Navigating Sleep Disturbances - The 12 month sleep regression

As your baby approaches their first birthday, you may find yourself thinking back to those magical moments from their first year - newborn scrunches, rolling and crawling, their first smile and maybe starting to think about walking.

As with any milestone or development, your baby’s sleep can be disrupted while they are going through these new experiences. You may ask yourself whether your little one is going through a 12 month sleep regression…

What is a sleep regression?

The term ‘regression’ suggests the loss of a skill, which isn’t necessarily the case with your baby’s sleep (although it may feel like it!). It is more likely that your little one is going through a temporary sleep disturbance- usually due to milestones, development, or an imbalance with their daytime sleep. Sleep disturbances usually have a root cause, especially if your little one has been sleeping well until now.

How can I support my baby through their 12 month sleep regression?

There are proactive things you can do to help your baby with their sleep around this 12 month mark - all is not lost!

Here are the four main areas of development that might affect your 12-month-old’s sleep, and how to stay one step ahead.

1. Motor Skill Development

At this stage, many babies are practicing standing, cruising along furniture, bouncing, or even taking their first wobbly steps. Understandably, they’re keen to practice their new skills including during bedtime (or the middle of the night!).

How to help:

Give your little one plenty of time and space to move during the day. Encourage crawling, obstacle courses, and lots of time out of the pushchair or carrier. The more opportunities they have to practice these new movements during the day, the less likely they'll feel the urge to practice them at 2am!

2. Language Development

Around 12 months, your baby is absorbing language at an amazing rate. They’re experimenting with babbling, mimicking your tone, and maybe even saying their first word. All of this mental stimulation can bubble up at bedtime in the form of chatty cot sessions, or raspberry-blowing in the dark!

How to help:

Make time during the day for face-to-face interaction and conversation. Talk about what you’re doing, name objects, and respond to their babble like it’s a real conversation (because to them, it is!). This helps your baby feel heard and encourages language development during the day, not when everyone is trying to sleep.

3. Separation Anxiety

Separation anxiety can start as early as 6 months and peak around 12 months, especially if you’re heading back to work when baby will be starting nursery, or changing routines. Your baby’s growing awareness means they now understand you can leave, but they don’t understand that you’ll come back.

How to help:

Spend intentional one-on-one time with your baby during the day. This could be cuddles, reading a book together, gentle play, or simply lying on the floor and bonding. Offer lots of eye contact, smiles, and touch. These secure attachments help your baby feel safe and confident, so they’re less likely to call for you overnight just to check you’re still there.

4. Day Sleep

While most babies don’t drop to one nap until around 14–16 months, some may start to show signs of needing a small adjustment around their first birthday. This doesn’t mean dropping a nap entirely, it might be as simple as shortening one nap slightly to ensure they’re building up enough sleep pressure for their next sleep, particularly bedtime.

How to help:

If your little one is fighting their afternoon nap or bedtime, try trimming the morning nap by 10–15 minutes to begin with. Watch how they respond - this small adjustment can help them stay on track with sleep without tipping them into getting too tired.

sleep regression guide — Download my Free guide to Sleep Regressions

Final Thoughts

While the 12-month mark can bring a few bumps in the road when it comes to sleep, most are short-lived and related to the incredible growth your baby is going through. By supporting them through physical and cognitive developments during the day, offering connection and comfort, and keeping sleep routines consistent, you’ll help them (and you!) get the rest you need

Remember, it’s not about preventing every single sleep disturbance, but about understanding what’s driving the changes and helping your baby navigate through them with confidence and security.