a new baby has invaded their space.

Make sure to carve out a little special time with your toddler each day so they don’t go looking for attention at night.

A New School

Has your child recently started a new preschool program? Being in a new environment away from you can cause temporary sleep setbacks.

Your child may be experiencing a little bit of separation anxiety, which is common at this age.

Sleep Schedule

Your 3 year old doesn’t need as much sleep as they once did. Look at the 3 year old sleep schedule below to see if your toddler is ready to shorten or drop their nap.

If they’re getting too much sleep during the day, it can cause middle of the night wakeups, waking up too early, or fighting bedtime.

If your 3 year old goes to a school and their daytime nap isn’t flexible, you may need to consider a later bedtime.

Toddler Bed

Have you recently transitioned to a toddler bed from the crib? It’s your toddler’s job to push boundaries and they may be exploring their new freedom at bedtime.

How Does the Three-Year-Old Sleep Regression Show Up?

The three-year old sleep regression can present itself in a number of ways, including:

• Your 3-year old suddenly fighting bedtime and having bedtime tantrums
• Your 3-year old waking up in the middle of the night
• Your 3-year old fighting naptime
• Your 3-year old waking up too early in the morning

How Long Does the 3 Year Old Sleep Regression Last?

It depends on how you handle the regression.

If you start new sleep habits, like co-sleeping or laying with your toddler until they fall asleep, then the regression will just turn into your new sleep routine.

However, if you set clear boundaries and stick to them, the regression can last between 2 to 6 weeks.

Tips for Dealing with the 3 Year Old Regression

Here are practical tips to help everyone’s sleep get back on track.

Look at their Sleep Schedule

If your three-year-old is still napping, it may be time to cut back on the nap length, or cut the nap out altogether.

Too much daytime sleep can cause toddlers to fight bedtime, wake up in the middle of the night, or wake up too early in the morning.

Three-year-olds need approximately 11 to 13 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period and most kids typically stop napping altogether between ages 3 and 4.

Here’s a sample 3-year-old schedule with a one-hour nap. If you think your toddler needs a longer nap, you can extend it to 1.5 hours. If you think they need less time, cut it back.

3 Year Old Sample Nap Schedule

7:00 am – Wake Up

1:00 pm–2:00 pm – Nap

7:30 pm – Bedtime

If you think your child is ready to drop the nap completely, you can introduce quiet time so you both have some down time each day.

Reducing the nap length or cutting it out completely will solve many people’s three-year-old sleep regression. But if you’re still struggling, then keep reading.

Set the Expectations

Your 3 year old understands so much! Decide what your boundaries are around sleep and communicate those to your 3 year old.

For example, if you want them to stay in their bed all night, tell them and then practice it with them during the day.

Role playing can be a great way to communicate expectations at this age.

Use An Okay To Wake Clock

Toddlers don’t understand the concept of time. They may wake up in the middle of the night, thinking it’s morning, or wake up early thinking it’s time to start the day.

Give them a visual with an okay to wake clock. The Hatch Rest is simple to use and gives your 3 year old an easy-to-grasp concept of day and night.

Remain Consistent

One of the most important things when dealing with a 3-year-old sleep regression and keeping your toddler in their bed is to remain firm and consistent.

It can be really easy to start creating new habits out of desperation and exhaustion, but if you let your toddler in your bed sometimes and not others, it can be really confusing to them.

Once you set clear expectations, be extremely consistent in how you handle night time wakeups or bedtime stalling.

For us, each time our daughter would wake up in the middle of the night and come into our room, I would boringly walk her back to her bed. You want to avoid giving them extra attention for the middle-of-the-night wakeup.

Bedtime Routine

Toddlers thrive off consistency and knowing what to expect.

Have a consistent bedtime routine each night, where you do the same 3 to 5 activities.

It can helpful to have a visual routine so your toddler can see each step and take ownership of the process.

Consider Sleep Training

If bed sharing has become your new norm and you want to kick that, you may consider toddler sleep training.

The Chair Method is an effective technique that can help get your toddler back to sleeping in their own room.

Use A Rewards Program

Consider using a rewards chart to incentivize your toddler to stay in bed. You can use a sticker chart and reward your toddler with a sticker each time they stay in their bed.

Give them quick and easy wins so that their positive behavior is reinforced.

With a plan and consistency, you can kick the 3 year old sleep regression and get your toddler back to sleeping through the night!