Joanna, founder of Sleep Superstars, discusses how a new baby can trigger a sleep regression in an older sibling.  

Joanna is a certified holistic paediatric sleep consultant and the founder of Sleep Superstars.  Her experience of using sleep consultants led her to create a totally novel way to give parents tailored sleep advice for their children - advice that would be top quality, affordable but also instantly available.  Sleep Superstars’ vision is to make a real difference to exhausted parents who need sleep advice tailored to their child without resorting to expensive sleep consultants.

Today, Joanna discusses the changes that can appear when a new baby joins the family.  Whilst it’s an incredibly exciting time for an older sibling, it can often lead to sleep disruption and regression.

A New Family Dynamic

There is no doubt that when a new baby arrives, the happy anticipation and excitement that your older child might have felt, can turn into upset or even shock.  No amount of planning or discussion can really prepare a child for the arrival of a sibling.  The new baby will inevitably demand a lot of time and attention and the older sibling can lose out on the one-to-one time they used to receive from their parents.

Over time, the relationship between the two children will change and develop. However, it is perfectly normal for the older child to go through a period of jealousy or even resentment and anger, either at the situation or specifically towards their sibling. However, this is a phase and will ease over time as they adapt to the new family dynamic. 

Sleep Regression

Any big change in a child’s life can disrupt their sleep patterns and behaviours.  A new baby arriving at home, with all the fuss and preparation surrounding it, can be a significant upheaval for any child to have to cope with. And a child can react in different ways – both in terms of their behaviour and/ or their sleep.  A common consequence is a “sleep regression”.  Suddenly your child, who might have been a good sleeper, starts resisting bedtime, waking in the night or perhaps demanding a particular parent at bedtime (usually mum).

It’s the last thing a parent needs in a child who had previously settled easily to sleep. So, of course, it is both disheartening and frustrating when parents find themselves having to negotiate different demands - the demands of a newborn baby waking frequently during the night and a child with a sleep regression. The good news is that sleep regressions are temporary and there are things you can do to help your child.

Read Joanna’s full article here to find her tips on how to help manage an older child’s sleep regression.  And if you are looking for sleep support, Sleep Superstars provides sleep packages for babies and young children from 6-36 months and is offering you a 15% discount using coupon code SNOOZESHADE until the end of April.  To find out more about Sleep Superstars, see here.

Further Reading:

Introducing a New Baby Sibling
4 Reasons Why a Good Sleeping Routine Benefits the Whole Family
Travelling with Kids? Don't Leave Home Without These 5 Essentials